Kolodziejczyk Dariusz. The Crimean Khanate and Poland-Lithuania (ENG)

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924 document 54 (november 1637)

Twojej, że jeźliby jaki Kozak swawolnie gdzie szkodę na pograniczu uczynił,

aby to pokoju nie targało. Trudno tych ludzi, co się w tak wielką kupę wzbili,

razem wykorzenić, bo choć ich wojsko nasze rozpędzi, po rzekach i wodach

się pokryją, i stamtąd przekradłszy się tajemnie, czynić szkodę mogą, na co

my jednak pilną straż mieć każemy, aby się i z morza, i od pól biłogrodzkich,

także od Multan i Wołoch, i Wam i najjaśniejszego Cesarza Jego Miłości

ottomańskiego ludziom żadna szkoda nie działa.

Posłom też i kupcom i z naszej i z Waszej strony bezpieczeństwo będzie. Jeźliby

się co kiedy przeciwnego trało, skuteczną i nieodwłoczną sprawiedliwość czynić

rozkażemy. I we wszystkim Wam wedle starych pakt i natenczas poprzysiężonej

obietnice naszej tym naszym listem przymiernym pokój stateczny dotrzymamy,

obowiązując się bydź spólnym przyjaciołom przyjaciółmi, i nieprzyjaciołom

nieprzyjaciółmi.

A Ty, będąc pamiętny chęci naszej królewskiej starać się zechcesz o

nieodmienną państw zobopólnych przyjaźń. My też oświadczon[e]j raz i

teraz już obiecan[e]j chęci dotrzymywając, tym większą przyjaźń i łaskę naszę

obiecujemy, które na żądanie Twoje chętnie zawsze Tobie oświadczamy.

Życzemy zatym etc. etc.

Translation:

An answer [sent] from His Royal Majesty to the qalga in response to his letter

of agreement:

We have already congratulated you on your ascension to the seat of your ances-

tors through your courier, Arslan,

and now we repeat [our wishes] through

[your] great envoy, Hüseyin Chavush, praising your brother, Bahadır Giray

Khan, and you for your clever act, worthy of your ancestors, namely that upon

addressing neighboring rulers with your friendship, you rst pay respect to

our majesty and you both, along with the nureddin and your other brothers,

the sultans [carowiczami], oer us your goodwill and friendship. us having

congratulated you for the second time on your ascension to the seat of your

ancestors, we make known with our present royal letter of agreement [listem

królewskim przymiernym] that, on our part, we also wish to keep permanent

friendship with your states and, following the ancient agreements and having

in mind [your] expressed goodwill, we send gis in the usual time and to the

customary place, as they used to [be sent] in the ancient times. As our well-dis-

position is voluntary, conditioned by our royal favor and not imposed by duty,

we trust that [our gis] will be received with [your] gratitude; and hereaer,

the better disposed you are to serve us with troops and display your friendship

in any [other] way, the more you can count on such favors [i.e., gis].

Arslan Bey arrived in Poland in the summer of 1637 with the notication of Islam

Giray’s accession to the post of qalga; cf. n. 427 in Part I. In 1640, he again traveled

to Poland with the qalga’s new ‘ahdname; cf. Document 57, n. 5.

document 54 (november 1637) 925

Moreover, we have ordered our troops and hetmans, who have already set

out to the Dnieper, to rout the Cossacks and, having dispersed their bands and

severely punished them, to restore the peace on the frontiers, [yet simultane-

ously] notifying you that if a [single] Cossack brings a damage in the frontier

area, it should not break the peace. It is [indeed] dicult to completely eradi-

cate these men, who have multiplied to such an extent; even though our troops

routed them, they would hide in rivers and waters and, having stolen through

[into new places], they would [again] commit harm; nevertheless, we will order

to diligently guard that no damage should be brought to you or the people of

His illustrious Ottoman Imperial Majesty from the direction of the sea, the

Akkerman steppe, Wallachia or Moldavia.

