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

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944 document 57 (19–28 august 1640)

[23] haqlaşdıq min ba‘d dost ve qardaşuz siz ‘ahdname-i hümayunda olan

söz üzere turup tapılġaysız ‘ahdimiz sa‘adetlü ve şevketlü

[24] aġaçamız han halladet hilafetühü ila yevmi`l-haşr ve`l-mizan hazretleriniŋ

‘ahdname-i hümayunları üzeredir dostluq ve qardaşlıq

[25] muradıŋız ise şol ‘ahdname-i hümayun mucibiyle ‘amil bolub dostluq

merasimi ve qardaşlıq şeraitini yerine ketürgeysiz taqı şol qazaq

[26] eşqıyasına muhkem tenbih ve yasaq qılġaysız kim min ba‘d kerek qara-

dan ve kerek deryadan kendi memleketimizge ve Al-i ‘Osman memleket-

lerine bir vechle

[27] zarar ve ziyan ėrişdirmeye biz dahi ferman-i şerimiz birle müstahdem

ve me’mur olan beklerimizge ve mirzalarımız ve beş-baş aġalarımızga

muhkem tenbih ve yasaq

[28] ėtmişüzdür siziŋ köyleriŋizge ve kentleriŋizge ve şehirleriŋizge varmaz-

lar ve düşman bolmazlar ve zarar [ü] ziyan qılmazlar kerek ‘asker ve

Tatardan bir ferd

[29] varmaya deyü tenbih ėtmişüzdür uzun uzaq dost ve qardaş bolduq

dostuŋuzga dost ve düşmanıŋuzga düşman bilgeysiz

[30] siziŋ dostuŋuz bizim dostumuz ve siziŋ düşmanıŋız bizim düşmanımız

dır siz qarındaşımız qıral-i Zal

devlet-menal hazretleri de bolsaŋuz

[31] dostumuzga dost ve düşmanımızga düşman bolġaysız ve burunġı ‘adetçe

ėlçiŋüz ve bazarganıŋız Qırım yurdına qorqısız kelsünler ketsünler

[32] inşa’a`llahu ta‘ala bizden zarar ve ziyan körmezler taqı her ne söziŋiz

bar bolsa mėn uluġ qaġılġay-i nusret[-aray]

İslam Gėrey Sultan hazret-

lerimizge

[33] bildirgeysiz muradıŋuz üzere sa‘adetlü ve ‘azametlü ve devletlü ve şevketlü

han dame mahfuzan  savni Meliki`l-Mennan hazretlerine ‘arz qılub

[34] yahşılıqġa ve muhabbetlikge delalet qılarmız dostluq içün can-u başıyla

çalışurmuz sözimizde muhkem turub muhabbetlik birle hat yiberdik

[35] ve dostuŋuzġa dost düşmanıŋuzga düşman bolub turduq hatırıŋuzga

hiç nimerse keltürmegeysiz yahşılıqda dostluqda

[36] bolurmuz siz qarındaşımız qıral hazretleri de bolsaŋuz dostluq nişane-

sini ve yahşılıq merasimini yerine ketürüb ‘ömr-i evahırġaça dostluqda

[37] ve qardaşlıqda bolġaysız şulay bilgeysiz dėb hat bitildi baqi ve`s-selam

‘ala men ittaba‘a`l-Hüda tahriren  evaili şehri Cemaziyi`l-evveli

[38] min şuhuri seneti hamsin ve elf

bi-yurt-i

hendeq-i

Ferahkermen

Written in strange orthography as لﺎﺿ and not لاز; for a commentary, see n. 10

below.

e word -aray is apparently missing; cf. lines [9] and [13] above.

An abbreviation of the word temme (‘the end’), a customary closing formula also

used in the Ottoman chancery.

document 57 (19–28 august 1640) 945

İslam Gėrey Sultan bin Selamet Gėrey Han

Translation:

He, the Helper!

