The article presents new information on the socio-economic development of Northern Dobrudja in the 19th c. extracted from unpublished Ottoman documents – Temettuat defters. Temettuat defters appeared in 1845 as a result of an ambitious survey of the Ottoman central authorities which registered the land, immovable property, incomes and animals of the Ottoman subjects. Those documents provide valuable information for the demographic picture, social, ethnic and religious characteristics of the settlements in the Ottoman Empire. An important source of information is Balcho Neykov’s memoirs. The problem of the Ottoman agrarian policy in Northern Dobrudja and the role of the local Ottoman elite in it was studied. The question of çiftliks is also affected. These çiftliks are owned by representatives of the local elite – Hasan bey and Murad bey. The local notables assumed a very important role in the domestic economy.