Envoys and merchants will enjoy security from both our side and yours. If

something contrary happens, we will order to mete out eective and immedi-

ate justice. By [sending] our present letter of agreement, we will keep solid

peace with you, in all aspects, in accordance with the ancient agreements and

our formerly sworn promise, engaging to be friends of each other’s friends and

enemies of [each other’s] enemies.

And you, while having in mind our royal goodwill, should endeavor to

maintain inviolable mutual friendship between the two states. On our part,

while conrming our goodwill, once declared and presently expressed anew, we

promise our ever-increasing friendship and favor, which we are always ready

to declare on your request. us we wish [you] etc., etc.

Respectively referred to as Multany and Wołochy; cf. Document 47, notes 4 and 13.

DOCUMENT 55 (21 JULY–18 AUGUST 1640)

e ‘ahdname sent by Khan Bahadır Giray to King Vladislaus IV

[Facs. VII]

Original paper document in Turkish (Crimean Tatar mixed with Ottoman

Turkish): AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 63, t. 49, no. 514.

198 × 40 cm. (4 sheets glued together)

invocation (gold): divani script

tuġra (gold): 13.5 × 21.5 cm.

text (black with gold insertions): divani script

the black almond-like seal of Bahadır Giray (2.2 cm. in height) is impressed

at the bottom

Published in Materialy dlja istorii Krymskago xanstva, pp. 252–256.

Polish 17th-century translation by Samuel Otwinowski: a) AGAD, AKW, Dz.

tat., k. 63, t. 49, no. 515 (copied by Antoni Crutta from the Turkish docu-

ment’s reverse side); b) Bibl. Ossol., ms. 3555, fol. 353a–357a; c) Bibl. Czart.,

ms. 137 (Teki Naruszewicza), pp. 513–518.

Hüve al-mu‘in

Bahadır Gėrey Han bin Selamet [Gėrey] Han sözümüz

[1] Allahu tebareke ve ta‘ala hazretine köb şükürler ve peyġamberimiz Haz-

ret-i Muhammad ‘aleyhi`s-salavat hazretlerine köbdin köb salavat ve

tahiyat qılġanmızdın soŋra uluġ orda uluġ

[2] yurtnıŋ taht-i Qırımnıŋ uluġ han ‘azimü`ş-şanı Bahadır Gėrey Han

hazretlerindin haliya Lėh memleketiniŋ ve Litvanıŋ ve köb Urusnıŋ ve

Purusnıŋ

[3] padişahı bolġan qardaşımız Vıladıslaf Qıralġa bu yüzdin ‘ahdname-i

hümayunumdur ki zikr olunur Allahu tebareke ve te‘ala ‘amme nevalühü

ve tevali hazretleri öz lutfından

[4] mėn şah ‘adalet-nişannı bu zaman sa‘adet-evanda şah-i cihan ve halife-i

devran ėdüb südde-i seniye-i sa‘adetimni mesned-i enam ve ‘atebe-i ‘ali-

yemizni

[5] melaz ve mülteca-i has ve ‘am eyledi taqı umur-i cumhur-i Beni Ademni

qabza-i dest-i meymenet-peyvestime tefviz ėdüb yarlıġ-i beliġ-i sa‘adet-

tebliġimni cari qılıb tevqi‘-i re‘-i ‘ali-şan

is tuġra is more simple than the tuġra of Bahadır Giray appended to his

şartname and other letters sent to Moscow; for color reproductions of the latter, see

Faizov, Tugra i Vselennaja, pp. 46–49, 52–55, ill. 12–14, 18, 20–22.

