Letter of Sultan Mustafa II to Emperor Leopold I, Constantinople, n.d. (ca. 1699)

426 151 Ṭaraf-ı Devlet-i ʿAliyyeden Nemçe çāsārına gönderilen nāme-i hümāyūn-ı şevket-maḳrūndur iftiḥārü’l-ümerāʾi’l-ʿiẓāmi’l-ʿīseviyye muḫtārü’l-küberāʾi’l-fiḫāmi’l-mesīḥiyye, muṣliḥu maṣāliḥi cemāhīri’ṭ-ṭāʾifeti’n-Naṣrāniyye sāḥibü eẕyāli’l-ḥaşmet ve’l-veḳār ṣāḥibü delāʾili’l-mecd ve’l-iftiḫār dostumuz Romā imperātorı Liyobūldūs ḫutimet ʿavāḳibühū bi’l-ḫayr ve’r-reşād ve aḥsene ileyhi sebīle’ṣ-ṣavāb ve’s-sedād tevḳīʿ-i refīʿ-i hümāyūn vāṣıl olıcak mạʿlūm ola ki vedāyiʿ-i ḫālıḳı’l-berāyā olan reʿāyā ve berāyā ve ʿaceze ve żuʿafā ve fuḳarāya merḥameten tanẓīm-i umūr-ı bilād ve terfīyye-i aḥvāl-i ʿibād içün sevḳ-i taḳdīr-i rabbi’l-enām ile ṭarafeynden meyl ü raġbet olunub biñ yüz on Recebinüñ evāḫirinde vükelā-yı ṭarafeyn arasında ṣulḥ ü ṣalāḥ-ı ḫayr-encām inʿiḳād ve ḥüsn-i ḫitām bulub alınub virilen temessükātda mesṭūr ve muḳayyed olan şurūṭ ve ḳuyūd bi’l-cümle maḳbūl-i cānibeyn olmaġın ābāʾ-i kirām ve ecdād-ı ʿiẓāmımuz enāra’llāhu teʿālā berāhīnehum ile eslāf-ı muṣādaḳat-ittiṣāfuñuz beyninde ḳadīmīden cārī olan mihr-i dād ve muṣāfāt ve ittiḥād temhīd ve ḳadīmīden riʿāyet olunan uslūb-ı merġūb üzere ṭarafeynden ʿuhūd nāmeler daḫı irṣāl ve īṣāl mebānī-yi ʿahd ve mīs̱āḳ teşyīd ve mābeyninde olan ḳadīmī dostluḳ tecdīd ve teʾkīd olunmuşdur bināʾen-ʿaleyh ʿahdnāme-i hümāyūnumuzda taʿyīn ve taṣrīḥ olunduġı üzere mābeynde münʿaḳıd olan ṣulḥ ü ṣalāḥ ve maḥabbet ve meveddet merāsimini muʿtād-ı ḳadīm ve lāyıḳ-ı devlet-i ṭarafeyn olan vech üzere tekmīl ü tetmīm içün büyük ilçiler daḫı gelüb gidüb derūnda olan ḥubb ve velā ẓāhir ve hüveydā olunması lāzım ve mühimm görilüb büyük ilçiñüz serḥadd-i manṣūre cānibine müteveccih olmaġın ṭaraf-ı Devlet-i ʿAliyyemüzden daḫı sābıḳā baḥr-ı siyāhda donanma-ı hümāyūnumuzuñ serdārı olub Rūm-ili beglerbegiligi pāyesi olan emīrü’l-ümerā’-i’l-kirām kebīrü’l-küberāʾ-i’l-fi̇ḫām ẕu’l-ḳadr ve’l-iḥtirām İbrāhīm Paşa dāmet meʿālīhi büyük ilçilik ile taʿyīn ve irsāl olunmışdur muʿtād-ı ḳadīm üzere ilçiler mübādele olunub mūmā ileyh ilçiñüz āsitāne-i saʿādetümüze ve ṭaraf-ı hümāyūnumuzdan münbaʿis̱ olan ilçi-i müşārün ileyh cānibiñüze müteveccih ve revāne olub in-şāa’llāhu teʿālā işbu nāme-i maḥabbet-meşḥūnumuzla vuṣūl bulduḳda icrā-yı merāsim-i muʿtāde ile mābeynde müceddeden münʿaḳıd ve maḳbūl olan dostluḳ ke-mā yenbaġī ḳavī ve ber-ḳarār ve müstaḥkem ve üstüvār olub taʿyīn olunan müddet içinde şerāʾiṭ-i ahd u peymān ṭarafeynden riʿāyet ve ṣıyānet olunmaġla Allāhu teʿālā ḥażretlerinüñ ʿināyetiyle dostluḳ ve ḳoñşuluḳ ḥaḳḳı yirine gelüb ās̱ār-ı ḥasene ve muʿāmelāt-ı mustaḥsene günden güne izdiyād bulub iki ṭarafuñ ʿizzet ve maḥabbetine lāyıḳ fevāʾid-i vāfire ve menāfīʿ-i mütekās̱ire ʿāyid ve rāciʿ olur müşārün ileyh büyük ilçimüz meʾmūr olduġı üzere merāsim-i risāleti tekmīl ve ḫıdemāt-ı sefāreti tetmīm eyledikden ṣoñra lāyıḳ-ı ṭarafeyn olan vech üzere cānib-i hümāyūnumuza ʿavd u inṣirāf itdirilmek meʾmūldür

