Relationship betwen Dubrovnik citizens and Bosnian Begleberg based on letters from the first half of the 18th century

Odnos Dubrovčana s Osmanskim Carstvom započeo je još 1430. godine, kada su od sultana Murata II. dobili povelju o slobodnom kretanju i trgovini na osmanskom teritoriju. Međutim, samo dvanaest godina kasnije Dubrovčani su postali osmanski haračari temeljem osmansko-dubrovačkog međudržavnog sporazuma. Iako je tim sporazumom Dubrovčanima zajamčen niz povlastica, realnost je često bilo drukčija, posebice kada su u pitanju bili bosanski beglerbeg i hercegovački sandžakbeg, kao najbliži dubrovački susjedi. Otkada su osnovani Bosanski sandžak (kasnije ejalet) 1463. godine, te Hercegovački sandžak sedam godina poslije, Dubrovčani su bili u kontaktu s njihovim namjesnicima. Dubrovčani su odmah uspostavili ceremonijal koji se ponavljao stoljećima i koji je uvijek bio isti za svakog novog namjesnika. Iako su u svrhu dobrih odnosa Dubrovčani svakom novom namjesniku slali poklisare koji su ih darivali i laskali im, to nije uvijek značilo da će te dobre odnose uspjeti osigurati. Namjesnici nisu uvijek bili jednako naklonjeni Dubrovčanima. Bilo je onih koji su im bili prijatelji, ali i onih koji su im redovito pravili probleme. Što se tiče darova, postojali su uobičajeni darovi koji su se darivali svakom novom namjesniku. Također, postojali su i darovi po prilici - koji su bili u skladu s problemom koji je trebalo riješiti, te oni koje su Dubrovčani poklanjali njima naklonjenim namjesnicima. Osim samih namjesnika, Dubrovčani su često darivali i njihove obitelji kao i dostojanstvenike na njihovom dvoru. Dubrovačka Republika je zahvaljujući svojoj uspješnoj diplomaciji i novcu - kojega im nikada nije nedostajalo, pa čak i kada su tvrdili suprotno, dugi niz stoljeća s većim ili manjim uspjehom održavala dobre odnose s osmanskim predstavnicima, te je ujedno rješavala sve probleme koji bi se povremeno pojavljivali.The relationship of Dubrovnik people with the Ottoman Empire began in 1430, when Murad II, the Ottoman Empire sultan, gave them the right to move and trade freely in the Ottoman territory. However, twelve years later, an agreement between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Dubrovnik (or Ragusa) made the people from Dubrovnik obligated to pay taxes, commonly known as Haraç. That agreement also ensured many benefits for Dubrovnik and its citizens, but in reality things weren't always the way they were supposed to be, especially when it was all about the Bosnian beylerbey and the Bosnian sanjakbeyi, the closest of the neighbours of the City of Dubrovnik. Since the establishment of the Sanjak of Bosnia (later the Eyalet of Bosnia) in 1463, and the Sanjak of Herzegovina seven years later, the people from Dubrovnik were in contact with their regents. From the start there was a system of formalities made by the people of Dubrovnik that went on for centuries, and was the same for every new regent in charge. For each and every new regent in charge, there was an envoy from Dubrovnik, sent to gift him and also to flatter him, but that alone wasn't an insurance of the good relatonship between the two sides. The regents weren't always working for the good of Dubrovnik people. There were some who were their friends, but there were also the ones who did them harm and caused problems. About the gifts, there were the common ones that were given to every new regent in charge. Also, there were gifts that were given considering the circumstances in different moments, and at the end there were gitfs given to some of the regents that had a positive bond with Dubrovnik and its citizens. Apart from the regents themselves, gifts were also given to their families, and the people working at the regent's court. Based mainly on their very successful diplomacy and the money that they always had, even when they were claiming that they really do not have it, the Republic of Ragusa managed to have a good relationship with the Ottoman diplomacy during a long period of time, and also managed to solve any difficulties that would appear from time to time