Svenskehandelen som tok slutt
Abstract Historical research on social development in the Scandinavian north used to be dominated by stories of ruthless taxation and economic exploitation of the Sami people. Stories of the violent actions of the so-called bircarlians were told again and again. These bircarlians were considered to...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Norwegian Bokmål |
| Published: |
Scandinavian University Press
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Heimen |
| Online Access: | https://www.idunn.no/heimen/2017/01/svenskehandelen_som_tok_slutt |
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| Summary: | Abstract
Historical research on social development in the Scandinavian
north used to be dominated by stories of ruthless taxation and economic
exploitation of the Sami people. Stories of the violent actions
of the so-called bircarlians were told again and again. These bircarlians
were considered to be a group of greedy merchants originating from
areas bordering on the Gulf of Bothnia.
The old stories of evil tax collectors harassing the Sami are
no longer universally accepted. Nowadays the bircarlians are described
as locals, agriculturalists and traders engaged for centuries in
exchanging goods with the Sami, benefiting both themselves and the
indigenous nomads.
The bircarlians used to be regarded as holders of royal privileges
granting them special rights in the trade with the Sami. This view
has also been challenged. The system involving Sami and local tradesmen
seems to be much older than the impression given by Swedish authorities
in the late middle ages. Bircarlian activities long outdated the
royal Swedish colonization of the north. Their independent and decentralised
trading traditions are now instead considered important stages in
the development of the Swedish unitary national state. |
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| ISSN: | 0017-9841 1894-3195 |