Treaty of Turkmenchay

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 Padishah of Persia, equally moved by the sincere desire to end the destructive consequences of a war wholly contrary to their mutual intentions and, through a peace containing within itself the guarantee of its permanence and preventing every future cause of disagreement and misunderstanding, to restore upon a firm foundation the former relations of good neighbourhood and friendship between the two states, have appointed as their plenipotentiaries to accomplish this salutary purpose: His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia, his Adjutant-General, General of Infantry, commander of the Separate Caucasian Corps, Chief Administrator of civil affairs in Georgia, the Astrakhan province and the Caucasus region, commander of the Caspian flotilla, knight of the orders of Saint Alexander Nevsky with diamonds, Saint Anne of the first class with diamonds, Saint Vladimir of the first class and Saint George of the second class, holder of two swords for distinction, one inscribed “For Bravery” and the other adorned with diamonds, and knight of the foreign orders of the Prussian Red Eagle of the first class, the Crescent of the Sublime Ottoman Porte and many others, Ivan Paskevich, and his Actual State Councillor, Chamberlain and knight of the orders of Saint Vladimir of the third class, the Polish Stanislaus of the second class and Saint John of Jerusalem, Alexander Obreskov; and His Majesty the Shah of Persia, His Highness Prince Abbas Mirza. These plenipotentiaries, having met in the village of Turkmenchay and exchanged the powers granted to them, which were found in due form, have determined and concluded the following articles:

Henceforth and forever there shall be peace, friendship and perfect understanding between His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia and His Majesty the Shah of Persia, their heirs and successors to their thrones, their states and their respective subjects.

His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia and His Majesty the Padishah of Persia, considering that the war which arose between the high contracting parties and has now happily ended also terminated their mutual obligations under the Treaty of Gulistan, have deemed it necessary to replace that treaty with the present conditions and provisions, intended to regulate and increasingly consolidate future peaceful and friendly relations between Russia and Persia.

His Majesty the Shah of Persia, in his own name and in the names of his heirs and successors, cedes in full ownership to the Russian Empire the khanate of Erivan on both sides of the Araxes and the khanate of Nakhichevan. In consequence of this cession, His Majesty the Shah undertakes, within six months of the signature of this treaty at the latest, to hand over to the Russian authorities all archives and public documents concerning the administration of these two khanates.

By the agreement of both high contracting parties, the boundary between the two states shall be the following line: beginning at the point of the frontier of the Ottoman possessions closest in a straight direction to the summit of Little Ararat, the boundary shall run to the summit of that mountain; thence down its slope to the source of the River Lower Karasu, which flows from the southern side of Little Ararat; then along that river to its confluence with the Araxes opposite Sherur; thence along the bed of the Araxes to the fortress of Abbas Abad. Here, around the outer fortifications of that fortress on the right bank of the Araxes, a circumference shall be drawn at a distance of half an agach, namely 3½ Russian versts, in every direction. The land within this circumference shall belong wholly and exclusively to Russia and shall be demarcated with the greatest precision within two months from this date. From the point where the eastern side of that circumference meets the bank of the Araxes, the boundary shall again follow that river's bed to the Edibuluk ford; thence the Persian possessions shall extend along the Araxes for three agach, namely 21 Russian versts. The frontier shall then run directly across the Mugan steppe to the River Bolgaru at a point three agach, namely 21 versts, below the confluence of the Odina Bazar and Sarakamysh streams. Thence it shall follow the left bank of the Bolgaru upstream to that confluence, then the right bank of the eastern stream Odina Bazar to its source, and thence to the summit of the Jikoir heights, so that all waters flowing from those heights towards the Caspian Sea shall belong to Russia and all waters flowing towards Persia shall belong to Persia. Since the boundary here is determined by the mountain ridge, it is agreed that the slopes towards the Caspian Sea shall belong to Russia and the opposite slopes to Persia. From the ridge of the Jikoir heights the frontier shall run to the summit of Kamarkui along the mountains separating Talish from the district of Arshi. The mountain summits dividing the waters flowing to either side shall here form the boundary exactly as stated above for the area between the source of the Odina Bazar and the Jikoir summits. Continuing to observe the foregoing rule concerning the flow of waters, the boundary shall run from the Kamarkui summit along the mountain ridge separating the districts of Zuvant and Arshi to the frontier of the district of Velkiji. Thus the district of Zuvant, except for the part lying on the opposite side of the summits of those mountains, shall be joined to Russia. From the frontier of the district of Velkiji, the boundary between the states shall, consistently with the same rule concerning waters, follow the summits of Kloputy and the main mountain chain running through the district of Velkiji to the northern source of the River Astara; thence along that river's bed to its mouth in the Caspian Sea, where the boundary separating the Russian and Persian possessions ends.

