Treaty of Adrianople (Edirne)

In the name of Almighty God. His Imperial Majesty, the most illustrious and sovereign great ruler, Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia, and His Majesty the most illustrious and sovereign great Ottoman Emperor, equally moved by the desire to end the calamities of war and restore peace, friendship and good understanding between their states upon a firm and unshakable foundation, have unanimously agreed to entrust this salutary undertaking to the care and direction of their respective plenipotentiaries: His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia, the most illustrious and excellent Count Ivan Ivanovich Diebitsch Zabalkansky, His Imperial Majesty's Adjutant-General, General of Infantry, commander-in-chief of the Second Army, chief of the infantry regiment bearing his name and member of the State Council, knight of all Russian orders, of the Imperial Austrian orders of Maria Theresa, Lesser Cross, and Leopold, Grand Cross, and of the Royal Prussian orders of the Black Eagle, the Red Eagle of the first class and Military Merit, holder of a diamond-adorned gold sword inscribed “For Bravery” and medals for the campaign of 1812, the capture of Paris in 1814 and the Persian War of 1826, 1827 and 1828. By virtue of the supreme powers granted to him, he has appointed as plenipotentiaries of the Imperial Russian court the illustrious and highly esteemed Count Alexei Orlov, His Imperial Majesty's Adjutant-General, Lieutenant-General, commander of the First Cuirassier Division, knight of the Russian orders of Saint Anne of the first class with diamonds, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the second class and the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George of the fourth class, holder of a diamond-adorned gold sword “For Bravery”, knight of the Imperial Austrian order of Leopold of the third class, the Royal Prussian orders of the Red Eagle of the first class, “For Merit” and the Iron Cross, and the Royal Bavarian order of Maximilian of the third class, and holder of silver and bronze medals for the campaign of 1812 and another silver medal for the capture of Paris in 1814; and Count Fyodor Pahlen, Privy Councillor and knight of the Russian orders of the Holy and Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky, Saint Anne of the first class and Saint John of Jerusalem. His Majesty the Ottoman Emperor has appointed the excellent and highly esteemed Mehmed Sadik Efendi, actual Grand Defterdar of the Sublime Ottoman Porte, and Abdul Kadir Bey, Kaziasker of Anatolia. These plenipotentiaries, having assembled at Adrianople and exchanged their powers, have determined the following articles.

All hostility and disagreements hitherto existing between the two empires shall henceforth cease on land and sea; there shall be perpetual peace, friendship and good understanding between His Majesty the Emperor and Padishah of All Russia and His Majesty the Ottoman Emperor and Padishah, their heirs and successors and their empires. Both high contracting parties shall take particular care to prevent anything that could revive hostility between their respective subjects. They shall fulfil exactly every condition of this peace treaty and shall likewise ensure that it is in no way infringed, directly or indirectly.

His Majesty the Emperor and Padishah of All Russia, wishing to assure His Majesty the Ottoman Emperor and Padishah of the sincerity of his friendly disposition, restores to the Sublime Porte the principality of Moldavia within its boundaries before the war ended by this peace treaty. His Imperial Majesty likewise restores, without exception, the principality of Wallachia and the Krapova Banat, Bulgaria and the land of Dobruja from the Danube to the sea, together with Silistria, Hirsova, Machin, Isakcha, Tulcha, Babadag, Bazardzhik, Varna, Pravody and the other towns, small towns and villages in that land; the whole extent of the Balkan ridge from Emine Burnu to Kazan and all lands between the Balkans and the sea; likewise Selimno, Yamboli, Aidos, Karnabat, Misimvria, Ankhiali, Burgas, Sizopol, Kirklissi, Adrianople, Lyule Burgas and, finally, all towns, small towns, villages and places generally occupied by Russian troops in Rumelia.