[tuġra] Our excellency, Islam Giray Sultan: our word:

From our excellency, me, the prosperous and brave qalga Islam Giray Sultan

(may God—may He be exalted!—prolong his [i.e., my] life and reign, and may

He grant victory to his [i.e., my] allies and auxiliaries!), the successor of great

sultans and the glory of municent khakans, who am the great padishah and

also the great qalga of the Great Horde and great country [yurt], the Crimean

throne, the Kipchak Steppe, innumerable Tatars and countless Nogays, Tats and

Tavgaches,

mountain Circassians,

the [troops of the] right wing,

the whole

community of Muhammad [i.e., the Muslims], [commanding over] hundreds,

tens, thousands, and tens of thousands [tümens], to our brother, King Vladis-

laus the Fourth, the great emperor [padişah] of the great horde [orda] and

great country [yurt], Poland, Lithuania, Mazovia, Samogitia, Livonia, Kiev,

Polack, Smolensk, and of many Christians, and the ruler of many other places:

aer having expressed friendly salutations and inquired about your condition

and health by asking: “how is your condition and health?,” “do you feel well?”

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

yarliq, accompa-

nied by aection, is that:

Since previously their excellencies, my great heavenly [i.e., late] grandfathers

and our municent fathers (may God illuminate their graves!), their excellen-

cies Hadji Giray Khan, Mengli Giray Khan, and Sahib Giray Khan (may God

give them lodgings in heavenly plantations!), made sworn oaths and pledged

agreements with your grandfather, King [Sigismund] Augustus, and they

were friends and brothers, also I, our excellency, the great victorious qalga,

observing and keeping those oaths and agreements, have sent our great envoy

Arslan Agha

(may his value increase!), the model of [his] peers, along with

our present ‘ahdname and şartname; having asked: “how is your condition and

health?,” “do you feel well?” and “are you doing well?,” [and] provided that the

orders contained in the noble rman and imperial ‘ahdname of his excellency,

our prosperous and brave elder brother, the illustrious khan, are obeyed, his

noble wish is fullled, and the treasure [hazine] and gis [hedaya], due to the

Text of the seal.

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

Lit. “Circassians [living] among mountains.”

Cf. the commentary in n. a above.

While in the khan’s letter the adjective hani (“monarchic,” lit. “of the khan”) is

used (cf. Document 55), here the qalga refers to his yarliq as sultani (lit. “sultanic”); as

in the Crimean context the title sultan applied to any prince from the Giray dynasty,

but not to the ruling monarch, the adjective sultani is rendered here as “princely.”

In Otwinowski’s translation referred to as Arslan Bey; apparently identical with

Arslan Bey, whom Islam Giray sent to Poland already in 1637 aer he had been

appointed the qalga; cf. Document 54, n. 3.

946 document 57 (19–28 august 1640)

Genghisids since the ancient times, are fully and completely sent and delivered

according to the ancient law, also I, your brother, my excellency the victori-

ous qalga, will rmly keep [the peace] according to the anciently concluded

and bound oaths and agreements, and preserve the long lasting friendship and

brotherhood [with you], following the noble order of his excellency, our prosper-

ous, mighty, majestic, and fortunate elder brother, the illustrious khan (may his

caliphate last until the Day of Judgment!).

While remaining a friend to your friend and an enemy to your enemy until

the end of [my] life, I have ordered that I [i.e., my troops] will not set out in

hostility to your country. As [we] have in mind your wellbeing, while you should

fulll the conditions of friendship and the ceremonial duties of brotherhood,

and send the great treasure and gis according to the ancient law, you can trust

that we will behave in accordance with the same oaths and agreements that you

swore and pledged with his excellency, our prosperous elder brother, the khan

(may [his] glory and pride last!); you should act in accordance with all orders

of his excellency, our elder brother, the khan, give him each year his great trea-

sure, respect our envoys, and send your [own] great envoy; you should guard

the Dnieper Cossacks and your other brigands, and you should forbid with a

rm order so that they do not commit any damage or harm, by land or by sea,

to our dominions or to the Ottoman dominions. [You should know that our]

past raid

occurred in reaction to the fact that in violation of your oath your

[Cossack] boats set out [on sea], [your subjects] arrived by land, capturing [our

subjects’] property,

and your envoy, who had brought decient gis, answered

[to our query]: “one should not measure a [freely given] tip.”