document 55 (21 july–18 august 1640) 927

[6] ve hatt-i şerif-i dil-küşam birle dostlarımnı mesrur ve şadkam eyledi

ėrse hamden ‘ala tilke`n-ni‘am uluġ orda uluġ yurtnıŋ

[7] ve Deşt-i Qıpçaqnıŋ ve taht-i Qırımnıŋ ve sansız köb çerivniŋ ve saġışsız

Noġaynıŋ ve Tat bile Tavgaçnıŋ ve tav ara Çerkeçniŋ

[8] ve ong qolnıŋ ve sol qolnıŋ uluġ han ‘ali-şanı Bahadır Gėrey Han haz-

retlerindin uluġ Urusnıŋ ve Purusnıŋ ve barça

[9] Lėh memleketleriniŋ ve Litvanıŋ ve Jyumayutnıŋ Mazavşanuŋ ve sair

köb yėrlerniŋ uluġ qıralı ve hükümdarıġa köpdin köp selam aytıb

[10] nedir haliŋüz yahşımısız ve hoşmısız dėb

muhabbetlik ve qardaşlıq

birle sorġanmızdın soŋra i‘lam-i yarlıġ-i şerif-i hani oldur ki bundan

aqdem siz qardaşımız

[11] milen dost ve qardaş bolurġa yahşı söyleşüb ėki yurtnıŋ arasında tüzen-

lik bolurın tileb uluġ ėlçilerimiz cibergen ėrdik Al-i ‘Osman padişahı

[12] sa‘adetlü ve devletlü hünkar hazretleri taqı siziŋmilen barışıq bolurġa

ol zamanda ‘ahdname-i hümayun cibergenlerinde öz memleketlerine ve

bizim vilayetimiz Qırım yurtuna barçadın

[13] İslam ėline siziŋ qarada bolġan serhadlarıŋuzdın hırsız ve harami çıqub

zarar u ziyan ėtmemek üzere yahşı zabt ve muhkem tenbih ėteriŋüzge

ve taqı Özüdin

[14] şayqa milen qazaq çıqarmay yahşı zabt ėdüb Qara Deŋiz yalılarında

bolġan halq rahat bolurġa ve taqı biz uluġ han-i a‘zam hazretlerine

ötken ata ve dedelerimiz

[15] ve aġaçalarımız bolġan havaqin-i salin ‘aleyhime`r-rahmet ve`r-rızvan

zamanlarında siz qardaşımıznıŋ tataları

bolġan qırallarnıŋ dostluq

ėtüb cibere-kelgen vėrgü ve hazineni

[16] her yıl zamanındın qaldırmay bi-qusur cibermek şartı üzere barça ‘ahd

ü peyman ‘ayan ve beyan qılınġan ėrdi mundın soŋra vilayetiŋüzge aqın

etdirmey ve beş-baş

[17] cibermey zabt ėdüb qaçub barġan eşqıyanıŋ muhkem haqqından kelüb

Aqkermen ve Cankermen etrafında bolġan barça Tatar ve Noġay halqını

taqı sürüb Qırımġa ketürüb

[18] eşqıya ve haramzade bolġan taifeni öltürüb cezasın bėrüb bizge tüşken

barça dostluqnı ve barışıqlıqnı murad üzere yerine ketürüb hiç bir

[19] sözümizde hata ve hilaf bolmaġan ėrdi bu ortalıqda sizni dost ve qardaş

dėb cibergen ėlçimiz ve niçe kişilerimizni muhabbetname yarlıġ-i

şerimiz birle siz qardaşımızġa

[20] ve hetmanlarıŋuzġa dostluq ve qardaşlıq içün cibergenmizde sav-esen

vilayetiŋizge dahil bolġan soŋra öz memleketiŋiz içinde kişilerimizni

tib-tiri ġa’ib

[21] ėtüb bizge qayta cibermey yoq etdiŋüz tekrar savlıġın bilüb haber alub

zabtla memleketde munday iş bolurmı ba-husus qardaşlıqġa barġan

ėlçini şulay

It can be also read deyib.

Apparently the term tataları refers to ancestors; in the nureddin’s document this

fragment reads: ata ve babaları (translated there as “ancestors and fathers”); cf. Docu-

ment 56.

