Letter from Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha to Emperor Maximilian II, Constantinople, 4-13 December 1575

İftiḫārü’l ümerāi’l-ʿiẓāmi’l-ʿīseviyye muḫtārü’l-küberāi’l-fiḫāmi fīʾl-milleti’l-mesīḥiyye muṣliḥü meṣāliḥi cemāhīri’ṭ-ṭāifeti’n-naṣrāniyye ṣāḥibü eẕyāli’l-ḥaşmeti ve’l-veḳār ṣāḥibü delāyili’l-mecdi ve’l-iftiḫār Beç ve Alāmān ve Romānīler İmparādorı Maksimilyānūş Ḳrāl ḫutimet ʿavāḳibühū bi’l-ḫayr mā-beynde olan muvālāt u muṣāfāta ve imparadorlıġuñuza lāyıḳ u sezāvār olan ḫayırlu duʿālar ve ѕenāʾlar taḳdīm ḳılınduḳdan ṣoñra dostāne inhāʾ olınur ki ʿatebe-i ʿulyāda olan ilçiñüz āsitāne-i devlet-āşiyāna ʿarż-ı ḥāl virüb merḥūm u maġfūrunleh Sulṭān Selīm Ḫān ṭābe s̱erāhū zamānında olduġı üzere sekiz yıla varınca mā-beynde ṣulḥ u ṣalāḥ üzere olması murāduñuz olduġın işʿār idüb bir ḳaç defʿa pāye-i serīr-i aʿlāyaʿarż olınub muḳaddemā ol cānibden ʿahde muġāyir ṣudūr iden evżāʿdan İbrahīm Aġa ve Ḳurd Āġa ve Süleymān Aġa ve Ḥasan Emīn ve Budin ḳaṣṣābları ve Balāj Yānoş ve Erdel ḫuṣūṣların ve Pekeş Ġasbārve Boġdan voyvoda gendü ḳullarımuz iken ʿahde muġāyir ḳabūl idüb virmedüklerin teẕekkür buyurub anlaruñ ṣulḥ u ṣalāḥdan ṣafāsı olsa bu vechileʿahde muḫālefet itmezler idi ilçilerüñ ḳomşulıġıdur biz daḫı taḥt-ı fer-ruḫ baḫtde cülūs-ı hümāyūnumuzla teşrīf buyuralı ġazā vü cihād dāʾimā ḫāṭırımuzdan dūr olmaz Rūm-ili ṭaraflarına sefer idelüm diyü mūrād-ı şerīfleri olmış idi zirā saʿādetlü pādişāhımuzuñ şecāʿat ü şehāmeti ẕekāvet ü ferāyeti ve bi’ẕẕāt ālāt-ı ḥarb u ḳattāl istiʿmālleri cedd-i büzürgvārlarına niçe mertebe ġālibdür ḫuṣūṣān ki ʿālem-i cüvānīde devlet el virüb ġazā vü cihāda meylleri ḥadden birūndur ol eclden ruḫṣatı virilmişdi lākin Ġasbār-ı laʿīn ol vilāyete memleket vāṣılken görmege geldi voyvodalıḳ sevdasında degildür diyü mektūb-ı şerīfiñüz vārid olmuş iken Nemçe ʿaskerі ḳoşulub veBalāj Yānoş daḫı oġlı ile ḫaylī ʿasker ḳoşub Erdel üzerine gönderdigin ʿināyet-i ḥaḳḳ ile laʿīn-i mezbūruñ ve bile-dirān-ı ʿasākir-i şeyātīn-zehrüñ ḥaḳḳlarından gelinüb ve ʿahde muḫālif bu vechle fesādından māʿādā ehl-i islāma esīr virüb muṭīʿ olmaḳ ḥīlesiyle Balāj Yānoş ḥiṣārı altına ehl-i islāmı daʿvet idüb ḳapulara düşürmege murādı olduġı ṭuyulduḳda ehl-i islām varmayub bir niçe defʿa naḳż-ıʿahd itdügi içün Muṣṭafā Paşa ḥażretleri varub melʿūnuñ ḥiṣārların alub gendüye gelen gūşmāli virmekle ḳalb-i şerīflerine bir miḳdār tesellī-i ḫāṭır müyesser olub ve eṭrāf ḳış olmaġla bu muḥibbiñüz daḫı fırṣat bulub ṭarafeynüñ reʿāyā vü berāyāsı dāʾimā pāy-māl olub saʿādetlü pādişāh ḥażretlerine vebāl ḥāṣıl olmasun diyü ḥüsn-i taʿbіr-i dil-peẕīr ile pāye-i serīr-i saʿādet-maṣīre ʿarż olınduḳda egerçi ḳalb-i şerīfleri ġazā vü cihāda māʾildür ammā ṣalāḥ u taḳvāları cümleye ġālib olduġı eclden ṭarafeynüñ reʿāyāsına merḥamet ve ṣulḥ u ṣalāḥa ruḫṣat-ı hümāyūnları ṣādır olub merḥūm ve maġfūrunleh babaları firdevs-āşiyān Sulṭān Selīm Ḫān muḳaddemā ve ṣoñra tercemān Maḥmūd ile irsāl buyurduḳları ʿahd-nāmeler üzere cevāb buyurub ʿahd-nāme-i hümāyūn yazılub ilçiñüz bu muḥibbiñüz dāʾimā ḫāṭır-ı şerīfıñüz içün ve ṭarafeynüñ reʿāyāsınuñ āsūde-ḥāl olmasıy-çün dīn-i islāma lāzım olduġı üzere saʿy u iḳdāmda ḳuṣūr ḳomazuz lākin sizüñ ṭarafıñuzdan ṣulḥ u ṣalāḥ u dostluḳ çendān riʿāyet olınmayub dāʾimā bizi tekẕīb idersiz ḫuṣūṣān