File 1356/1912 Pt 2 'Turco-Persian Frontier:- negotiations at Constantinople. (Mohammerah Boundary)' [‎319v] (647/680)

■j ^-m-i+QinQ which are necessarily most suitable for a
passing the points in Ae " t Iirese nt subject to Shehr-i-Zor and in tiie possession
frontier, then some of the on the other side, and some of the villages
of the Ottoman Empire, wi ,, s Castle and now in the Persians’ possession
said to be subject to Averaman (Arroman)^a ^ the must ^ left ^ ^
on this side. Averaman /as > Mounta i nSi s0 that the villages dependent on
other side is wholly b e'iin beh i n d the said mountains too, and therefore it is
that castle must natura y n-round that the villages at present subject to
impossible from .f 1 * side of the Averaman Mountains, should be subject to
Averaman, and situated on bab|e that the phrase in the treaty, “The parts
Averaman. Oonsequen y, J y.M™ Castle which look towards that castle,’’
of the mountains on the Averaman range which look towards Zahrn Castle, ie.,
means the whole ““j' 8 . 81 fir ^ edby tb esentence in the treaty which says that Chigan
towards Turkey. This ,,r sli. lir i Zor for the Chigan Pass adjoins the Averaman
Pass is appointed as he bmlt ^This interpretation obviates con-
range, is situated in a. paralfofonrmntamrdnge.^^ ^ ^ frontier> aftej
fusion with regard t i the River Sirvan, follow the river to the point
reaching the Kutie i • , " u Mountains and the Avaraman Mountains turn to
where it passes between the ;Xt h e Whest points of that part of the Avaraman
the north and nortfowest pass through the hig^P ^ Kelioheh the
IRtfo 6 pass Ihrough^which'th^Kem^an ro ad passes the Dalani hill, the Milleh Khudir
P* ® ?he Adileh Min Hill, and the Surin Pass, and join the Chigan Pass. In this case
A waman castle and its dependent villages, which, as explained above, are behind, «.,
to the east and north-east of the Averaman Mountains, will be left on the Persian
Side while on the Turkish side will remain Shehr i-Zor and its dependent villages, which
are to the south and south-west, together with seventeen villages which .are on the
a _ _ „r and are to-day in the Persians possession.
Chapter XL.
As explained in a document submitted to the Imperial Ministry for Foreign Afiairs
7il Hidieh 2 l k7 68 ah. (1854), and as hinted in the above chapter, the seventeen
vdlao-es wh ch lie between the Shehr-i-Zor Plain and those slopes of the Averaman range
which face that plain, and which are in the Persians’ possession to-day, have been
confused with other villages of Shehr-i-Zor, as though they were villages m a kaza. It
cannot be properly understood from the text of the treaty on which side the treaty
leaves these villages. If, however, we take into consideration the conformation of the
Averaman Mountains and the necessity for both sides to observe the rule of guarding
the frontier drawn between their territories, then the whole of tne parts which look
towards Zalim Castle and of the western face of the region which stretches for two or
three hours up to the Sirvan Plain, must remain on the Turkish side. l et no one has
been able to tell us whether it is in accordance with treaties or conditions laid down
that the said seventeen villages are in the Persians’ possession, or whether, like some
other places, they have simply been usurped. According to present information every
one has seen these villages in the Persians’ possession for_ some time and has given,
information as to having heard that they belonged to Persia. As already stated the
conformation of the ground and the imperative law of frontier defence require tiiat the
frontier should pass through the highest points of the said mountains and that the
western slopes looking towards Zalim Castle and the Shehr-i-Zor district should be lett on
the Turkish side, and the slopes looking towards the nahie and castle of Averaman, with
the region of Merivan, on the Persian side. The inhabitants of these villages are
Sunnis and are inclined rather to rebel against the Persians than to obey them; and,
therefore, at the moment when the question of taking a final decision as to the frontier
was discussed at Constantinople, it was approved that the said villages should be
retained on this side and the troubles on the boundary of Urajik should be avoided. In
pursuance of this object, Sheikh Ali, mudir of the kaza of Elbicheh, who was one of the
representatives of Shehr-i-Zor and lived in the village of Abu Abideh, was ordere
secretly to obtain from the inhabitants of these villages a certificate stating that they
in those villages were Ottoman subjects but had passed into the possession of the other
side at the time of Nadif Shah’s appearance and usurpation. Owing to the fear of t e
Persian official, they did not dare to give such a certificate while I was there ; but i
has recently been obtained through Munib Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Kaiimakam of Suleimanieb, and sen
to me. The certificate is in my possession.