From now on, we resign from any [past] claims; hereaer we will be friends

and brothers, and you should observe and respect the agreement contained in

the imperial ‘ahdname. Our oath [‘ahd] is based on the imperial ‘ahdname

of his excellency, our prosperous and mighty elder brother, the khan (may

his caliphate last until the Day of Resurrection and Judgment!). If you desire

friendship and brotherhood, you should act in accordance with that imperial

‘ahdname and fulll the ceremonial duties of friendship and the conditions of

brotherhood. Moreover, you should forbid the Cossack brigands with a rm

order so that hereaer they do not commit any damage or harm, by land or by

sea, to our own dominions or to the Ottoman dominions. We also forbade with

a rm order our beys, mirzas, and aghas, [who usually commit] small raids

[beş-baş],

being our servants and ocials, so that they do not set out against

your villages, towns, and cities, display enmity, or commit damage and harm.

e qalga refers to a large raid into the area of Fastiv (southwest from Kiev),

eected under his command in January and February 1640; according to Baranowski,

this was the most successful Tatar raid since the Hotin campaign in 1621; see idem,

Stosunki polsko-tatarskie w latach 1632–1648, pp. 105–113.

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

to cattle.

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

dişine baqılmaz (“never look into the mouth of a gi horse”); on the royal envoy,

Krzysztof Dzierżek, cf. Document 55, n. 10.

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

document 57 (19–28 august 1640) 947

“Nobody from among the troops or Tatars should go!”—thus we ordered. And

we have entered a long lasting friendship and brotherhood [with you].

You should know that we are a friend of your friend and an enemy of your

enemy. Your friend is our friend and your enemy is our enemy. Also you, our

brother, his [i.e., your] excellency, the king prosperous like Zal,

should be a

friend of our friend and an enemy of our enemy.

And according to the ancient custom, your envoys and merchants may come

to the Crimea and depart without fear. God—may He be exalted!—willing,

they will not experience any damage or harm from our side.

Moreover, if you have any matter [i.e., wish], you should communicate it to

me, our excellency, the great victorious qalga, Islam Giray Sultan. According to

your wish, we will submit it to his excellency, the prosperous, majestic, fortu-

nate, and mighty khan (may he remain safe under protection of the Municent

King!), and we will strive for good and amity. We will endeavor with heart and

soul to attain friendship.

While rmly keeping our word, we have sent our friendly letter and remained

a friend of your friend and an enemy of your enemy. You should not worry

about anything as we will truly keep friendship. And you, our brother, his [i.e.,

your] excellency, the king, should display the sign[s] of friendship and fulll the

ceremonial duties of [common] wellbeing, and keep friendship and brotherhood

until the end of your life. us you must know!

us saying, the letter has been written. I have nothing to add but a saluta-

tion unto whomsoever has followed the right path [i.e., Islam]! Written in the

rst decade of the month of Djumada I of the year 1050, in the tent of [i.e.,

near] the moat of Ferahkerman.

e end.

[seal] Islam Giray Sultan, son of Selamet Giray Khan

Zal was the legendary Persian prince and father of Rustem. Yet, the name is

written in erroneous orthography (cf. n. d above) and thus the phrase could be alter-

natively read as “the king prosperous like an idolater.” Apparently the scribal error

was done inadvertently as the qalga had no reason to oend the addressee.

