THE MONETARY DIMENSION OF LOSSES IN THE LAND OF LVIV CAUSED BY TATAR RAIDS IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 17TH CENTURY
THE MONETARY DIMENSION OF LOSSES IN THE LAND OF LVIV CAUSED BY TATAR RAIDS IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 17TH CENTURY

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to investigate the scale of destruction caused by Tatar raids in the Land of Lviv during the first third of the 17th century, based on damage assessments expressed in monetary terms in historical sources. This approach makes it possible to determine the extent of the devastation and the impact of Tatar raids on the region’s economic life, as well as to reconstruct the purchasing power of currency at the time. The study of materials related to the raids highlights the functional role of money not only as a medium of exchange but also as a means of compensation, ransom for captives, funding of defensive measures, and evaluation of inflicted damage. The research methodology is grounded in the principles of scholarly criticism and historicism, employing both general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization, statistical and quantitative approaches) and specific historical methods (historical-typological and historical-systemic approaches). Scientific novelty: Several hundred juraments (sworn testimonies) regarding Tatar destruction and dozens of other documents about raids on the Land of Lviv have been identified in the Lviv grod court books. Their introduction into academic circulation has made it possible to clarify the assessment and scale of the consequences of these raids in the first third of the 17th century. Main findings: The consequences and scale of the Tatar raids on the Land of Lviv in the early 17th century are thoroughly documented in the records of the Lviv grod court. Regarding the 1620 raid, references were found to 49 settlements that suffered destruction. Peasant oaths often contain information on the monetary dimension of the damage. The juraments indicate the expected amount of taxes to be collected from particular settlements and the actual amount that was collected. The ratios presented in these juraments between assessed and collected taxes allow for an estimation of the destruction in individual localities. The monetary dimension serves as an alternative to data on human or property losses or as a comparative indicator when such data is available. According to calculations, as a result of the 1626 raid, approximately 86 % of settlements in the Land of Lviv are mentioned in the juraments as having suffered from the Tatar attack. Consequently, tax collection capacity dropped by 41.66 % in rural and 8.26 % in urban settlements due to that single raid. Compared to traditional studies focused on chronology, geography, and demographic consequences of the attacks, this approach allows for the reconstruction of the state’s fiscal responses, community self-defense mechanisms through institutionalized oath-taking (juraments), and the economic realities of monetary circulation in the Land of Lviv within the Ruthenian Voivodeship.

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