Turkish ignorance and neglect are not confined to literature and the fine arts. They pervade every department of national industry; and are aggravat ed in the latter case by the rapacity of the govern ment, which renders every species of property in secure and even dangerous to its possessor. It cannot be expected that any man would exert his skill and risk his capital in agricultural, mercantile, or mechanical speculations, when he knows that his success would only make him a more conspi cuous mark for the cupidity of a pacha, and render his destruction certain. Agriculture is conse quently in a languishing condition. The exporta tion of its produce is strictly prohibited; and those fields are indifferently cultivated which are liable to be reaped by a rapacious governor, or its pro duce transported to the capital to keep in quietness a turbulent population. Yet, in spite of impolitic restrictions and arbitrary seizures, such is the fer tility of the soil, that few countries are more abun dantly supplied with all the necessaries of life. Its corn, maize, and rice are of superior quality; but its wine and oil are much deteriorated by the un skilful and negligent method of preparation. The immediate vicinity of Constantinople is barren and unfruitful; but its inhabitants are richly supplied from the surrounding coasts with all the culinary herbs and fruits of exquisite flavour which the most fastidious appetite can require.
The manufactures and commerce of Turkey are chiefly in the hands of foreigners. Of the former, the principal are, the satins, silks, and velvets of Brussa and Aleppo; the serges and camelots of An gora; the crapes and gauzes of Salonica; the printed muslins of Constantinople; the carpets of Smyrna; and the sabres of Damascus. Some of these, espe cially their works in steel and copper, and their dyed stuffs, equal any in Europe.
Few countries are better situated for an extended and lucrative commerce than Turkey. She has ready access to the commodities of Europe, Asia, and Africa; and her intercourse is admirably facili tated by the openings which the Mediterranean sea, the Red sea, the Persian gulf, and the river Euphra tes afford to the two great oceans of the globe. The advantages of her situation, however, could only he appreciated by a mild and enlightened legisla ture. But every thing here is sacrificed to the cupidity of the government. Foreign goods are admitted without restriction, upon paying a certain duty; but while the foreigners pay three or four per cent, the native merchant is charged double. The commerce with Egypt and Syria employs only about thirty large vessels ; and the ports of the Black sea, on the Asiatic coast, and those of the Crimea, before its conquest by the Russians, were furnished by about 100 clumsy vessels, called Saika, which had the appearance more of floating carcasses than regular ships. The internal trade is carried on by means of caravans, which traverse the country from the Hungarian frontier to the Persian gulf. From Bassora, the products of India and Persia are conveyed to Aleppo and the principal cities in Asiatic Turkey; and Smyrna is the centre of all the traffic of Asia Minor.
The Turkish institutions have all a reference to the military character of the nation. All mussul mans, in the eye of the law, are soldiers, and form a distinct class from their infidel fellow subjects.
The extension of their empire, and the propagation of their faith, were the avowed objects of their war fare ; but they conquered to inherit ; and, as they knew no honourable means of subsistence besides arms, they left the cultivation of the ground, and the practice of the arts, to the vanquished natives. Upon the conquest of a country, a third part of the land was allotted to the officers and soldiers, to be held by them in consideration of performing mili tary service; and these lands were cultivated exclu sively by the rajahs, who paid as rent a tenth of the produce and of the increase of their stock. These lordships are denominated Ziamets and Ti mars, according to their revenue, that of the former being from 20,000 to 100,000 aspers, while that of the latter is from 5000 to 20,000 aspers. A Ziam, for every 5000 aspers of rent must bring one horse man into the field, with tents and other necessary equipage; and a timariot must produce one for every 3000 aspers; but if his revenue does not ex ceed 5000, his personal service alone is required. These proprietors are enjoined by this charter to take up arms at the summons of the sovereign, to remain encamped with their stipulated contingents as long as he judges it expedient, and to return home at their own charge. These troops are dis posed into regiments under the command of agas, and these again under the pachas of the provinces. This system resembles, in some parts, the feudal tenures of the northern nations; but here there are no subordinate vassals, all are equally crown vas sals; nor are they in general hereditary. The Otto man military fiefs are held immediately from the crown, and the grants, on the demise of the incum bent, are vested anew in the sultan. In Anatolia, however, the estate devolves to the next of kin; and the possessor is not bound to serve in person; but if he fail to furnish his quota of troops, one year's rent is confiscated to the exchequer. The fiefs of those who die in battle also are conferred upon their children; and an aged or disabled warrior is allowed to send his son as his substitute, who succeeds to the lordship on the death of his father. All vacan cies are immediately filled up by the sultan; and Rycaut mentions, that in the different assaults upon the fort of Serinstear, one Timariot's farm was be stowed eight times in one day. The revenues of the unallotted lands " were appropriated to mosques. and the great officers of state, to the mother and mistresses of the sultan, to children of the imperial family, or to the sultan himself ; and the residue. burdened with a territorial impost or land tax, was left by an undefined tenure to the ancient proprie tors. These, if mussulmans, had the privilege of going to war: others, whether Turks or infidels, who from choice or from civil incapacity devoted themselves exclusively to the arts of peace, and en joyed their estates under the common protection of the crown, were called beledis or rayahs, and their military service was commuted by a tribute. The mussulman proprietors of this description thus formed the national, and the feudal proprietors the feudal militia." These militia are denominated to pro/dy, to distinguish them from the eapieuly or regular troops, who receive their pay front the treasury of the prince.