Ferahkerman, also known as Or (“ditch”) in the Turkic languages and as Perekop

or Przekop (“ditch”) in the Slavic languages, 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.

A customary closing formula; cf. n. f above.

Unlike the khan’s seal, the qalga’s seal does not contain the trident-shaped

emblem of the Girays (taraq tamġa).

DOCUMENT 58 (FEBRUARY

1646)

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

[Facs. X]

Original paper document in Turkish (Ottoman Turkish mixed with Crimean

Tatar): AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 63, t. 54, no. 521.

168 × 40 cm. (3 sheets glued together)

invocation (gold): divani script

tuġra (gold): 13.5 × 28.5 cm.

text (black with gold insertions): divani script

the black almond-like seal of Islam Giray (2.3 cm. in height) is impressed at

the bottom

Published in Materialy dlja istorii Krymskago xanstva, pp. 842–844.

Polish 17th-century translation: a) AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 63, t. 54, no.

522; b) AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 63, t. 54, no. 523 (an 18th-century copy); c)

AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 63, t. 54, no. 524 (an 18th-century copy by Antoni

Crutta).

Hüve al-mu‘in

İslam Gėrey Han bin Selamet Gėrey Han sözümüz

[1] Hamd-i sipas ve şükr-i bi-qıyas ol Haliq-i biçun ve Rezzaq-i hali-

fe-i rub‘-i meskun celle celalehü ve ta‘ala ‘amme nevalühü ve tevali

hazretleriġe bolsun taqı tahiyat bi-hadd

[2] ve salavat bi-‘ad ol habib-i Hüda Muhammad Mustafa ‘aleyhi`t-tahiye

ve`s-sena ve çar yar ba safa ve al ve ashab ba vefa rızvanu`llahi ta‘ala

‘aleyhim ecma‘in hazretleriġe bolsun kim hilafet-tacın

[3] farq-i mübarekimge urup saltanat-hil‘atın qamet-i pür-istikametimge

giyürüb taht-i Cingizi zat-i sa‘adet-aludum birle müzeyyen qılub der-i

devlet-medarımı melce-i enam

[4] ve melaz-i İslam eyledi el-hamdu li-llah ‘ala tilke`n-ni‘am alay bolsa uluġ

yurtnıŋ ve taht-i Qırımnıŋ ve Deşt-i Qıpçaqnıŋ ve sansız köp Tatarnıŋ

[5] ve saġışsız Noġaynıŋ ve taġ-ara Çerkesniŋ ve Tat bile Tavgaçnıŋ uluġ

padişahı bolġan ‘ali-hazret ma‘ali-rütbet Hurşid-tal‘at ‘Utarid-fıtnat

e document was delivered in Warsaw on 24 April 1646. It is undated, but prob-

ably issued in February like the letter of the qalga, Qırım Giray, sent with the same

embassy and drawn in the third decade of Zilhijje 1055 A.H., i.e., 7–16 February 1646;

see AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 63, t. 38, no. 501; published in Materialy dlja istorii

Krymskago xanstva, pp. 846–847, but the date is omitted there.