bu ṭarafdan size nā-maʿḳūl nesne teklīf olınmamışdur ki ḥuṣūli müteʿaẕẕir ola evvelā ʿahd ü emāna muḫālif alınan ṭutsaḳlaruñ ḫalāṣı virilen ʿahd-nāme-i hümāyūn mūcebince ʿahde göre lāzım olub ve Pekeş Ġasbār ve Boġdan voyvoda daḫı ʿahde muġāyir ḳabūl olmamaḳ ve südde-i saʿādete irsāl olmaḳ ʿahd-nāme mūcebince lāzim idi eger Pekeş ve eger Boġdan varduḳları gibi efendileri āsitānesine gönderilmiş olsa şimdiye dek ber-murād olurlardı zirā niçe voyvodalara ḳrāllar deñile voyvodalıġı iḥsān olına gelmişdür Pekeş-i laʿīn ol diyāra memleket ve emlākına görmege geldi diyü virilen cevāb ʿacebdür ki meẕkūr Ḳara Eflāḳdur ol vilāyet ānuñ nice memleketidür ve Boġdan-ı laʿīn daḫı Erdel üzerine gelen eşḳiyā ile bile olduġı istimāʿ olınur ümīddür ki ol daḫı cezāsın bulmuş ola bize ve size lāyıḳ olan budur ki ʿahd ü emāna maʿhūd ve meşrūṭ olanlar riʿāyet olınub ṭarafeynüñ ehl-i fesādına ruḫṣat virilmeyüb ḫilāf-ı ʿahd ü emān iş idenlerüñ cezā vü sezāları virile ki sāʾir eşḳiyāya mūceb-i ʿibret olub herkes ferāġ-ı bāl ve ḥużūr-ı ḥāl ile kār u kesblerine iştiġāl üzere olalar ve Keyvān voyvoda Zirīn-oġlına esīr olub iki biñ yüz ġuruş behāʾya kesdüklerinden ṣoñra ḳavline ṭurmayub dört biñ behāʾya kesüb ve meẕkūr Keyvāna südde-i saʿādetten gendü ḫalāṣı içün virülen esīri dört biñ ġuruşa ḳabūl itmiş iken esīr gendüye vārduḳda biñ altı yüz ġuruşa ḳabūl iderin diyü taʿallül eyleyüb meẕkūr Keyvān ol esīrden mā-ʿadā dört at ve üç ḳır tāzī ve bir otaḳ ve dört ṭāḳ-ı serāser ve baʿz-ı esbāb daḫı Zirīn-oġlınagöndermişken gerü ḳarındaş ıṭlāḳ itmeyüb biñ beş yüz ġuruşla iki berāber at daḫı ṭaleb itdügi iʿlām olundı imdi cemіʿ-i edyānda ʿahde vefā itmemek cāʾiz olmaduġı maʿlūmuñuzdur aḥḳar-ı ümem cengāne ṭāʾifesi iken atlarıyla ḳavllerinden dönüşmege tenezzül itmez babası daḫı ʿahde muḫālif biñ florin alub eyledügi içün başı kesilüb ḳalʿası alınmışdur münāsib olan oldur ki muvālāt-ı ḳadīme muḳteżāsınca mezbūr Zirīn-oġlına tenbīh olına ki merḳūm Keyvān voyvodaya ʿahde muḫālif taʿaddī eylemeyüb taʿyīn itdügi behāʾsını virmişken esīri alıḳoyub daḫı ziyāde ṭaleb itmek münāsib nesne degildür mā-beynde olan ṣulḥa riʿāyet itmeyecek olursa ol daḫı babası gibi cezāsın bulmaḳ muḳadderdür ḫuṣūṣān ki vire muḥkem olmayıcaḳ min-bʿad iḫtilāfdan ḫālī olmaz meʾmūldür ki mā-beynde olan şerāʾiṭi ṣulḥ u ṣalāḥa riʿāyet olınmaġa saʿy olınub meẕkūr Keyvān voyvodanuñ daḫı aḥvālı ber-ṭaraf olmaḳ bābında envāʿ-ı mesāʿī-i cemīleñüz vücūda getürile taḥrīren fī evāsıṭ-ı Ramażān sene 983 Be-maḳām-ı Ḳosṭanṭiniyye

Laudable pride of the great commanders of Christendom, the elite of the illustrious magnates in the community of the Messiah, arbiter of the universal affairs of the community of the Nazarene, possessor of the trains of majesty and glory, possessor of manifestation of splendor and laudable pride, the emperor of Vienna, Germany, and Romans, King Maximilian – may he end his days propitiously. Following the presentation of blissful prayers and praises that are worthy of your empire and the true and mutual friendship between us, here is the friendly communication: Your envoy at the lofty threshold submitted a petition to our court and reported that you desire to maintain peace and amity between us for eight years as in the time of the late and blessed with mercy