928 document 55 (21 july–18 august 1640)

[22] ėterlermi sizniŋ padişahlıġıŋuzġa tüşer iş tüküldür dėb yine muhabbet-

namemiz ile tiley cibergenmizde yoqdur tapmadıq dėb ėlçimizni yoq

ėtdiŋüz mundın ġayri

[23] serhad cerlerimizde Ordın tışqarı çevire-turġan ėlimizge ve Qırım ve

Noġay mallarına qaradın atlu qazaġıŋuz niçe kerre kelüb köb mal ve

niçe tusnaq

aldılar

[24] hiç eksik bolmadı niçe kerre kelgenlerinde serhadlarımızda bolġan

qullarımız bozub niçesin tüşürüb ve alġan malların taqı ba‘zısın saldırub

tiller ketürüb

[25] söyletdügümüzde asliyle haber bildik ve`l-hasıl bir kerre Öziden qazaq

eksik bolmadı ve Kara Deŋizge taqı şayqalarıŋuz çıqub Rum-ėlinde niçe

yalıları ve köyleri urub

[26] köb tusnaq ve mal aldılar ve Qırım yalılarına taqı niçe kerre kelüb

deŋizge yaqın köylerimizge çıqub ġal ėken hırsızlıq milen tusnaqlar

alub yine yıraqdın turub

[27] cıyıluvlaşdılar

ve köp zarar etdiler alayda bolsa biz ‘ahdimizde turub

sizge sefer ėtmedik ve beş-başnı zabt ėdüb qaçub barġanlarnı taqı talab

cezasın

[28] bėrdik siz qardaşımızġa cibergen ėlçimiz Qutlu-şah Beyni qadimi vėrgü

ve hedayamız milen tiz cibermegiŋüzni tiley ėki yıldan artıq sabr eyledik

siz taqı bu kün yarın

[29] dėb cubatıb

hazine ve ėlçiŋizni çaq Baġdad qal‘esi feth olunġança ciber-

mey ėlçimizni tutduġuŋuznı tahqiq bildik bu kerre ėlçiŋiz keldügünde

ayin-i qadimimiz üzere

[30] say ve ri‘ayet-milen ėlçiŋizni ketürüb hazine ve hedayaŋıznı alduġumuzda

ötken ‘adetçe temam kelmedi biz burunġı aġaçalarımız qadar dostluq

ėtmedükmi dėb sorġanmızda

e term tusnaq, referring to a hostage, can be found in a fourteenth-century

Arabic treatise on the Turkish language titled Kitab at-tuhfat az-zakiya `l-lugati`t-

turkiya; see Izyskannyj dar tjurkskomu jazyku (Grammatičeskij traktat XIV v. na arab-

skom jazyke). Edited by Ė. Fazylov and M. Zijaeva (Tashkent, 1978), p. 394 (I thank

Henryk Janowski for drawing my attention to this text). In the seventeenth-century

Polish translation of the present document by Otwinowski, the expression tusnaq

aldılar is rendered as więźniów nabrali (“they took prisoners”); hence the term tusnaq

will be translated here as “captive.”

رﻼﯾﺪﺷﻻﻮﻠﻴ

ﺟ

; perhaps a verb derived from yıġılmaq, “to gather;” hence the frag-

ment yine yıraqdın turub cıyıluvlaşdılar ve köp zarar etdiler would be translated “and

again, keeping at a distance, they gathered [again] and caused much damage.” I thank

Henryk Jankowski for this suggestion.

Apparently a verb derived from yubatmaq < yuvatmaq; I thank Henryk Jankowski

for this suggestion. In Radlov’s dictionary, the verb yuvanmaq (whereas the reexive

sux -n can be replaced with the causative sux -t) is translated as medlit’ (Rus.) or

zögern (Germ.); see Vasilij Radlov [Friedrich Wilhelm Radlo], Opyt slovarja tjurkskix

narečij, vol. 3, pt. 1 (St. Petersburg, 1905), col. 570. Here the phrase siz taqı bu kün

yarın dėb cubatıb is translated as “and you procrastinated saying ‘today, tomorrow’.”

