"مذكرة بشأن الحدود بين المحمرة وتركيا". [و‎‎٣‎٣] (٨٢/٦٥)

55
APPENDIX (D).
Rough Notes mode by General William Monteith, when in Persia, on the ironlier oj lurkey
and Persia.
[These notes were commnuicated to tlie Foreign Office by the author in a letter dated
the 18th February, 1843, and were written during the period of his employment
in connection with the Turco-Persian and Russo-Persian boundary questions,
previous to his departure from Persia in 1829.]
SINCE the cession of the provinces of Erivan and Naktchivan (Treaty of the
22nd February, 1828), the northern frontier is very considerably diminished and
admits easier adjustment with Persia, Russia having succeeded to the claims and
disputes in this direction when the Treaty of Erzeroum (LS22/1823) was concluded
by Mirza Mohammed Ali, one of the Ministers of Abbas Mirza, who was then Heir
Apparent and entrusted by his father, the late King, with the general direction of
the negotiations.
2. It was then agreed that the treaty concluded by Nadir Shah (17-16), which was
based on that of Shah Ismail, # should decide the limits of the respective Empires. But
as neither State, if they possessed the document in question, were willing to produce it
recourse was had to grants made to the chiefs of tribes and districts to whom the
charge of the frontier had been entrusted, and if these documents could have been
relied on they would have afforded the fullest and most minute information,
comprehending the fields and springs belonging to each tribe and district. The few
that were produced tended to prove that the greater part of the frontier lands had
been granted in "teul" or personal service, the holders of which were obliged to
maintain order, and protect travellers and caravans within their respective limits.
3. The Kurdish tribes within the Turkish frontier, being decidedly the most
powerful, gradually encroached on the Persian lands during the civil wars which so
long continued in Persia. From the accession of Agha Mohammed Khan (1794) and the
union of the different provinces of Persia under one Government, it became much
superior to the pashaliks of Erzeroum and Bagdad, as the Government of Constantinople
left them almost entirely to their own resources.
On the conclusion of the Russian war by the Treaty of Gulistan (the 21th October,
1813), both Abbas Mirza and his brother, Mohammed Ali Mirza (the latter took less
part in the Russian war and earlier began to dispute with the Pasha of Bagdad),
reoccupied all that was considered belonging to Persia, and followed far within the
Turkish territory the tribes who had committed depredations on Persia. Turkey still
continued to treat with indifference these disputes, though almost every expedition
turned to their disadvantage.
The districts of Kotur, Chareh Derik, Tergavar, and Mergavar, on the frontiers
of Khoi and Urumia, were undoubtedly within the Persian limits, but for a long
period had been held by Kurdish begs, who not only refused submission but made
constant irruptions on the Persian villages. These castles were quickly captured by
the regular troops of Persia, but hostilities were continued by the Kurds on the frontier,
which led to Abbas Mirza's invasion of Turkey (1821) and occupation of the whole
country between the Lake of Van and the range of Ararat. In the following year,
the Pasha of Erzeroum, having received some reinforcements from Constantinople
and assembled the whole force of his own Government, was totally routed near
Zohrab Kulla, and Abbas Mirza was only prevented marching to Erzeroum by the
cholera breaking out in his army and its consequent dispersion. Peace was concluded
the following year (i e., 1823), and, as before mentioned, the frontier settled on the
same conditions as by Nadir Shah. The only doubtful part of the Azerbaijan frontier
with which I am more particularly acquainted are the precise limits of Maku and
* Shah Ismail was proclaimed Shah in 1499 and died in 1523. Nadir Shah's Treaty of 1746 was based
on Sultan Murad's Treaty of 1G39.