document 58 (february 1646) 949

[6] İslam Gėrey Han edame`llahu eyyame devletihi mü’ebbedeten ila

yevmi`l-mizan hazretlerindin köp Urusnıŋ ve Purusnıŋ ve Litvanıŋ ve

Mazavesqanıŋ

[7] ve İansqanıŋ ve Kiyovsqanıŋ

ve barça Qrıstyan<ulu>nıŋ

[ul]uġ padişahı

bolġan dördünci qıral Vladıslav qardaşımız Lėh qıralı olan qıral devlet

-iştimal

[8] dame musalahatuhu ila yevmi`l-mizan huzurıġa muhabbetlik ve tatulıq

milen selam ėdüb nedir haliŋiz ve hatırıŋuz iyümisiz ve hoşmısiz dėp

sorġanmızdan soŋra ma‘lumları ola ki

[9] bundan aqdem ecdad-i ‘uzam ve aba-i kiramımız havaqin-i salin

hazretleriniŋ zaman-i sa‘adetlerinde eslafıŋız milen mabeyinlerinde ‘ahd

ü misaq muhkem olup sulh u ‘ahda muġayir tarafeynden

[10] bir vaz‘ olmayub ol canibden vilayetimize gelen eger tüccar ve eger

ġayridir emin ü salim vilayetimizde gezüb bir ferdden zarar u ziyan

görülmeyüp kezalik bu vilayetden ol caniblere

[11] gidüb gelen sadırın ve varidine mazarrat ve hasaret ėrişmeyüb ve her

zaman hedaya ve pişkeşleri la-yenqatı‘ gelüb muhabbet ve meveddet

üzere imişler ol ‘ahd-i qadime ri‘ayet olunub

[12] geçen sene ‘ahdname-i hümayunumuz ile elçi göndürüb dostluq murad

eylemiş idik varan adamımızı niçe zaman alı-qoyub mu‘tad-i qadim

olan hedayaŋuz göndürmeyüb sıfr ül-yed göndürüldügünden

[13] ġayri Özüde olan eşqıyalarıŋuzı zabt ėtmeyüb Qırım dışarısında olan

maldan niçe def ‘a gelüb mal sürüp gitdiler hatırınuz görüp ve sulha

ri‘ayet olunup

[14] ardlarından qoġun namında bir ferdi göndürmeyüb ‘askerimizi zapt u

rapt eyledik ila yevmina haza zapt u rapt üzere iken ‘azametlü ve şevketlü

padişah ‘ali-veqar hazretleri

[15] tarafından bir qaç def ‘a mektub gelüb Lėh qırallarınıŋ qadimden vėre-

geldükleri vėrgülerin almayub vilayetlerine zarardan hali degil imişsiz

deyü yazmışlar qanun-i qadim üzere

[16] dostluq ėdüb hedayalarına adam göndürüp aldırasız deyü rica olunmaġla

‘ahd-i qadimi tecdid ėdüb işbu ‘ahdname-i şerifemiz tahrir ve tastir olu-

nub inamlu ve emekdar qulumuz

[17] qıdvetü`l-aqran zübdetü`l-erkan İslam Aġa ile irsal olundı `l-haqiqa

‘ahd-i qadimimiz üzere ma damki sizüŋ canibiŋüzden ve qazaq eşqıyası

tarafından hudud-i memalikimize

[18] zarar ve hasaretiŋüz olmaya bu canibden dahi ‘asakir-i Tatardan bir

ferd vilayetiŋüz hududuna zarar ėrişdirmeyüb üslub-i sabıq üzere sizüŋ

adamlarıŋuz

e unusual forms Mazavesqa, İansqa, and Kiyovsqa are apparently derived

from the Polish adjectives: mazowiecka, inancka, and kijowska (“the Mazovian, Livo-

nian, and Kievian [lands]”).

Apparently the scribe began to write a new word (uluġ) before having nished

the preceding one (Qrıstyannın); then he noticed his error but did not cross out the

inserted letters beginning the new word.

It can be also read deyip.

950 document 58 (february 1646)