In the seventeenth-century Polish translation by Otwinowski, the same fragment reads

dziś, jutro zwłaczaliście.

document 55 (21 july–18 august 1640) 929

[31] az da bolsa budur bahşişniŋ yüzine baqılmaz dėb ėlçiŋiz cevab

vėrdügüde biz taqı ėlçiŋizge hiç cefa ėtmey yahşı say ve ri‘ayetimiz

milen soyurġalımıznı bėrüb

[32] bu zamanġa dek cibermey qonuqladıq ve burundın dostluq arasında

hilaf ėdüb vilayetimizdin alınġan tusnaq ve köb malnı ve hazinemizniŋ

noqsanın taqı

[33] bi-‘inayeti`llahi`l-meliki`l-mu‘in temam haqlaşdıq imdi siz de bolsaŋuz

sa‘adetlü ve devletlü hünkar hazretlerine ėlçi ciberüb yine burunġıday

barışıqlıq tilebsiz gerçi hünkar

[34] hazretleri uluġ padişah ve bizim taqı ulumızdır biz taqı siz qardaşımız

milen barışa-kelgenmiz sizde şimdi haqqımız ve sözümüz qalmadı

şimden soŋra ‘ahdname-i hümayun mucibince

[35] eger qaradan ve eger deŋizden qazaġıŋuznı yahşı zabt ėdüb ehl-i

İslamdan bir ferde zarar olmamaq üzere ve hırsızıŋıznı yahşı zabt ėdüb

öltürüb alġan malin

[36] qayta cibermek üzere ve qanun-i qadim üzere her yıl dostluġiyçün vaqt

u zamanındın bir kün keçkedirmey on beş miŋ altun naqd ve on beş

miŋ altunlıq çoqa ve kürk

[37] ve sair tokuzlama hedaya ve vėrgüleriŋüzni bi`t-temam cibermek

şartıyla niçük kim ‘ahdname-i hümayun içinde taqı beyan qılınġandır

bu minval üzere sözde tovrı tabılub dost ve qardaş

[38] bolur içün ėlçiŋüzni siz qardaşımızġa qayta ciberib qıdvetü`l-emasil

ve`l-aqran uluġ ėlçimiz Quvvat Bey zide qadruhunı sizge cibergenmiz

imdi siz taqı sözde tovrı

[39] ve muhkem dost ve qardaş bolub minval-i muharrer üzere qaradan ve

deŋizdin qazaġıŋuznı zabt ėdüb hazinemizni bi`t-temam cibergeysiz

şulay kim ‘ahd ve şartımızda muhalif iş

[40] bolmaġay biz Tatar ‘askerin ve qarındaşlarımız selatin-i ‘uzam ve qaraçı

ve qullarımıznı barçasın men‘ ve zabt eyledik sözümiz bir dir hiç hilaf

bolmasdır ba‘de`l-yevm barça

[41] dostuŋuzġa dost ve düşmanıŋuzġa düşmanmız şol şartla kim sözde

tovrı ve muhkem tabılub ėlçi ve hazine milen dostluq ve qardaşlıġıŋıznı

bildirüb ‘ömr-i ahırıġaça

[42] dostluq ve muhabbetlikde ve barça ‘ahd ü peymanda hilaf ėtmey

çınlıq ėtkeysiz taqı haliya cibergen uluġ ėlçimiz bolġan yaqın qulumuz

qıdvetü`l-a‘yan Quvvat Bey

[43] zide qadruhunı say ve ri‘ayet-milen yahşı söyleşüb her ne ki sımar

qılġan sözlerimizni yahşı yetişdirgeninde ‘amel ve inam qılub siz taqı

muhabbetlik kaġıdıŋuz ve uluġ ėlçiŋüz

[44] ve say kişileriŋüzni qoşub eglendirmey qayta tiz cibergeysiz taqı qadimi-

den dostluq içün cibere-kelgen bölek ve vėrgüleriŋüzni taqı burunġı

‘adetçe

[45] bi-qusur cibergey ėrdiŋüz ol sebebdin ėki curtnıŋ arasında söz sav bol-

may yahşı dostluq ve tüzenlik bolġay ėrdi mėn uluġ

[46] han-i a‘zam bu minval üzere siz qardaşımız milen dostluq ve qardaşlıqġa

‘ahd ü peyman eyledim ve uluġ ėlçiŋizni yahşı say ve ri‘ayet-milen

körünüşümizge ketürüb

930 document 55 (21 july–18 august 1640)

