Chapter 43 The Effect of Wallachia's Economic Development

At the Boyar Conference at the end of the year, 15 boyars from Moldova also attended the meeting, and they all supported the Grand Duke. Therefore, the opposition nobles had no way to make trouble.

What's more, after the unification of the two countries, they made a lot of money. Now there is no reason to oppose the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke's power formed an overwhelming advantage at the meeting, so a series of military training and taxation bills were passed. All boyars had to start paying taxes, but they were reduced according to actual conditions.

Of course, Mircea was most concerned about the construction of the new capital. Bucuriesti was the first large-scale use of serf labor in Wallachia, with nearly 10,000 serfs and 10,000 free people on the construction site.

This was originally a fortress. After receiving the news of the capital, many construction teams began to contract large and small projects. Some nobles and merchants also bought land and real estate here to settle down. They were all forces supporting the Grand Duke. Of course, they are more likely to play a role in the construction and trade of the new capital.

As the economy of Wallachia gradually developed, cities in other countries were also easily affected, such as the border city of Brasov in Hungary.

Brasov is located in southern Hungary, surrounded by the Southern Carpathian Mountains. Thanks to the efforts of the Hungarian king, Brasov became an important trading post connecting Europe and the Ottoman Empire. In addition, the city's tax-free policy allowed the local Saxons to make huge profits and strengthen their political influence in the local area. And these wealthy merchants were the initiators of the unique style of local architecture.

Brasov later became the fiefdom of the German knights. Since then, the new colonists began to not recognize the privileges of local residents, let alone their status as citizens. This made it impossible for them to run handicraft businesses locally.

They began to move to Wallachia and settle at the border.

The linen, livestock, and beeswax produced in Wallachia were very popular, and some merchants began to engage in re-export trade and sell these things to other places. Due to the influx of a large number of commodities, Brasov's textile industry stagnated, animal husbandry began to shrink, and the upper-class noble merchants were still exploiting them. As a result, Orthodoxy became the only faith of the lower-class people.

The Orthodox Church, with Cluj as its center, united the oppressed people. Wallachian writing also spread there, forming a powerful pro-Walachian force, but those nobles were too lazy to care, as long as it did not delay their own money-making, they could do whatever they wanted.

Mircea officially announced at the Boyar Conference that the silver coin ducat minted by the Grand Duke would be abolished, and the silver coin lei and copper coin bani would be used as the official currency, and the Wallachian writing would be used as the official writing.

Well, what the human political brother completed more than a thousand years ago is only now being implemented in Wallachia. But it's not too late, at least it's not yet the era of the 19th century when the strong were respected. I dare not even think about ceding land, paying compensation, being annexed, and being controlled.

In addition to these, at this year's Boyar Conference, Mircea announced another major event: the establishment of the Senate.

Unlike the Imperial Council, the Senate is a permanent institution composed of heads of departments, archbishops and judges. The Grand Duke selects one of these people as the Prime Minister (Peter's suggestion), who is responsible for assisting the Grand Duke and presiding over government work.

The Senate is divided into five halls. The first hall is responsible for legislation and administration; the second hall is responsible for commerce, handicrafts, and currency; the third hall is responsible for surveillance; the fourth hall is responsible for finance; and the fifth hall is responsible for diplomacy.

Mircea's power began to gradually concentrate, and he also had the political skills to pull one faction against another. He promoted a large number of merchants and children of impoverished nobles who could read and write, but at the same time gave boyars economic privileges. After rounding off, both sides were satisfied, so that the dynasty's rule could be maintained.

The economic conveniences given to the nobles include: the nobles can control the workshops and factories on their land; the nobles can establish trading centers on their hereditary territories, but their opening dates should be staggered with neighboring markets; the nobles have the right to own, build or purchase houses and factories in the city, the nobles can sell any goods that comply with the law, and the nobles shall not be prohibited from owning or establishing various workshops and factories.

In order to increase their income, the nobles established large-scale industries and carried out trade activities. Most of the industries they established took the following three forms: "1. If the nobles have business talents, they can easily borrow funds to establish industries; 2. If the funds and other materials are complete, the nobles will use the real estate to engage in manufacturing; 3. The landlords will cooperate with merchants or farmers who can provide the funds and business experience they lack to establish industries." As they widely participated in trade, the resistance to their reforms was much smaller.

Constanta is the largest commercial city in Wallachia, with 296 merchants, including 26 in charge of foreign trade. Domestic business in Wallachia is carried out through shops, fairs and markets, and merchants have made great profits in the field of commercial circulation.

In the foreign field, Peter's mercantilism began to take effect. In the second half of the year, Wallachia's tariff revenue increased by 30%, and the revenue from silk, beeswax, livestock and wine increased the fastest. Wallachia began to form a preliminary class of wealthy merchants, who were active in Hungary, Constantinople, Ottoman, Poland and Lithuania. Of course, they also robbed the interests that originally belonged to Genoa and Roman merchants, especially when transporting grain to Constantinople, they could always deliver it at the best price. The construction of the Constanta shipyard also made their own ocean voyages possible.

The first batch of Genoese ships that Peter had booked had arrived. This fleet of 10 merchant ships and five escort ships was the first trade fleet of the Wallachian Chamber of Commerce. They came to Galata with a full load of goods, and then turned to Trebizond and the North Caucasus, trying to expand Wallachia's share in the Black Sea trade.

Of course, Wallachia would also make money from national disasters. For example, in Bulgaria, which was in a life-and-death situation, the price of grain had risen by an unknown amount, and the grain and various non-staple foods in Wallachia were sold through Giurgiu, and the farmers' hoarding behavior raised the price. Back and forth, Bulgaria's wealth flowed to Wallachia.

As for Transylvania's minerals, Poland, Lithuania and Bohemia's luxury goods began to flow into Wallachia, and this backward small country began to catch up at an unprecedented speed. And soon it will make the surroundings look at it with admiration in the new year.