The boundary between the two empires shall remain the River Pruth, from its entry into Moldavia to its confluence with the Danube. Thence the boundary shall follow the Danube to the mouth of the Saint George branch in the sea, so that all islands formed by the different branches of the river shall belong to Russia, while its right bank shall remain in the Ottoman Porte's possession as before. It is nevertheless agreed that this right bank, beginning where the Saint George branch separates from the Sulina branch, shall remain uninhabited to a distance of two hours' journey from the river, with no establishments there. No establishments or fortifications shall likewise be permitted on the islands passing into the Russian court's possession, except quarantine establishments. Merchant vessels of both powers shall enjoy free navigation throughout the Danube; those under the Ottoman flag may freely enter the Kilia and Sulina mouths, while the Saint George mouth shall remain common to the naval and merchant flags of both empires. Russian warships, however, shall not sail upstream beyond the Danube's junction with the Pruth.

Georgia, Imereti, Mingrelia, Guria and many Transcaucasian provinces have for many years been joined forever to the Russian Empire; the khanates of Erivan and Nakhichevan were likewise ceded to it by the treaty concluded with Persia at Turkmenchay on 10 February 1828. Both high contracting parties have therefore considered it necessary to establish throughout that line a definite boundary between their respective possessions capable of preventing future misunderstandings. They have likewise considered means of erecting an insurmountable barrier to the raids and pillage of neighbouring tribes which have so often disrupted friendship and good neighbourhood between the two empires. Accordingly, the boundary in Asia between the possessions of the Imperial Russian court and the Sublime Ottoman Porte shall henceforth be the line which, following the present frontier of Guria from the Black Sea, ascends to the frontier of Imereti and thence runs as directly as possible to the point where the boundary between the pashaliks of Akhaltsikh and Kars meets the Georgian boundary, so that Akhaltsikh town and Akhalkalaki fortress remain north of that line and not less than two hours' journey from it. All lands south and west of that boundary towards the pashaliks of Kars and Trebizond, with the greater part of the Akhaltsikh pashalik, shall remain forever in the Sublime Porte's possession. The lands north and east of that line towards Georgia, Imereti and Guria, and the entire Black Sea coast from the mouth of the Kuban to the port of Saint Nicholas inclusive, shall remain forever in the Russian Empire's possession. Consequently the Imperial Russian court cedes and restores to the Sublime Porte the remaining part of the Akhaltsikh pashalik, Kars town and its pashalik, Bayazid town and its pashalik, Erzerum town and its pashalik, and all places occupied by Russian troops outside the above line.

Since the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia submitted themselves by special capitulations to the supreme authority of the Sublime Porte, and Russia undertook to guarantee their welfare, all rights, privileges and advantages granted by those capitulations, treaties concluded between the two imperial courts or hatti-sherifs issued at different times shall be preserved. The principalities shall accordingly enjoy freedom of worship, complete security, independent national government and the right of unobstructed trade. Provisions supplementing earlier treaties and considered necessary to ensure that these provinces enjoy their rights are set out in a separate act which is and shall be regarded as an equally binding part of this treaty.

The circumstances following the Akkerman Convention did not permit the Sublime Porte immediately to implement the provisions of the Separate Act on Serbia annexed to Article V of that convention. The Porte therefore most solemnly undertakes to implement them without the slightest delay and with all possible exactitude: specifically, it shall immediately restore to Serbia the six districts detached from that province and thus secure forever the tranquillity and welfare of the faithful and obedient Serbian people. A firman confirmed by a hatti-sherif implementing those provisions shall be issued and officially communicated to the Imperial Russian court within one month of the signature of this peace treaty.

