О почецима транспорта и трговине житом на Сави и Купи: траса Земун–Сисак–Карловац у другој половини 18. века
About the Beginnings of Cereal Transportation and Trade on the Sava and Kupa Rivers: Zemun–Sisak–Karlovac Route in the Second Half of the 18th Century

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents data about cereal transit and trade on the Sava and Kupa rivers in the second half of the 18th century. A focus is placed on some aspects of transit and trade on the Zemun–Sisak–Karlovac route, such as the role of the state in “mare versus” trade, the beginnings of cereal exports from the Hungarian hinterland and Banat, conditions of navigation on the Sava and Kupa, and some characteristics of supply and trade activities (prices, costs, gains and losses). The paper mainly relies on archival records of the fund of the Zemun Magistrate kept in the Historical Archives of Belgrade, and on published sources and literature. The paper shows that intensive development of cereal transit and trade on the Sava–Pokupski route was not possible before 1780. The state’s role in “mare versus” trade is reflected primarily in the fact that the transit of large quantities of cereals was initiated by the state, i.e. military or civil authorities. This took place occasionally and, as a rule, at the time of cereal shortages in Italy and for the needs of the army during war campaigns in Italy and Germany. In addition, the role of the state in the development of transit and trade on the Sava and Kupa rivers was reflected in its exclusive power to apply current technological know-how and to gather experts – engineers in order to put into use the maritime route on the Sava and Kupa. During the 18th century, conditions for regulated navigation were gradually created, with the regulations carried out in 1733–1736 and 1784–1786 being the key milestones. The state’s enhanced care about the functionality of the Sava and Kupa route coincided with the strengthening of its interest in “wholesale” trade towards distant destinations in the early eighties (oversees trade, Trieste–Constantinople trade, expedition towards China, concessions for trade downstream the Danube etc.). In line with this, data on cereal trade on the Sava appeared first sporadically, and only from the 1780s to the extent indicating large-scale operation of trade companies (as of 1759 the Timișoara Privileged Company, and as of 1768 the New Privileged Timișoara Company) and private persons on this route. The majority of sources about cereal trade originate from the last decade of the 18th century. This phenomenon was certainly under the influence of the political climate – the start of longlasting wars against France and Napoleon. The paper presents a large number of documents about activities performed by Zemun boatmen and traders on the Sava and Kupa. They illustrate the conditions and problems of navigation on these rivers, which concerned security and water levels, as well as contracts, costs, gains and losses in Sava–Pokupski cereal trade.

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