[19] ve tacirleriŋüz bize gelüb bizim adamlarımız tacirlerimiz size varub iki

tarafdan dostluq ve muhabbetlik olup Müslimanlar dahi emniyet ve

refahiyet bulub sizüŋ dahi re‘aya ve fuqaraŋuz istirahat

[20] eyleyüp memleketiŋüz ma‘mur ve halqıŋuz mesrur olmaġa sebeb olasız

ve her senede qadimü`z-zamandan berü göndürilü-gelen hedayaŋuzı

ke-ma kan tedarik eyleyüb göndüresiz ‘ahdimiz anıŋla

[21] üstüvar olduġın muqarrer bilüb mu‘ayyen olan vėrgüŋüzi qanun-i sabıq

üzere bi-qusur irsal eyleyesiz ki inşa`llahu ta‘ala bundan soŋra siziŋle

‘ahdimiz ve sulhumuz muhkem ve üstüvar olub

[22] ma damki sizden ‘ahda muhalif iş olmayub hedayaŋuzı vėrüb ve Özüde

olan eşqıyaŋuzı muhkem zapt u rapt ėdüp sa‘adetlü padişah memleke-

tine ve Qırım diyarına ve dışarıda olan

[23] Qırım maline mazarrat ve hasaretiŋüz olmaya muhassal-i kelam mu‘tad-i

qadim olan vėrgüŋüzi vėrüb ve nehr-i Özide olan eşqıyaları zapt ėdüb

qaradan ve deryadan memalik-i padişahiye ve Qırım memleketine

[24] ve maline zarar u ziyan olmayacaq olursa vallahi`l-‘azim ve tallahi`l-

kerim bi`z-zat kendimiz ve qardaşımız qalġa Qırım Gėrey Sultan

hazretleri ve nureddin Ġazi Gėrey Sultan ve ġayri selatin ve Şirin begi

[25] mirzaları ve Manqıt begi mirzaları ve Uluġ Noġay mirzaları ve Küçik

Noġay mirzaları ve Qırım töreleri ve bilcümle Qırım ve Noġay ‘askeri

ile vilayetiŋüze varılmazdır ve göndürülmezdir

[26] inşa`llahu ta‘ala bizüm bu sözümüzde ve ‘ahd ü qavlimizde hilaf olmazdır

işbu ‘ahdnamemiz bizüm kendi sözümüzdür ortalıqda fesade ba‘is ve

badi olan eşqıyaya aman vėrilmeyüb iki tarafdan

[27] haqlarından gelinüb mucib-i ‘ibret ėtmek lazımdır bi-‘avni`llahi ta‘ala bu

tarafdan ol-maqule haramzadelere merhamet olunmayub haqlarından

gelinür sizüŋ tarafıŋuzda dahi bozġanlıq isteyan

[28] eşqıyalarıŋ haqlarından gelesiz muradımız mabeyinde olan sulh u salahıŋ

istihkam ve ibqası olub ‘asker-i Tatara tenbih ve te’kid ve bellü başlularına

muhkem tehdid vėrilüb vilayetiŋüze aqın olmadan bilkülliye men‘

[29] ve zapt olunmuşiyken güz aylarından bu zamana degin nehr-i Özüde

muhafaza hidmetinde olan qazaqlarıŋuz ve sair avcı ve eşqıyalarıŋuz

dört beş kerre Qırım maline çıqub mal sürüp gitdüklerinden ġayri niçe

Müslimanları götürüp

[30] esir ėtdiler bu maqule barışıq ve qardaşlıq ve dostluq olurmı barışıqlıq

ėtmek muradıŋuz bolsa ‘ahdiŋüz ber-qarar olup haramzadeŋüzniŋ

haqqından gelesiz baqi ve`d-du‘a ‘ala men tabi‘a`l-Hüda

bi-maqami

[Baġçesaray

el-mahruse]

İslam Gėrey Han bin Selamet Gėrey Han

e place-name, missing in the original document, is reconstructed in the edition

by Vel’jaminov-Zernov and Faizxanov; cf. Materialy dlja istorii Krymskago xanstva,

p. 844.

Text of the seal.

document 58 (february 1646) 951

Translation:

He, the Helper!

