‘A collection of treaties, engagements and sanads relating to India and neighbouring countries’ [‎8] (25/578)

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PERSIA.
1836 (No. X) permitting them to trade on payment of the same duties
as Russian merchants.
Throughout the long reign of Fateh Ali Shah the Persian Empire
enjoyed rest from internal revolution, but suffered severely from pro
tracted war with Russia. Georgia, Mingrelia, Daghistan, Shirwan,
Karabagh and Talish were successively severed from it; and only the
good offices of the British Government arrested the further advance of the
Russian arms. In October 1813 peace was concluded at Gulistan, and a
Treaty* was drawn up, indicating generally the boundary between the
Russian and Persian empires, but leaving its exact direction to be settled
by commissioners.
In 1823 an Agreementf (Treaty of Erzerum) was concluded between
Persia and Turkey, confirming the Treaty of 1746 (Appendix No. Ill)
and adding fresh articles regarding commerce, pilgrims and nomad tribes.
For some years after the conclusion of the Treaty of Gulistan, there
was nominal peace between Persia and Russia; but many difficulties and
disputes arose in the adjustment of the boundary. The Russians occu
pied and refused to evacuate the district of Gokcha, which the Persians
claimed as theirs. Hostilities were renewed in 1826, the first attack being
made by Abbas Mirza, the Prince Royal of Persia, and the Persians claim
ed from the British Government the assistance in money or troops stipula
ted for in the 4th article of the Definitive Treaty of 1814. After enquiry,
however, assistance was refused, on the ground that actual hostilities had
been provoked by aggression on the part of Persia, but for which the dis
pute might have been adjusted by negotiation—a decision of course un
satisfactory to the Shah, who argued that the Russian occupation of
Gokcha was an aggression on his dominions. In the course of the war
the Persians sustained severe losses; but at length, through the mediation
of the British Envoy, a treatyj of peace was concluded at Turkmanchai
in February 1828, by which the Persian Government ceded to Russia the
provinces of Erivan and Nakshivan, and agreed to pay an indemnity for
the expenses of the war.
On the conclusion of the negotiations, opportunity was taken by the
British Envoy to purchase the abrogation (No. IX) of the 3rd and 4th
articles of the Treaty of 1814, by a payment of 200,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , or one
year’s subsidy. These articles had been found exceedingly onerous and
inconvenient, and productive only of collision with the Persian Govern
ment. By the cancelling of the 3rd and 4th articles, the 6th and 7th
articles also were virtually abrogaled.
* Appendix No. V.
t Appendix No. VI.
I Appendix No. VTT,