UNOFFICAL OTTOMAN CONSUL IN THE REPUBLIC OF RAGUSA: EMIN OF DUBROVNIK

Dubrovnik was continuously visited by Ottoman citizens from the Eyalet of Bosnia. Most of them stayed only for a short time, although some remained longer, mostly for business reasons. For example, archival books from the State archives in Dubrovnik, where lessees of state-owned business premises were recorded, show that in the first half of the 17th century, the following Bosnian blacksmiths and coppersmiths worked in Kovačka Street: Elez Babo, Mustafa, Abdija, Ahmed, Sanko and Ramo. Bosnian merchants and travelers resided in rented city apartments, in one city inn and in the inn and other municipal houses in the eastern suburb of Ploče. Unfortunately, nothing is known about their life and work in Dubrovnik.

            Archival records include more data about people from Bosnia who resided in Lazareti at Ploče, built in the 1640s., mostly about permanent residents of Lazareti, emins, Ottoman customs officers, who were known as “Emins of Dubrovnik”.

            Emins began to arrive in Dubrovnik in the second half of the 15th century, and before Lazareti was built they resided within the city walls. They collected customs duty at Ploče, where the well-known caravan road ended. Upon moving to Lazareti at Ploče they were assigned several very important tasks, and therefore their original role of customs officers actually became the least important.

            Emins were in charge of keeping peace and order among Ottoman citizens who ran the quarantine in Lazaretu, and they were always the most numerous. In disputes between Ottoman and Dubrovnik merchants they acted as conciliators and thus prevented escalation of conflict in its inception. If necessary, they testified in the favor of Dubrovnik citizens. They represented interests of Ottoman citizens and were authorized to detain those who had committed an offense in the area of Dubrovnik. The detention center was situated in the emin's apartment, where offenders waited for Ottoman soldiers to take them to trial before the qadi. Both Ottomans and Dubrovnik citizens considered emins unofficial Ottoman consuls in the Republic of Ragusa.

            Emins were local people from Bosnia and Herzegovina. They were familiar with Dubrovnik and easily communicated with Dubrovnik people. Their term of office ranged from six months to a year, and they arrived accompanied with servants and a scribe, a letter of reference and a present for Dubrovnik authorities, typically a carpet. To mark their arrival, authorities would treat them with a lunch, lamb being its main ingredient.

            From the late 17th century the Ottoman State allocated revenues from customs in Dubrovnik for salaries of military crews in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From that time on, two emins worked at Ploče, who mostly arrived from Trebinje, Ljubuški, Počitelj, Krupa and Ključ.

            Lazareti, which has been preserved until today, consists of ten buildings, nine of them single -story houses, while the emin resided in the only two-story house of about 70 square meters, which was named “Emin's house” or “Emin's lazaret” after him. Dubrovnik authorities fully respected emin's privacy, i.e. autonomy of the unofficial Ottoman consulate. They sent people to Emin's house only when the roof, windows or floor needed to be fixed or the hearth and toilet cleaned. Unlike other houses in Lazareti, Emin's house had a space for taking baths paved with stone tiles.

            There are many documents which show that emins in Lazareti were very busy, though we know little about what they did in their spare time. The scarce data reveal that they gladly participated in religious and cultural events in Dubrovnik. They went to city theater and came to procession in honor of Dubrovnik patron saint Saint Vlaho and to other religious processions, which they watched from the luxuriant Sponza palace. 

            In 1644, scribe Mustafa passed away in the city, who taught basics of Ottoman Turkish to the so-called “guys of languages of Dubrovnik”, i.e. future dragomans (interpreters). Dubrovnik authorities delivered his body to emin Fazli-aga. The body was prepared for funeral in Emin's House, and buried in the Herzegovinian village of Carina (now Ledenice), in the immediate vicinity of border with Dubrovnik. Since Dubrovnik authorities paid costs of the whole ritual, the emin issued them a certificate, which says the following in the translation of a dragoman from Dubrovnik:

            Spenze koje su pošle na pokojnika: najprije okupo 120 akči; ko je vodu livo na njega 60 akči; za molitvu 80 akči; za mujezina efendiju 80 akči; imamu koji mu je dženazu klanjo 120 akči; oni koji ga je očistio 200 akči; koji mu je molitvu svršio 240 akči; osmerica koja ga su nosili 320 akči; onim koji mu su grob iskopali 80 akči; oni koji je hodio prid mrcem do Carine 160 akči; (halva) za razdijeliti za dušu 120 akči; i na grobu ko mu će činiti molitvu 80 akči...

