Kolodziejczyk Dariusz. The Crimean Khanate and Poland-Lithuania (ENG)

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774 document 34 (14 february–14 march 1592)

Yet, when King Augustus had died, as he had le no son to reign over

Poland, the Polish kingdom remained without a king for twelve years;

[dur-

ing that period] the Polish palatines [voyvodalar], lords,

and town command-

ers

did not restrain and hold the thieves and robbers, living in the kingdom,

but [instead] they provisioned them and gave them ships, so that [the latter]

arrived at the Dnieper river, captured Tatar cowherds, and drove away Tatar

cattle and horses; thereaer, King Stephan, from the household of Hungarian

kings, became the king of Poland; as he protected the Christian cossacks who

dwelled on the Dnieper river and who were thieves and robbers, the cossack

robbers and thieves multiplied and [began to] set out from the Dnieper river;

as it became apparent how much harm and damage they caused to poor shep-

herds, cowherds, and merchants [herding and traveling] between the towns of

His Excellency, the sovereign, the illustrious and prosperous padishah: Djanker-

man [i.e., Očakiv], situated on the Dnieper’s shore, as well as Akkerman and

Bender, our late father, Devlet Giray Khan, our elder brothers, the khans,

as well as myself, the princes [sultans], and small groups [beş-baş]

of Tatar

cossacks have been raiding Poland each year and each winter; the reason that

made [our] two countries mutual enemies were the Christian cossacks who

dwelled on the Dnieper river and who were robbers and thieves.

Now, the son of the king of Sweden, our brother King Sigismund, who is the

king of Poland, sent to our prosperous gate [i.e., Porte] his great envoy Bronio-

wski

along with his gis [ bölek hazinesi];

as they proposed that according

to the formerly observed peace, companionship, friendship, and aection there

should be [again] peace and companionship between our two countries, and

merchants, while going securely and returning safely, should not experience any

harm or damage from anybody, the sent gis [ bölek hazinesi] were looked at

favorably, taken and accepted.

And we are going to keep friendship, aection, peace, and companionship

with our brother Sigismund on the following conditions: they [i.e., the king]

should banish all the Christian cossacks who are dwelling on the Dnieper river

In fact the Polish interregna lasted much shorter: from the death of Sigismund

Augustus till the accession of Henry de Valois (1572–1573), from the departure of

the latter to France till the coronation of Stephan Báthory (1574–1576), and from the

death of Stephan Báthory till the coronation of Sigismund III Vasa (1586–1587).

e Turkish term panlar (in plural) derives from the Polish pan.

e term kermen bekleri (lit. “beys of towns”) apparently refers to the starostas.

I.e., Mehmed II Giray (r. 1577–1584) and Islam II Giray (r. 1584–1588).

Lit. “[a group of ] ve heads.”

Marcin Broniowski (alias Broniewski), a courtier and secretary of King Stephan

Báthory, sent ve times in embassy to the Crimea in 1578 (twice), 1584, 1587, and

1591; his rst two embassies resulted in his famous description of the Crimea, pub-

lished in 1595; see Martini Broniovii de Biezdzfedea bis in Tartariam nomine Stephani

primi Poloniae regis legati Tartariae descriptio (Cologne, 1595); cf. his biography by

Kazimierz Chodynicki in PSB, vol. 2 (Cracow, 1936), pp. 461–462; on the uncertain

dating of his fourth embassy, see Skorupa, Stosunki polsko-tatarskie, p. 59.

On the term bölek (“gi”), cf. Document 20, n. 32; hazine means “treasure.” e

whole expression is translated here as “gis.”

document 34 (14 february–14 march 1592) 775

and are robbers and thieves, and they should expel them from the Dnieper

river, they should restrain and hold them. Also, each year they should send the

gis [ bölek hazinesi] that used to be sent [previously], and according to our

they should send presents [tiyiş]

to our dependants along

with the gis. Moreover, along with the gis [ bölek hazinesi], they should also

send sixty pieces [postaws]

of cloth to our brother Feth Giray Sultan, who

is the qalga sultan. And they should also send presents [tiyiş] to [his] twelve

dependants.

If they [i.e., the king] give and send the gis along with the presents in this

fashion, and expel all the Christian cossacks from the Dnieper river, so that

no one remains, there will be peace, companionship, friendship, and aection;

while I personally, Ghazi Giray Khan, and—to begin with the qalga sultan—

all the older and younger princes [sultans], beys, and mirzas, along with our

Tatar troops, should likewise let nobody set out to raid, burn, destroy, or com-

mit harm and damage [to your country], and provided that you, our brother

Sigismund, keep this engagement [‘ahd] and stipulation [şart], by God, with

God, and through God, we will be a friend to your friend and an enemy to

your enemy.

Also, if a small group [beş-baş] of cossacks sets out, raids villages

under

your hand, and abducts captives, I, your brother Ghazi Giray Khan, will take

the abducted captives and send them back; and we will severely punish [such]

perpetrators of small raids [beş-baş]

and cossacks.