Russian subjects shall enjoy throughout the Ottoman Empire, by land and sea, the full and complete freedom of trade granted by treaties hitherto concluded between the two high contracting powers. That freedom shall in no case and under no pretext be infringed or restricted by prohibitions or limitations of any kind or by institutions and measures introduced in domestic administration or legislation. Russian subjects, their vessels and goods shall be protected against all violence and exactions. The subjects shall be exclusively under the judicial and police authority of the Russian minister and consuls; Russian vessels shall not be subjected to any internal inspection by Ottoman authorities, whether on the high seas or in the harbours, ports or roadsteads of the Turkish Empire. Goods and supplies of every kind belonging to Russian subjects may, after payment of customs duties fixed by the tariffs, freely be sold, landed in the warehouses of their owners or agents, or transhipped to any vessel, whatever its nationality, without Russian subjects being required to notify local authorities, still less seek their permission. These privileges shall also extend to trade in grain exported from Russia, whose free transport shall never be obstructed or hindered under any pretext. Furthermore, the Sublime Porte undertakes carefully to ensure that trade, and especially navigation on the Black Sea, encounters no obstacles. It accordingly recognises and declares that passage through the Constantinople channel and the Dardanelles is entirely free and open to Russian vessels under the merchant flag, laden or in ballast, proceeding from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean or from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. Provided they are merchant vessels, regardless of size or quantity of cargo, they shall not be stopped or oppressed, as stipulated above. The two imperial courts shall agree upon the most suitable means of preventing delays in furnishing vessels with the proper documents on departure. On the same basis and subject to the same conditions as Russian-flagged vessels, passage through the Constantinople channel and Dardanelles is declared free and open to merchant vessels of all powers friendly to the Sublime Porte, whether proceeding to Russian Black Sea ports or returning from them laden or in ballast. Finally, the Sublime Porte, granting the Imperial Russian court the right to such complete freedom of trade and navigation on the Black Sea, solemnly declares that it shall never place the slightest obstacle in its way. It particularly promises never henceforth to detain or stop laden vessels or vessels in ballast belonging to Russia or other powers with which the Ottoman Empire is not in a state of declared war, when passing through the Constantinople channel or Dardanelles from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean or from the Mediterranean to Russian Black Sea ports. If, which God forbid, any provision of this article is infringed and representations by the Russian minister do not secure complete and prompt satisfaction, the Sublime Porte recognises in advance the Imperial Russian court's right to regard such an infringement as a hostile act and immediately act against the Ottoman Empire by right of reprisal.

The provisions previously established in Article VI of the Akkerman Convention for determining and satisfying claims of the respective subjects for compensation for losses suffered at different times since the war of 1806 have not yet been implemented. Since that convention, Russian merchants have suffered further considerable losses through measures concerning navigation on the Bosphorus. It is therefore now recognised and agreed that the Ottoman Porte shall pay the Imperial Russian court one million five hundred thousand Dutch ducats in compensation for those losses and damages, within eighteen months and at dates to be determined hereafter. Payment of that sum shall end all mutual claims and demands of both contracting parties arising from the aforesaid circumstances.

Since the war happily ended by this peace treaty has caused considerable expenditure to the Imperial Russian court, the Sublime Porte recognises the need to provide it with appropriate compensation. In addition to the cession of a small tract of land in Asia under Article IV, which the Russian court agrees to accept towards that compensation, the Sublime Porte undertakes to pay a sum of money to be fixed by mutual agreement.

The Sublime Porte, declaring its complete agreement with the provisions of the treaty concluded at London on 24 June/6 July 1827 between Russia, Great Britain and France, likewise accedes to the act agreed mutually by those powers on 10/22 March 1829 on the basis of that treaty, setting out in detail the measures for its final implementation. Immediately after the exchange of ratifications of this peace treaty, the Sublime Porte shall appoint plenipotentiaries to agree with those of the Imperial Russian, English and French courts on implementing those measures and provisions.

Following the signature of this peace treaty between the two empires and the exchange of their sovereigns' ratifications, the Sublime Porte shall immediately undertake prompt and exact implementation of its provisions, specifically Articles III and IV on the boundaries separating the two empires in Europe and Asia, and Articles V and VI on the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia and on Serbia. As soon as these articles are recognised as implemented, the Imperial Russian court shall begin withdrawing its troops from the Ottoman Empire's possessions according to the principles set out in a separate act forming an equally binding part of this peace treaty. Until the occupied lands have been completely evacuated, the administration and order now established there under the Imperial Russian court shall remain in force, and the Sublime Ottoman Porte shall in no way interfere.

Immediately after the signature of this peace treaty, the commanders of both sides' forces shall be ordered to cease hostilities on land and sea. Any operations occurring after signature shall be regarded as not having taken place and shall cause no change in the treaty's provisions. Likewise everything conquered by the forces of either high contracting power during that interval shall be restored without the slightest delay.