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

Let the grateful praise and incomparable gratitude be pronounced to His

Excellency, the eternal Creator and the Provider of the needs of the caliph of

the inhabited portion of the earth (may His glory be exalted and may He be

exalted!), whose benecence is universal and continuous; also, let unlimited sal-

utations and uncounted prayers be pronounced upon their excellencies: God’s

beloved, Muhammad Mustafa

(may salutation and praise be upon Him!), and

[his] four sincere helpers,

family and loyal companions (may the approbation

of God—may He be exalted!—be upon them all!), for [God] placed the crown

of caliphate on my blessed head and put the robe of sultanate on my stature

full of integrity, adorned the Genghisid throne with my prosperous person, and

turned my great gate [i.e., Porte] into the refuge of mankind and the shelter of

Islam. Praise to God for those favors!

us, from his excellency of exalted dignity and great rank, of sunny appear-

ance and mercurial intelligence [i.e., clever], Islam Giray Khan (may God eter-

nally prolong the days of his reign until the Day of Judgment!), being the great

padishah of the great country [yurt], the Crimean throne, the Kipchak Steppe,

innumerable Tatars and countless Nogays, mountain Circassians,

and Tats

and Tavgaches,

to the presence of the prosperous king of Poland (may his peace

[with neighbors] last until the Day of Judgment!), our brother, King Vladislaus

the Fourth, being the great emperor [padişah] of many Ruthenian, Prussian,

Lithuanian, Mazovian, Livonian, and Kievian [lands], and of all Christians:

aer having expressed amicable and friendly salutations and asked: “how is

your condition and health?,” “do you feel well?” and “are you doing well?,”

they should know that:

Previously, in the prosperous times of their excellencies, our great grand-

fathers and municent fathers, the former khakans, the oath and treaty with

your predecessors was rmly observed and nothing happened from either side

against the peace and oath; merchants or others, coming to our country from

the other side, traveled in our country safe and sound and did not experience

any damage or harm from anybody; likewise, those going from this country to

the other side and coming [back] did not experience any detriment or loss while

going and coming; as their [i.e., Polish] presents [hedaya] and gis [pişkeşler]

kept arriving incessantly all the time, they lived in aection and friendship.

Previous year, respecting the ancient oath, we sent [you] an envoy with our

imperial ‘ahdname in desire of friendship. [Yet,] you detained our man [i.e.,

Mustafa (lit. “the Chosen”) is the second name of Prophet Muhammad.

I.e., the rst four caliphs, venerated by the Sunni Muslims: Abu Bakr, Omar,

Osman, and Ali.

Lit. “Circassians [living] among mountains.”

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

On the term pişkeş, explained in the Redhouse dictionary as a “gi brought to a

superior,” cf. Document 50, n. 23.

952 document 58 (february 1646)

envoy], who arrived [at your court], for a long time, did not deliver your cus-

tomary gis, and sent him [back] empty-handed; besides, you did not hold your

brigands, dwelling on the Dnieper, and they came many times and drove away

the cattle

grazing outside the Crimea.

Having consideration for the friend-

ship with you and respecting the peace, we did not send anybody to chase

them, [on the contrary,] we held and restrained our troops. While we kept

them in a perfect hold and restraint until our day, a few times letters arrived

from his excellency, the great and mighty [Ottoman] padishah of high dignity,

who wrote: “you reportedly have not received the gis [vėrgüler] that used to

be given by the Polish kings since the ancient times, and [therefore] you have

not spared their land from destruction.” As it was requested [by the padis-

hah]: “you should send your man to fetch their presents [hedaya], [but at the

same time] you should keep friendship according to the ancient law,” we have

renewed the ancient oath [‘ahd], and our present imperial ‘ahdname has been

composed, written, and sent through our trusted and loyal servant, Islam Agha,

the model of [his] peers and the cream of great men.

Assuredly, as from your side and the side of the Cossack brigands no damage

or loss should occur within the borders of our dominions, also from our side,

according to our ancient oath, not a single Tatar soldier will bring damage to

the borders of your country. Following the old manner, your subjects and mer-

chants will be able to come to us, our subjects and merchants will be able to

travel to you, and mutual friendship and amity will reign; while the Muslims

will nd safety and ease, also your subjects and the poor will rest; you should

render your kingdom prosperous and your people happy.