Sultan Selim Khan, may he rest in peace. The matter has been presented a few times to the foot of our throne of excellence. [In response,] the Sultan mentioned previous occurrences on your side that violated peace, including the cases of Ibrahim Agha, Kurd Agha, Süleyman Agha, Hasan Emin, and the butchers of Buda, as well as Jánoš Balassa and the Transylvanian affair, Gáspár Bekes, and the Voivode of Wallachia who, despite being our subject, was admitted to your presence in violation of the peace and was not returned to us. The Sultan added: “If they genuinely desired peace and amity, they would not have violated the treaty in this way. It is a talk among the envoys that since honoring the auspicious throne with our ascension to it, ghaza and holy war (jihad) always lingers in our minds. Let’s carry out a campaign into Rumelia.” The bravery, courage, sharpness, and calmness of our prosperous Ruler and the pleasure he takes in using the instruments of war and killing far exceeds that of his illustrious grandfathers. In particular, he came to power in his youth and his tendency for ghaza and holy war (jihad) knows no bounds. Therefore, he had given permission for a campaign. Meanwhile, your noble letter arrived, reporting that the cursed Gáspár, who rules over his own territories, came to you to see around; he did not come for his love for becoming a voivode. Yet, you rallied Habsburg troops, while Jánoš Balassa also assembled troops under the command of his son. And you sent these troops to Transylvania. By the grace of God, the cursed Gáspár and those troops, akin to poisonous devils, were punished. This was not the only act of his that violated peace; we heard that Jánoš Balassa planned to invite the troops of Islam to his fortress under the pretext of delivering slaves and entering the Sultan’s sovereignty. Yet, when the Muslim troops learned that his real goal was to capture them, they did not go for he also broke his pledge many times. Instead,Mustafa Pasha marched on him, captured his fortress , and punished him – which has been a consolation for the noble heart of theSultan. As it is winter, this friend of yours, to prevent the oppression of the flocks on both sides and to ensure that the Sultan is not held accountable for it, interpreted the affair favorably and presented it to the foot of the throne that is full of felicity. Though his noble heart tends toward ghaza and holy war (jihad), his righteousness and piety prevail over everything else. Consequently,he showed mercy on the subjects of both sides and issued his imperial permission to maintain peace and amity.He responded to you as per the letter of agreement formerly issued by his deceasedfather who dwells in paradise – Sultan Selim Khan, may he be forgiven – and the other letter of agreement that was dispatched with the translator Mahmud. An imperial letter of agreement was written [and handed] to your envoy . There will never be any error in the efforts and endeavors of thisfriend of yours for your noble sake and for the tranquility of the subjects on both sides – as also required by Islam. However, peace, amity, and friendship are not observed on your side much.You consistently contradict us. Not a single unreasonable proposition has