[47] barça ėlçilerdin artuq saylab muhabbetlik ve dostluq sözlerimizni aytub

‘ahd ü peyman qılub ciberdimki siz taqı şulay barça sözümizde tovrı ve

muhkem

[48] tabılġaysız ve ėlçimizni köp tutmaġaysız gerçi biz siziŋ ėlçiŋizni tutduq

ėrse ne sebebdin tutduġumuznı yuqarıda ‘ayan ve beyan qılġanmız ve

ėlçiŋiz taqı ayta-

[49] barır ri‘ayet ėtkenmiz ve hala siziŋle yahşı söyleşmek içün burundın

bara-kelgen beylerni cibermey özümizge yaqın bolġan iç qullarımızdın

[50] yaqın qulumuz bolġaniyçün Quvvat Beyni cibergenmiz yahşı tovrı

qulumuzdur siz taqı yahşı muradımızça söyleşüb ri‘ayet-milen qayta

tiz cibergeysiz şulay bilgeysiz

[51] dėb hat bitildi tarih-i ming elli yılında Rebi‘ü`l-ahir ayında tahtgahımız

Baġçe Sarayında

bi-maqami

Baġçesaray

el-mahruse

Bahadır Gėrey Han bin Selamet Gėrey Han

Translation:

He, the Helper!

[tuġra] Bahadır Giray Khan, son of Selamet [Giray] Khan: our word:

Aer we have pronounced many thanks to His Excellency, God (may He be

blessed and exalted!), and great many prayers and salutations to his excellency,

our prophet Muhammad (prayers be upon him!), from his [i.e., my] excellency,

the great and most glorious khan of the Great Horde, the great country [yurt],

and the Crimean throne, Bahadır Giray Khan, to our brother, King Vladislaus,

being presently the emperor [padişah] of Poland, Lithuania, and many [lands

of ] Ruthenia and Prussia:

us, my imperial ‘ahdname is as follows: His Excellency, God (may He be

blessed and exalted!), whose benecence is universal and continuous, made me

out of His favor the just shah in this prosperous time, the ruler of the world

and the caliph of the epoch, and He turned my prosperous exalted threshold

[i.e., court] into the basis of mankind, and our elevated court into the asylum

and refuge of the high and the low [i.e., elite and commoners]. And as He

committed the aairs of the community of the sons of Adam [i.e., mankind]

to the grasp of my auspicious hand, He put my eloquent yarliq, announcing

prosperity, into circulation, making my friends happy and rejoicing by means

Text of the seal.

document 55 (21 july–18 august 1640) 931

of my illustrious sublime rescript and noble joy-giving writing. Praise [to Him]

for those favors!

From his excellency, the great illustrious khan of the Great Horde and great

country [yurt], the Kipchak Steppe, the Crimean throne, innumerable troops

and countless Nogays, Tats and Tavgaches,

mountain Circassians,

the [troops

of the] right wing and the le wing, Bahadır Giray Khan, to the great king

and ruler of Ruthenia, Prussia, all the Polish domains, Lithuania, Samogitia,

Mazovia, and many other places: aer having expressed great many saluta-

tions and asked with aection and brotherliness: “how are you?,” “do you feel

well?” and “are you doing well?,” the message of the noble monarchic yarliq

is that:

Previously, in order to keep friendship and brotherhood with you, our brother,

we exchanged good words, and in desire of harmony between the two coun-

tries we sent our great envoys. At that time also his excellency, the Ottoman

padishah, the prosperous and illustrious sovereign, sent an imperial ‘ahdname

in order to make peace with you, providing that you should well guard and

rmly order so that the thieves and robbers could not set out through your land

borders and commit damage and harm to his own dominions, or our country,

the Crimean land, or any Islamic land; moreover, that you should stand guard

so that the Cossacks could not set out from the Dnieper on their boats [şayqa]

and the people dwelling on the Black Sea shores may live in peace. Moreover,

in the times of the previous khans (may God’s mercy and approbation be upon

them!), who were the father, grandfathers, and elder brothers of our excellency,

the great khan, all treaties and agreements remained manifest and clear on the

condition that the gis [vėrgü] and treasure [hazine], which used to be sent in

expression of friendship, were to be sent each year, without any delay or omis-

sion, by the kings, who were the ancestors

of yours, our brother.

ereaer, we assured that there would be no raid or small raid [beş-baş

]

against your country, we severely punished runaway brigands, we resettled all

Tatars and Nogays, who had been dwelling in the vicinity of Akkerman and

Djankerman [i.e., Očakiv], to the Crimea, and we killed and punished brig-

ands and villains; [in short,] we fullled all the requirements of friendship and

reconciliation that fell to us, without any fraud or contravention.

Meanwhile, for the sake of friendship and brotherhood we sent to you, our

brother, and to your hetmans, our envoy and a number of our men along

with our friendly letter [muhabbetname] and noble yarliq, announcing friend-

ship and brotherly aection towards you; though they were well and in good

health when we sent them, aer they entered your country, well and healthy,

you made our men disappear in your own country and you never sent them

On the Tats and Tavgaches, see Document 48, n. 8, and Document 49, n. 1.

Lit. “Circassians [living] among mountains.”

e Tatar term Jyumayut must be a corrupt rendering of the Polish term Żmudź

(Lith. Žemaitija, i.e., Samogitia).

Cf. n. c above.

Lit. “[a raid committed by] ve heads.”

932 document 55 (21 july–18 august 1640)

back to us! As we knew that they were healthy, upon receiving news [of their

disappearance] we again sent our friendly letter asking: “how could such a

thing happen in an orderly state, especially to an envoy going with a brotherly

purpose? it is your responsibility as a ruler to investigate [the matter]!” And

you replied: “they are not here; we did not nd [them],” [thus] making our

envoy disappear.

Besides, your mounted Cossacks came many times by land [raiding] our

subjects wandering on the outer side of Or [i.e., Perekop], situated on our bor-

der moat,

and [capturing] the Tatar and Nogay property [i.e., cattle

], and

they captured a lot of property and many captives, and it never stopped. Many

times when they came, they defeated our servants guarding the borders, killed

many of them, and they rushed some of the captured cattle and prisoners taken

for information [tiller] to go with them. And when we let [you] know it, [you

answered:] “we had absolutely no idea.” In sum, in no way did the Cossacks

disappear from the Dnieper. Also your [Cossack] boats [şayqalar] set out to the

Black Sea, raided many shores and villages in Rumelia, and captured numer-

ous captives and property. ey also came many times to the Crimean shores,

appeared in our villages situated close to the sea, and treacherously captured

those unaware; and again, keeping at a distance, they gathered [again] and

caused much damage.

Nevertheless, we kept our oath, did not commit raids against you, pre-

vented small raids [beş-baş], and administered desired punishments to those

who escaped [our control]. We patiently waited over two years for our envoy,

Qutlu-shah Bey,

sent to you, our brother, with the request that you promptly

send [him back] along with the ancient gis [vėrgü] and presents [hedaya].

And you procrastinated saying: “today, tomorrow,” and did not send the trea-

sure [hazine] and your envoy until the conquest of the fortress of Baghdad,

while we knew well that you had detained our envoy. en, when your envoy

[ nally] arrived,

we received him with respect and attention according to our

Or (lit. “ditch”), known in the Slavic languages under analogous terms as Pere-

kop (Ukr.) or Przekop (Pol.), was situated on the moat dug out in order to separate

the Crimean peninsula from the mainland thus providing its security; see Jankowski,

Historical-Etymological Dictionary, pp. 748–750.

e term mal refers to any kind of property, but in the given context especially

to cattle.

