Apie Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės valdovų suteiktas lengvatas užsienio pirkliams XVI amžiuje

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: LDK, muitinė, pirkliai, privilegija, prekyba; Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Lietuvos Metrika; Muitai; Prekyba; Privilegijos; Steponas Batoras (Stefan Batory; István Báthory; Stephen Bathory); Žygimantas Augustas, 1520-1572 (Žygimantas III Augustas; Zigmantas II Augùstas; Zygmunt II August; Sigismund August); Žygimantas Senasis (Sigismund the Old; Žygimantas II Senàsis, Zigmantas I Senàsis; Zygmunt I Stary); Customs; GDL, custom toll, merchants, privilege, trade; Lithuanian Metrica; Privileges; Sigismund I the Old; Sigismund II Augustus; Trade.

ENCustom tolls were one of the larger sources of income to the treasury of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Attempts were made to divert merchants travelling through, arriving into or leaving the state s territory to customs points, so that they would not take detours and thus avoid paying the appropriate taxes. However, concession notes or privileges issued to merchants by the rulers would aid in tax evasion. These documents gave their holder the right to transport goods or to trade without having to pay a customs toll. There would have been various reasons for being relieved of having to pay taxes - the friendly mediation of foreign rulers, requests made by merchants themselves to the ruler via members of his court, etc. There is a lack of sources to be able to clarify the details of each particular case. Nevertheless, it must be stated that the ruler sometimes had to forego quite a large potential income, as some merchants would transport too many goods. The greatest number of concession documents were issued to subjects of Turkey (Turks, Greeks and Armenians). One captive Muscovite was allowed to remain in Hrodno (with the mediation of the Hrodno merchants), and one permit was issued to a merchant directly by the ruler. [From the publication]