been made to you by our side which is unattainable. First of all, the release of prisoners – who were captured in violation of peace and amity – is essential as per the imperial letter of agreement. Likewise, it was imperative not to receive Gáspár Bekes and the Voivode of Moldavia at your court. Instead, they had to be sent to the threshold of felicity as stipulated in the letter of agreement. If Bekes and the Voivode of Moldavia had been sent to the threshold of their master immediately upon their arrival to you, they would have been gratified; because many voivodes have been called kings, but their voivodeships have actually been bestowed upon them [by the sultan]. Your answer that the cursed Bekes came to that region to see around is unsettling. He is from Black Wallachia. How come that region is his country? How can Wallachia be considered his country? Concerning the cursed Voivode of Moldavia, the word is that he also joined the bandits who raided Transylvania. May it be that he too has found his punishment. What is appropriate for us and for you is that those who are committed to peace and treaty are respected, the mischief-makers on both sides are not shown any leniency, and those who act contrary to peace and treaty are punished and reprimanded. Thereby, it may serve as a lesson to other bandits, and everyone may engage in their work and pursuits with peace of mind and tranquility. Keyvan Voivode fell captive to Kont Miklós Zrínyi who set a price of two thousand kuruş for him. Later, Kont Miklós Zrínyi, broke his word, demanded four thousand kuruş. Eventually, for the release of the aforementioned Keyvan Voivode, Kont Miklós Zrínyi agreed to accept the captive sent from the threshold of felicity for four thousand kuruş. When the captive arrived,Kont Miklós Zrínyi again lowered the price, saying he would accept one thousand six hundred kuruş. Keyvan then sent the captive delivered to him to Kont Miklós Zrínyi, as well as four horses, three greyhounds, a tent with four columns, and some other items to Kont Miklós Zrínyi.[Kont Miklós Zrínyi] did not release [Keyvan Voivode] and asked for another thousand five hundred kuruş with two more horses. Now you know that failing to fulfill a promise is not acceptable in all religions. Even the lowest of the people, if they are a warrior tribe, will neither give up their horses nor go back on their word. [Kont Miklós Zrínyi’s] father, contrary to the treaty took a thousand florins for of which he was beheaded and his fortress was taken. It is hereby stated that, in accordance with ancient friendship,Kont Miklós Zrínyishall be warned that he should not oppress Keyvan violating the treaty. It is not appropriate to withhold the captive [sent from here] and demand more, even though Keyvan has paid the agreed ransom. If Kont Miklós Zrínyi does not adhere to the peace treaty, he will inevitably face the fate of his father. Especially, if his word is not reliable – from now on – he will not be spared from dispute. It is hoped that you strive to maintain peace and amity between us. Concerning the resolution of the affairs of Keyvan voivode, you shall exert your commendable efforts. Written in the second third of Ramazan, in the year 983 . The abode of Constantinople.