The high contracting powers, renewing their bond of sincere friendship, grant general pardon and complete amnesty to all their subjects, whatever their rank, who during the war now happily ended participated in operations or showed by their conduct or opinions attachment to either contracting power. None shall therefore be disturbed or prosecuted in person or property for their acts. Each shall have the right to regain possession of their former property, enjoy it peacefully under the protection of the laws, or sell it within eighteen months without fear of exactions or oppression if they wish to move with their family and movable property to another country of their choice. Furthermore, subjects of either side residing in the provinces restored to the Sublime Porte or ceded to the Imperial Russian court shall likewise have eighteen months from the exchange of ratifications of this peace treaty, if they consider it necessary, to dispose of property acquired before or after the war and move with their capital and movable property into the possessions of either contracting power.

All prisoners of war in either empire, whatever their nation, rank or sex, shall immediately after the exchange of ratifications of this peace treaty be surrendered and returned without any ransom or payment. Christians who voluntarily adopted the Muslim faith in the Sublime Porte's provinces and Muslims who voluntarily adopted Christianity within the Russian Empire are excepted. The same procedure shall apply to Russian subjects who, after signature of this peace treaty, have by any circumstance fallen into captivity and are in the Sublime Porte's provinces. The Imperial Russian court promises the same towards the Sublime Porte's subjects. Neither contracting party shall demand reimbursement of sums spent maintaining prisoners. Each power shall provide them with all necessary travelling expenses to the frontier, where they shall be exchanged by the respective commissioners.

All treaties, conventions and provisions made and concluded at different times between the Imperial Russian court and the Sublime Ottoman Porte, except articles annulled by this peace treaty, are confirmed in their full force and extent. Both high contracting parties undertake to observe them faithfully and inviolably.

This peace treaty shall be ratified by both high contracting courts, and ratifications shall be exchanged between their plenipotentiaries within six weeks, or sooner if possible. By virtue of our powers we have signed this peace act, comprising sixteen articles and to be finally confirmed by the exchange of the respective ratifications within the agreed period, affixed our seals and exchanged it for an identical act signed and sealed by the aforementioned plenipotentiaries of the Sublime Ottoman Porte. At Adrianople, 2 September 1829. Signed: Count Alexei Orlov. Count F. Pahlen. Accordingly, after due consideration of the foregoing treaty of perpetual peace, We, His Imperial Majesty, have confirmed and ratified it, and hereby approve, confirm and ratify it in its entire content, promising by Our Imperial word, for Us and Our heirs, that everything established in it shall be observed and fulfilled by Us inviolably. In assurance thereof, having signed this ratification with Our own hand, We have ordered it authenticated by Our state seal. Given at Saint Petersburg, 29 September 1829, in the fourth year of Our reign. The original is signed in His Imperial Majesty's own hand: NICHOLAS. Countersigned: Vice-Chancellor Count Nesselrode.