This is the glorious imperial letter sent from the Sublime State to the ceasar of Austria. To the laudable pride of the great commanders of Christendom, the elite among the illustrious magnates in the community of the Messiah, arbiter of universal affairs for the community of Nazarenes, possessor of majesty and glory, and manifestor of splendor and reverence, our friend, the [Holy] Roman Emperor Leopold—may God grant him an auspicious end on the righteous path and inspire him toward good deeds and righteousness. May it be known as my sublime sultanic signature arrives: Out of mercy for the creator’s entrusted subjects, both the tax-paying and non-tax-paying, as well as for the weak, the destitute, and the poor, and through the guidance of the Lord of all beings, representatives of both sides came together with mutual desire and inclination to organize the affairs of the lands and improve the conditions of the people. Consequently, in the final third of the month of Recep in the year 1110, representatives of both sides gathered to conclude an auspicious peace and reconciliation, which was achieved in a harmonious settlement. The terms and conditions set forth in the exchanged protocols were fully accepted by both parties. [Thus,] the long-established tradition of love for justice, amity, and harmony, which has existed since ancient times between our honored forefathers—may God Almighty illuminate their proofs—and your righteous predecessors, has been secured on a sure foundation. The letters of agreement were also dispatched and delivered by both sides, as per the desirable methods of past. Thus, the foundations of the pact and covenant were strengthened, and the longstanding friendship between us was renewed and confirmed. Therefore, as stipulated in our imperial letter of agreement, the ceremonies of peace, reconciliation, affection, and love established between both parties are to be completed and perfected in a manner befitting both states, as was the ancient custom. In this regard, it is deemed necessary and important that ambassadors come and go between us, to clearly manifest the friendship and mutual alliance that exist between our states. Accordingly, upon the news of your ambassador setting out towards our victorious borders, İbrahim Pasha, formerly the commander of our imperial fleet in the Black Sea, and now given the honorary title of Rumelian Governor, a commander of dignified commanders and a great among the illustrious—may his eminence endure— was appointed as ambassador on behalf of our Sublime State, and he has already set out on his journey. As per the established custom, the ambassadors will be exchanged at the border, and while your ambassador proceeds toward our felicitous capital, the ambassador appointed by us will set out toward your lands. God willing, when he arrives with the present letter, the friendship recently reaffirmed and accepted between us will, through the performance of the usual ceremonies, as before, be firm, enduring, and strong. The terms of the treaty, as outlined, will be observed and protected by both sides for the specified duration. With the help of God Almighty, the requirements of friendship and neighborly relations will be upheld, and through good works and favorable actions, they will continue to grow stronger day by day, bringing abundant and increasing benefits to both parties, in a manner befitting the honor and affection of our two sides. It is our wish that once our aforementioned ambassador has completed his diplomatic mission and fulfilled the duties of his ambassadorship, he will be returned to us in a manner befitting both sides.