His Majesty the Shah of Persia, as proof of his sincere friendship towards His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia, solemnly recognises by this article, for himself and his heirs and successors to the Persian throne, all lands and islands lying between the aforesaid boundary, the ridge of the Caucasus mountains and the Caspian Sea, together with all nomadic and other peoples inhabiting those regions, as belonging forever to the Russian Empire.

His Majesty the Shah of Persia, in consideration of the considerable sacrifices imposed upon the Russian Empire by the war between the two states and of the losses and damages suffered by Russian subjects, undertakes to compensate them by a monetary indemnity. Both high contracting parties have fixed this indemnity at ten kururs of current tomans, or twenty million silver roubles. Its payment dates, manner of payment and guarantees are laid down in a separate agreement which shall have the same force as if inserted word for word in this treaty.

Since His Majesty the Shah of Persia has deemed it proper to appoint his august son Prince Abbas Mirza as his successor and heir to the throne, His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia, to demonstrate publicly his friendly disposition towards His Majesty the Shah and his desire to help consolidate this succession, undertakes henceforth to recognise in the august person of His Highness Prince Abbas Mirza the successor and heir to the Persian crown and, upon his accession, to regard him as the lawful sovereign of that state.

Russian merchant vessels shall, according to former custom, have the right freely to navigate the Caspian Sea and along its shores and to put in there; in the event of shipwreck they shall receive every assistance in Persia. Likewise Persian merchant vessels shall retain the right to navigate the Caspian Sea on the former basis and put in at Russian shores, where every assistance shall reciprocally be given to them in the event of shipwreck. As regards warships, since from ancient times only warships flying the Russian naval flag could navigate on the Caspian Sea, that former exclusive right is now granted and confirmed to them, so that no power other than Russia may have warships on the Caspian Sea.

His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia and His Majesty the Shah of Persia, wishing by every means to strengthen the bond of peace and friendship so happily renewed between them, agree that the ambassadors, ministers and chargés d'affaires sent by their respective high courts to perform temporary missions or reside permanently at the other court shall be received with honours and distinctions appropriate to their rank, the dignity of the high contracting parties, the sincere friendship uniting them and local customs. A separate protocol shall therefore establish the ceremonial to be observed by both sides.

His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia and His Majesty the Shah of Persia, recognising the restoration and expansion of commercial relations between the two states as one of the principal beneficial consequences of restored peace, have in full mutual agreement deemed it proper to regulate all arrangements concerning the protection of trade and the security of their respective subjects, and to set them out in a separate act annexed hereto. Concluded by the respective plenipotentiaries, that act is and shall be regarded as an equally binding part of this peace treaty. His Majesty the Shah of Persia grants Russia, as formerly, the right to appoint consuls or commercial agents wherever commercial interests require, and undertakes to protect these consuls and agents, each of whom shall have a retinue of no more than ten persons, so that they may enjoy the honours and privileges attached to their public office. His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia promises complete reciprocity towards the consuls and commercial agents of His Majesty the Shah. If the Persian government makes a well-founded complaint against a Russian agent or consul, the Russian minister or chargé d'affaires at the Shah's court, as their immediate superior, shall remove the person at fault from office and temporarily entrust it to another person at his discretion.