In the name of Almighty God. Both high contracting powers, confirming everything established by the Separate Act of the Akkerman Convention concerning the election of the hospodars of Moldavia and Wallachia, have considered it necessary to give the administration of those provinces a firmer foundation better corresponding to their present interests. They have therefore agreed that the hospodars' government shall no longer be limited, as before, to seven years: henceforth they shall be raised to that office for life, except in cases of voluntary resignation or removal for the offences specified in the aforesaid Separate Akkerman Act. The hospodars shall have authority, after consultation with the Divans, to determine all matters concerning the principalities' internal affairs, without in any way infringing the rights granted to those two provinces by treaties and hatti-sherifs. No orders contrary to those rights shall hinder their administration. The Sublime Porte promises and undertakes strictly to ensure that the rights and privileges granted to Moldavia and Wallachia are in no way infringed by its frontier authorities, who shall not under any pretext interfere in either principality's affairs. It shall also forbid inhabitants of the Danube's right bank to make any incursion into Moldavian or Wallachian lands. All islands adjoining the right bank of the Danube shall form an inseparable part of these lands, and the river's thalweg, from its entry into the Ottoman possessions to its junction with the Pruth, shall be the boundary of both principalities. To mark more clearly the inviolability of Moldavian and Wallachian lands, the Sublime Porte undertakes to retain no fortified place on the Danube's left bank and permit none of its Muslim subjects to maintain establishments there. It is therefore irrevocably agreed that throughout that bank, in Greater and Lesser Wallachia and in Moldavia, no Muslim shall ever reside; only merchants with proper firmans shall be admitted to purchase, on their own account, supplies needed for Constantinople or other goods in the principalities. Turkish towns on the Danube's left bank, with their dependent districts (rayas), shall be returned to Wallachia and forever joined to that principality. The fortifications hitherto existing along that bank shall never be renewed. Muslims owning immovable property acquired without coercion from private persons, whether in those towns or elsewhere on the Danube's left bank, shall sell it to native inhabitants of that region within eighteen months. By virtue of their rights and privileges of independent internal administration, the governments of both principalities may establish sanitary cordons and quarantines along the Danube and elsewhere inland as necessary to protect public health. Foreigners, Muslims and Christians alike, entering the principalities shall not evade strict observance of quarantine rules. To operate the quarantines, protect frontier security, maintain order in towns and villages and enforce laws and regulations, each principality's government shall be entitled to maintain an armed guard in the number necessary for those purposes. The hospodars, with the consent of their Divans and according to ancient precedents, shall determine the number and maintenance of this territorial force. The Sublime Ottoman Porte, sincerely wishing to afford the principalities every possible prosperity and being convinced of the abuses and oppression arising from the collection of supplies for Constantinople and the Danubian fortresses and for the arsenal's needs, now completely renounces that right. Wallachia and Moldavia shall therefore forever be exempt from supplying grain and other provisions, sheep and construction timber which they have hitherto been obliged to provide. Likewise the Porte shall never demand from them workers for fortresses or other local manpower of any kind. To compensate the Sultan's treasury for the loss resulting from this complete renunciation of its rights, Moldavia and Wallachia shall each pay annually to the Sublime Porte, in addition to their annual tribute under the names kharaj, idie and rekiabie pursuant to the hatti-sherifs of 1802, a sum to be determined hereafter by common agreement. Furthermore, whenever a hospodar is replaced through death, resignation or lawful removal, the principality shall pay the Sublime Porte a sum equal to the annual tribute established for that province by the hatti-sherifs. Apart from these sums, no other tax, obligation or gift shall ever be demanded from either the principalities or the hospodars under any pretext. By virtue of the aforesaid abolition of those obligations, the inhabitants of both principalities shall enjoy the complete freedom, defined by the Separate Act of the Akkerman Convention, to trade in the products of their soil and industry without restrictions, except those which the hospodars with their Divans' consent consider necessary to secure the country's food supplies. The principalities' inhabitants may navigate the Danube freely in their own vessels, with passports from their government, and trade in other towns and ports of the Sublime Porte without exactions by kharaj collectors or other oppression. Likewise, considering all the calamities suffered by Moldavia and Wallachia and moved by a particular feeling of humanity, the Sublime Porte agrees to exempt the principalities' inhabitants from the annual taxes payable into its treasury for two years, reckoned from the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the principalities. Finally, wishing by every means to secure Moldavia and Wallachia's future welfare, the Sublime Porte solemnly undertakes to confirm the institutions concerning their administration drawn up in accordance with the wishes expressed by assemblies of the region's most distinguished inhabitants during its occupation by the Imperial Russian court's troops. These institutions shall form the future basis of the principalities' administration insofar as they do not contradict the Sublime Porte's rights of supreme authority. For this purpose we, the undersigned plenipotentiaries of His Majesty the Emperor and Padishah of All Russia, in agreement with the Sublime Ottoman Porte's plenipotentiaries, have determined and concluded the foregoing conditions concerning Moldavia and Wallachia as consequences of Article V of the peace treaty signed by us and the Ottoman plenipotentiaries at Adrianople. Accordingly this Separate Act has been drawn up, authenticated with our signatures and seals, and delivered to the Sublime Porte's plenipotentiaries. At Adrianople, 2 September 1829.