The Activity of Armenian Merchants in International Trade
The Activity of Armenian Merchants in International Trade

Author(s): Artsvi Bakhchinyan
Subject(s): Economic history
Published by: Hokkaido Slavic-Eurasian Reserarch Center
Keywords: Armenian trade-history;
Summary/Abstract: In this paper I will outline the phenomenon of late medieval Armenian external trade from relevant historical, geographical and cultural perspectives, including placing it in the context of world trade and the ruling states of the time. As a specialist in the Armenian diaspora who has studied the history of Armenian immigrants and communities in Northern Europe (Scandinavia) and the Far East (Japan and China), I regularly come across information on the activities of Armenian merchants—the most dynamic segment of Armenian society. The history of the Armenian Diaspora before the twentieth century is primarily a history of traders. In the history of the world economy, the Armenian trade—especially in the late Middle Ages—is unique, and offers numerous interesting details and paradoxes. The capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453 seriously impacted trade between East and West. Having lost their direct connections with the markets of the Near East, European traders sought the assistance of Asian intermediaries. Thus the sixteenth century saw Armenian traders re-emerge in new geographical and political conditions that brought fresh perspectives and challenges.

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