All claims of the respective subjects and other matters suspended by the war shall be resumed and decided according to justice after the conclusion of peace. Debt obligations between the respective subjects, and claims against the treasury of either government, shall receive immediate and full satisfaction.

For the benefit of their respective subjects, the high contracting parties have mutually agreed to grant those possessing immovable property on both sides of the Araxes a period of three years during which they may freely sell or exchange it. His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia, however, insofar as it concerns him, excludes from this indulgent provision Hussein Khan, the former sardar of Erivan, his brother Hasan Khan and Kerim Khan, the former ruler of Nakhichevan.

All prisoners of war of both sides captured during the last war or earlier, and likewise all subjects of either government who have ever fallen into captivity on the other side, shall be released and returned within four months. They shall be supplied with provisions and other necessities and sent to Abbas Abad for delivery to the respective commissioners appointed to receive them and arrange their onward journey to their places of residence. The high contracting parties shall act in the same manner towards all prisoners of war and Russian and Persian subjects captured on either side who, because of the remoteness of their location or any other cause or circumstance, have not been returned within that period. Both powers retain the definite and unrestricted right to demand such persons at any time and undertake reciprocally to return them as they are found or requests for them are received.

Neither high contracting party shall demand the surrender of defectors and deserters who entered the allegiance of the other before the last war or during it. To prevent harmful consequences arising from deliberate contacts between certain such defectors and their former compatriots or persons subject to them, the Persian government undertakes to prohibit the residence, in its possessions between the Araxes and the line formed by the River Chara, Lake Urmia, the River Jakatu and the River Kizil Ozan as far as its mouth in the Caspian Sea, of persons whom the Russian government identifies by name now or hereafter. His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia likewise promises not to permit Persian defectors to settle or reside in the khanates of Karabakh and Nakhichevan or in the part of the Erivan khanate lying on the right bank of the Araxes. It is understood, however, that this provision has and shall have force only in relation to persons who held public offices or possess a certain dignity, such as khans, beks and religious leaders or mullahs, who by personal example, persuasion and secret connections may exert a harmful influence upon their former compatriots previously governed by or subject to them. As regards the inhabitants of both states generally, the high contracting parties have agreed that their respective subjects who have moved or hereafter move from one state to the other may settle and live wherever the government under which they are placed permits.

His Majesty the Shah, moved by the beneficent and salutary intention of restoring tranquillity to his state and removing from his subjects everything that might further increase the calamities brought upon them by the war so happily ended by this treaty, grants complete and full pardon to all inhabitants and officials of the province called Azerbaijan. None of them, whatever their class, may be prosecuted or molested for their opinions, actions or conduct during the war or the temporary occupation of that province by Russian troops. Furthermore, those officials and inhabitants shall be granted one year from this date to move freely with their families from the Persian provinces to the Russian provinces and to remove or sell their movable property without any impediment from the government or local authorities and without any duty or tax on property and goods sold or removed by them. For immovable property, five years are allowed for its sale or disposal at their discretion. This pardon does not, however, extend to those who, before the expiration of the aforesaid one-year period, commit an offence or crime subject to judicial punishment.

Upon the signature of this peace treaty, the respective plenipotentiaries shall without delay send notices and appropriate orders to all places for the immediate cessation of hostilities. This peace treaty, drawn up in two copies of identical content, signed by the plenipotentiaries of both sides, authenticated by their seals of arms and mutually exchanged, shall be confirmed and ratified by His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia and His Majesty the Shah of Persia. Solemn ratifications bearing their own signatures shall be exchanged by the respective plenipotentiaries within four months, or sooner if possible. Concluded in the village of Turkmenchay on 10 February in the year of the Nativity of Christ 1828 and 5 Shaban 1243 of the Hijra. (Seal) Ivan Paskevich. (Seal) A. Obreskov. Seen and approved by the Naib Sultan. (Seal) Also signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mirza Abul Hasan Khan. (Seal)