(Expenses for the deceased: first, washing cost 120 akčas; 60 akčas went to the person who poured water; 80 akčas for the prayer; 80 akčas for muezzin effendi; 120 akčas for imam who conducted the janazah; 200 akčas to those who cleaned him; 240 akčas to the one who completed the prayer; 320 akčas to eight people who carried him; 80 akčas to those who dug his grave; 160 akčas to the one who walked before the deceased to Customs Office; 120 akčas for (halva) distributed for the deceased's soul; and 80 akčas to the person who will pray on his grave...)

            One would say that people from Dubrovnik treated the man whom they knew well humanely. However, with this act they actually wanted to dispel any doubt about the true cause of scribe Mustafa's death. Mustafa must have been involved in espionage. He may have discovered something which threated interests of Dubrovnik. For this reason, Dubrovnik authorities, at a clandestine session, made a decision to poison him. The document which reveals the dark side of history of Dubrovnik is extremely valuable since it is the only preserved piece of evidence of performing Islamic religious rituals in Emin's House.

            Lazareti at Ploče housed many emins of different characters. According to claims of people from Dubrovnik, some were lazy and malicious. Bosnian beylerbeys would replace such emins right away: You, former emin named Sulejman, you argued with many merchants and those who came and passed through and you were always the cause of problems because you did not bow to Dubrovnik gentlemen, you have been replaced and another man will be appointed to the position...

            Osman-aga and Mehmed-aga were completely opposite to Sulejman.aga; they were brave emins who did their best to help people of Dubrovnik at hard times for the Republic.

            In late 1751, Tripolitan pirates with the loot, a Venetian trabaccolo, sailed into Dubrovnik harbor. They were followed by Venetian ships who pursued them. The Venetians required Dubrovnik people to deliver them the pirates and accused them of cooperating with sea criminals. Dubrovnik authorities did not want to comply because they could hardly keep friendly relations with Tripolitan governorship, whose pirates did not obey sultan and were a permanent threat to Dubrovnik ships. Out of revenge, Venetians disembarked on the island of Lokrum in the immediate vicinity of the City, where they mercilessly cut forest and abused people, and even shelled the City itself.

            Emins Osman-aga and Mehmed-aga were sincerely astonished and got actively involved in the defense of Dubrovnik. Mehmed-aga tried to reach Venetian ships in his boat, even attempted to get to Lokrum, but he was driven off by shooting. Finally, he managed to get to the person in charge, Venetian captain of Adriatic, and threw in his face: “I've come to let you know, you commanders of Venetian galleys and galleons, if you don't stop what you're doing by tomorrow, that I will send a petition to the Sublime Porte and you will be severely punished.” The other emin – Osman-aga – also went looking for Venetian captain of Jadran and found him on the island of Mljet. He agitatedly shouted that misdeeds of Venetians led directly to war. He, emin, was sent to Ploče exclusively to help people of Dubrovnik, to protect them from violence and inform Bosnian governor and Porte on any harm inflicted on Dubrovnik. The threat worked, and Venetians withdrew from Lokrum.

                    Tripolitan pirates left waters of Dubrovnik in the spring of 1752, and the dispute between Venice and Dubrovnik lasted until the summer of 1754. It was then that the conflicting parties were invited to negotiation at the court of Bosnian beylerbey in Travnik. The negotiation proceeded in favor of Dubrovnik and ended by signing the well-known Travnik Agreement. Emins Mehmed-aga and Osman-aga significantly contributed to it since they, despite the threat of being killed, wrote innumerable reports on Venetian violence in the Republic of Ragusa over two and a half years.