Each year you should prepare and send your presents [hedaya] that used

to be sent since the ancient times. As you certainly know that in this way our

treaty [‘ahd] will remain solid, you should send your xed gis [vėrgü] without

deciency, according to the old law, so that, God—may He be exalted!—willing,

thereaer our treaty and peace with you may be rm and solid, provided that

from your side nothing happens contrary to the treaty, you give your presents

and rmly hold and restrain your brigands dwelling on the Dnieper, and you

do not bring any detriment or damage to the dominions of the prosperous

[Ottoman] padishah, the Crimean country, or the Crimean cattle grazing out-

side the Crimea.

To resume: if you give your gis according to the ancient custom, hold the

brigands dwelling on the Dnieper river, and no damage or harm reaches by

land or by sea the dominions of the [Ottoman] padishah, the Crimean land,

or the Crimean cattle, then—by great God and through municent God!—

neither we personally, nor our brother, his excellency, the qalga Qırım Giray

Sultan, nor the nureddin, Ghazi Giray Sultan, nor other princes [sultans], nor

the bey [and] mirzas of the Shirins, the bey [and] mirzas of the Manghıts,

the

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

to cattle.

I.e., in the steppe extending north from Perekop.

e term Manghıts or Mansurs referred to the earliest Nogay immigrants to the

Crimean Khanate, who arrived around 1503, following Tevkel, a former adviser of

Sheikh Ahmed, the khan of the Great Horde; Tevkel’s descendants rose to the post

of qaraçı (i.e., qaraçı bey), second in hierarchy and power only to the qaraçı of the

document 58 (february 1646) 953

mirzas of the Great Nogay [horde], the mirzas of the Little Nogay [horde],

nor

the Crimean ocials will set out against your country with the Crimean and

Nogay troops, or send [troops there].

God—may He be exalted!—willing, we will not act contrary to our agree-

ment, oath, and word, as our present ‘ahdname equals our proper word.

[Nevertheless,] in regard to the brigands, who cause and bring mischief in our

surroundings, both sides should mercilessly punish them and thus set a warning

[to others]. With the help of God, may He be exalted!, on this side no mercy

will be given to such villains, and they will be punished. Also on your side, you

should punish those looking for trouble.

While, in desire to render the peace and amity existing between [us] rm

and stable, we have given repeated orders to the Tatar troops and severely

threatened our notables, restraining them and forbidding any raids against

your country, your Cossacks, serving as guards on the Dnieper river, and your

other hunters and brigands have come four or ve times from the autumn

months until the present time and driven away the Crimean cattle; moreover,

they have taken away many Muslims captured as prisoners. What kind of

peace, brotherhood, and friendship is that? If you wish to make peace, you

should observe your oath and punish your villains.

I have nothing to add but a prayer for whomsoever has followed the right

path [i.e., Islam]!

In the abode of [Baghchasaray, the well-protected].

[seal] Islam Giray Khan, son of Selamet Giray Khan

Shirins; see Trepavlov, Istorija Nogajskoj Ordy, pp. 131; cf. Senai, Historia chana Islam

Gereja III, pp. 155–156, n. 113.

In result of a civil war among the Nogays in 1554, a dissatised group led by

Ghazi Mirza created the so-called Little Nogay horde (to discern from the Great Nogay

horde on the Volga), whose grazing lands extended between the Don and northern

Caucasus, on the territory loosely controlled by the Crimean khans. In the rst half

of the 17th century, especially in 1630s, also many clans of the Great Nogay horde,

pressed by the Kalmyks, arrived in Budjak and the Black Sea steppes and found them-

selves under the sovereignty of the Crimean khans. On the particular Nogay clans, cf.

Document 64, notes 12–16.

Cf. n. d above.

In the middle of the seal there is the trident-shaped emblem of the Girays (taraq

tamġa).