Nader Shah. Historical novel. Yunus Oghuz
the Great didn’t let Nepluyev finish his words:
– I know all about it, I know what happens there. Speak to me about Istanbul. What did Tahmasb’s messenger promise to the Sultan? What will the Sultan give instead? Speak me about all these!
Nepluyev said, being confused:
– Your Highness! The Sultan wants from Tahmasb one part of Azerbaijan including Qazvin, Tabriz, Irevan, Tiflis, Hamadan, Rey, Khoy, and Shirvan…
What is he going to give in return?
– In return the Sultan is going to give troops to Tahmasb, to help him in suppressing revolts, and recognize him as the Shah.
– Hmmm… The Sultan wants from Tahmasb half of Azerbaijan. Is it shamelessness or the demonstration of power? Well, it is interesting, what happened then?
– Then the problem remained just the same, Your Highness!
– What does it mean “remained just the same?”
– The messenger answered the Sultan that he hadn’t the authority to answer. So, he returned from istanbul to Tahmasb’s place.
Peter the Great walked up and down on the marble floor of the palace making a noise with his boot and thought a little. Then he returned and put his hands on the messenger’s shoulder:
– It is very good, Alexander Vasilyevich, very good! You must insist, thoughtfully, on the problem of Azerbaijan. Interfere in the signing of a peace treaty between the Ottomans and the Safavids. If it needs don’t spare any gold, money or other things. Do you hear? Don’t even miss the chance of using the French Markiz de Bonak! Do you hear?
– I hear, Your Highness!
– So it is from one side; from the second side try to achieve an agreement between the Ottomans and Russia in building a demarcation line passing through the territory of Azerbaijan. – He showed the seashore of the Caspian Sea on the map. – Because the troops of Russia could move forward to Mazandaran. Do you understand, Alexander Vasilyevich?
– I understand, Your Highness!
– Very well, if it is thus you may go…
Nepluyev went out of the room. Peter the Great took the bell and rang it for some time, and the master of ceremonies entered the room:
– Your Highness!
– Call the messenger of the Safavids!
– All right, Your Highness!
Peter the Great sat on his throne and continued thinking. After some time the high doors were opened again. The master of ceremonies hit the golden stick on the floor:
– The messenger of the empire of the Safavid, Ismayil bey!
A man at the age of about thirty, handsome, black-eyed, having black eyelashes, whose appearance showed he came from the East, an interpreter and a servant with a covered tray in his hand entered the sa lon. The man who entered first was Ismayil bey. Ismayil bey came forward and bowed to Peter the Great:
– I have brought you the regards of our Shah, Tahmasb Mirza! I wish you long life! – The interpreter began to trans- late the words of Ismayil bey. Peter the Great nodded his head as a sign of thanks. – Our Shah wants you to take this gift on behalf of his name, like the gift showing the symbol of friendship of a neighboring state.
Ismayil bey took the covering off the tray that the servant was holding. A sword was on the tray, decorated with precious stones and an atlas dressing-gown sewn with golden threads. Ismayil bey gave the tray to the servant who was standing near the emperor. The other servants went out.
– Our Shah ordered me to tell you that the Safavids always lived with the Russians in peace and friendship. Starting from now he wants to live in the same way.
Peter the Great looked firmly into the eyes of Ismayil bey and forthrightly spoke about the main purpose:
– What does your Shah want?
– Our Shah wants you, being a great emperor, to recognize him as the Shah; to assist our Shah in the troubled days of our state.
– Well, suppose we recognized Tahmasb Mirza as the Shah. What does Russia gain out of it?
– You may know this, Your Highness!
Peter the Great thought screwing up his eyes and then said:
– We shall agree with you under the following conditions:
– Darband, Baku, and their suburbs remain in the structure of Russia.
– The seashore provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Astarabad pass to Russia’s control.
– The state, which is our friend, becomes your friend; the state which is our enemy becomes your enemy too.
– Russian merchants can trade in your territory without paying tax and they can go to Delhi and other countries without paying tax.
With all these condi tions the Russian Empire undertakes the followings:
– Recognizes Tahmasb as the Shah of the state of Safavids;
The Russian state will assist in suppressing any revolts which happen inside the state of the Safavids.
The interpreter was translating slowly, without any pause, translating the words which the emperor said to Ismayil bey. When he finished translating the silence was broken by Peter the Great:
– Did the Shah of Safavid give you responsibility to dis- cuss all these problems and sign the documents?
Ismayil bey answered:
– Yes, Your Highness!
– In this case it would be interesting to know your attitude to these conditions.
For Peter the Great the third paragraph was important, because that paragraph didn’t allow the uniting of the Ottomans with the Safavids. If they signed a peace treaty, without fail the opinion of Russia was to be taken into consideration. Practically, Peter the Great made the Safavids fall into a political trap. Peter the Great supposed that the messenger would think a lot but would understand nothing. But Ismayil bey dispersed this supposition of the emperor:
– Your Highness, I agree with your conditions, but it is necessary to add one word to the responsibility from your side.
– Which word?
– In the second paragraph instead of the word of “military” there must be written “military and financial”.
Peter the Great had already gained a diplomatic victory over the Ottomans by means of the Safavids. Now whatever the messenger of Safavids wanted he would give. That was why he said with indifference:
– Let it be how you want, messenger of Safavids! – Tonight we are going to sign a treaty about “friendship and brotherhood”. After the official signing, tomorrow you may take the first financial assisiance- ten thousand pieces of Russian gold.
To get the unexpected assistance and by means of it to strengthen the army of the Shah made Ismayil bey rejoice:
– All right, Your Highness!
Peier the Great had achieved his main purpose. His main purpose was to turn the Caspian Sea into a Russian basin and not to let the Ottomans to the west of the Caspian Sea. That was why he became cheerful. In order to test the mind of Ismayil bey, he wanted to make him speak once again:
– Both the Safavids and the Ottomans are from the same stock. Why don’t you find a common language? Half of the world is under your control. You fight against yourselves. What can’t you share?
Ismayil bey answered without thinking:
– For faith and lands, Your Highness!
– I understood