Travelogues as Reflected in Defters

Abstract

This paper represents the first attempt to solve even partially, a methodological question on the basis of the defters. The thing in question is checking up the data found in the travelogues with the aid of defters, or, rather, a simple comparison of the two. lt is possible to do a thing: like that only regarding the road from Belgrade to Niš for the period from 1533 to 1584. Without discussing or analyzing the travelogues in general, we have taken only the data that could be positively checked through the defters from the same or somewhat earlier or later time. There are, of course, certain digressions and quotation of considerably older sources for, as it is already known, the second half of 16th century is considerably poorer in defters fQr the certain regioos of Serbia than the first one.

Presenting the data grouped according to the localities along the road, we tried to establish their authenticity, while in the conclusion, within certain limits again, we gave an estimate of the authenticity of the travelogue as a historical source. The attempt made in this paper, although considerably limited both by time and place, can serve as a rather reliable orientation in our search for the historical truth. For, although it is very useful to check up the travelogue for the entire route Budim - Belgrade, one can not insist that it is also indispensable for checking up its authenticity. It is essential, as a matter of fact, only to determine the attitude of the author to see whether he is partial or not, curious or super· ficial, and it can often be done on the basis of only a few checked data. As far as the criterion, especially in categorization of settlements, one must be very cautious there, for the authors - getting in touch with the Turkish civilization which was naturally very peculiar in comparison with the European one - applied to i t their standards obtained in Europe.

Evaluations attained in such a manner are relatively correct and more seldom completely incorrect. The data on the topography of settlements, when the numbers of the certain kinds of buildings are given, are more or less correct. Completely correct number of houses, mosques, caravan-sarays and other buildings is, normally, impossible to be expected from an author passer by. The data on the religious or ethnical structure of the population are correct, except in rare cases. This refers even to the number of population sometimes.

These would be the basic conclusions that could be drawn from the considered data. Although there are not too many of them, it seems nevertheless that they can serve for the certain orientation in dealing with this kind of a source. For the time being the Turkish materials which would enable the expansion of the time and space limit of our research are not available. That is why it is both difficult and risky to give an evaluation of each travelogue separately. As a matter of fact, in our efforts to reconstruct the past, it is essential to admit, and it is believed that it has been pointed qut already, that the travelogues as very specific and valuable historical sources do deserve a high place.