Qutlu-shah arrived at Warsaw in November 1637 with Bahadır Giray’s instru-

ment of agreement (cf. Document 52). Although he transmitted peaceful proposals

on behalf of the new khan, he was detained because the royal treasury lacked money

for the customary gis. He was still in Poland in July 1638, and was apparently sent

back only in 1639, along with a royal envoy, Krzysztof Dzierżek; see Bibl. Czart.,

ms. 135 (Teki Naruszewicza), pp. 395–398 (a royal letter to the khan, dated in Warsaw

on 13 July 1638, in which Vladislaus IV promises to send back Qutlu-shah shortly along

with a royal envoy and gis); Korespondencja Stanisława Koniecpolskiego, p. 554.

e Ottomans reconquered Baghdad, lost to the Safavids in 1624, in December

1638.

I.e., Krzysztof Dzierżek, the royal translator and envoy, sent to the Crimea early

in 1639 and detained until 1640; see his biography by Bohdan Baranowski in PSB,

vol. 6, p. 161.

document 55 (21 july–18 august 1640) 933

ancient custom; [yet,] when we collected your treasure and presents, they were

incomplete, [un]tting the former custom. When we asked: “did not we display

as much friendship as our past [i.e., formerly reigning] elder brothers?,” your

envoy answered: “even if it is not much, that’s it; one should not measure a

[freely given] tip;

” nevertheless, we did not oppress your envoy, but we paid

him respect and attention, granted him our favor, and did not send him [back],

putting him up until the present time. And, by the grace of God, the Lord and

the Helper, we entirely resigned from any [past] claims regarding the captives

and large property, captured in our country in violation of the ancient friend-

ship, as well as the deciency in our treasure [that you sent us].

Now, you sent an envoy to his excellency, the prosperous and illustrious

[Ottoman] sovereign, and requested to restore the old peace. Although his

excellency, the sovereign, is a great padishah, we are great, too. We also used

to make peace with you, our brother. Now, we have no more claims from you.

From now on, if, according to the imperial ‘ahdname,

you rmly hold your

Cossacks on land and on sea so that they do not bring harm to any Muslim,

you promptly arrest and kill the thieves and send back the property stolen by

them, and on the condition that, according to the ancient law, each year, for

the sake of friendship, you send [us] 15,000 orins [altun] in cash, cloth and

furs worth [another] 15,000 orins, and your other presents [hedaya] and gis

[vėrgüler] arranged in sets of nine objects,

without deciency or even one day

delay, as is also declared in the imperial ‘ahdname, in this manner the agree-

ment will be loyally respected; [and] in order to keep friendship and brother-

hood, we have sent back to you, our brother, your envoy, and we have [also]

sent you our great envoy, Quvvat Bey (may his value increase!), the model of

nobles and peers.

Now, while you should loyally and rmly keep the agreement, preserving

friendship and brotherhood, and, in the manner described, hold your Cossacks

on land and on sea, and send our treasure without deciency, so that nothing

should happen contrary to our oath and engagements, [also] we have stopped

and taken in hold the Tatar troops, our brothers, [being] the great sultans [i.e.,

princes], the qaraçıs, and all our servants. Our word is sound and nothing

contrary will happen. Henceforth, we will be a friend of all your friends and an

enemy of your enemies, on such a condition that you should loyally and rmly

respect the agreement and let [us] know your friendship and brotherly aec-

tion through your envoy and by [sending] a treasure, keeping friendship and

aection until the end of [your] life, not doing anything against the treaty and

agreement, and being honest. Moreover, you should pay respect and attention

e expression bahşişniŋ yüzüne baqılmaz is similar to the Turkish proverb atın

dişine baqılmaz (“never look into the mouth of a gi horse”).

e term “imperial ‘ahdname” refers here to the document issued by the khan,

and not the Ottoman sultan; cf. an analogous fragment in Document 56, where the

nureddin refers to the “imperial ‘ahdname of his excellency, our elder brother, the

prosperous khan.”

On the Turco-Mongolian custom, according to which a gi should have con-

sisted of nine objects, see Document 31, n. 15.