[But] if you do not expel the Christian cossacks, dwelling on the Dnieper

river, and if they commit any harm or damage to Tatar cowherds and cattle,

you, our brother Sigismund, should know that there will be no friendship,

Such a register (deer), sent by Ghazi II Giray to Sigismund III, is preserved

in the Polish archives (see AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 65, t. 124, no. 700). It is dated

1 Shaban 996 A.H. (26 June 1588) and lists the khan himself along with his mother

and four wifes, the qalga, the nureddin, and further—male and female—Giray fam-

ily members as well as a few dozen of court and retinue members. It is not certain

whether the khan refers here to the above register, or to a more recent one, composed

in 1592 and not preserved.

In the given context the term bölek hazinesi (see n. 14 above) refers to the tribute

sent to the khan while the term tiyiş to the presents for his retinue. For the discussion

of the term tiyiş (or teš’ in the Russian sources), see Aleksandr Samojlovič, “Tijiš’ (tiš’)

i drugie terminy krymsko-tatarskix jarlykov,” Izvestija Rossijskoj Akademii Nauk, 6

series, vol. 11 (1917): 1277–1278; Mária Ivanics, “Entstehung und Quellenwert der

krimtatarischen tiyiş deers,” p. 109; Matuz, Krimtatarische Urkunden, p. 12; Anna

Xoroškevič, Rus’ i Krym, pp. 240–242.

Postaw was a measure unit for cloth in Poland; according to the ocial tax reg-

ulations issued in 1565, a postaw of imported English cloth should have measured

40×3 ells, while a postaw of domestic cloth 30×2 ells; cf. Document 26, n. 5; this

measure unit was also common in the Ottoman Empire and known as pastav; cf.

Inalcık, “Introduction to Ottoman metrology,” Turcica. Revue d’études turques 15

(1983): 311–348, esp. p. 328.

e Tatar term sala (earlier sela) derives from the Ruthenian selo (sela in plural).

Lit. “[a raid committed by] ve heads.”

776 document 34 (14 february–14 march 1592)

aection, peace, or companionship, and [our] two countries will be neither

strong nor safe.

And [yet], if you, our brother Sigismund, expel the Christian cossacks dwell-

ing on the Dnieper river, your common subjects, dwelling on the shore of the

Dnieper, may come and buy

salt from our salines from our intendant [emin],

and go [free]. Merchants may go securely and return safely [both] to the king-

dom of yours, our brother Sigismund, and to our kingdom, without being

afraid or annoyed.

Now, in the sight of your great envoy, Broniowski, we have sworn, stipulated

and engaged, we have stamped this ‘ahdname, our noble imperial yarlıq, with

the golden nişan-like seal, and we have sent our courtier [içki bek] and vizier

Qasım as our great envoy, so that he may communicate to you, our brother

Sigismund, our present oath, stipulation, and engagement.

Also, if you, our brother Sigismund, mount a horse against your Muscovian

enemy and you ask me, your brother Ghazi Giray Khan, to assist you with the

Tatar troops, you should send me an allowance in orins so that I may give it

to my troops and send them against your enemy.

Also, you should not detain longer than two months our great envoy, who

arrives from the side of ours, your brother Ghazi Giray Khan, but you should

quickly send him back to us, your brother, along with gis [ bölek hazinesi] and

presents [tiyiş]. We, too, should not detain longer than two months your great

envoy, who comes to us from the side of yours, our brother King Sigismund, but

we should quickly send him to you, our brother, King Sigismund.

Now, our brother King Sigismund, you should know that if you do not expel

your cossacks from the Dnieper river and do not restrain and hold them, and

if they commit any harm to the cowherds and cattle of ours, your brother, or

if they commit any harm or damage to the towns and subjects [re‘aya] of His

Excellency, the sovereign, the illustrious and prosperous padishah, there will

be no friendship, aection, peace, or companionship, the subjects

of the two

countries will experience trouble and you will be also shamed by His Excel-

lency, the sovereign, the illustrious padishah. [Hence] it is necessary to keep this

engagement, stipulation, and oath;

—such is the tenor of the ‘ahdname, the noble imperial yarlıq, that has been

written in the month Djumada I from among the months of the year 1000, in

the place of Alma Saray,

the imperial abode.

[seal] Ghazi Giray Khan, son of Devlet Giray Khan

Lit. “buy for their aspers [aqças].”

Tur. re‘aya ve beraya, a bureaucratic formula used in the Ottoman chancery.

One of the khan’s residences, situated to the north of Baghchasaray on the Alma

river; later known as Almakerman or Almakermen; see Jankowski, Historical-Etymo-

logical Dictionary, pp. 158–161.

In the middle of the seal there is the trident-shaped emblem of the Girays (taraq

tamġa).

DOCUMENT 35 (14 FEBRUARY–14 MARCH 1592)

e [oath-]yarlıq sent by Khan Ghazi II Giray to King Sigismund III

[Facs. IV]

Original paper

document in Turkish (Crimean Tatar mixed with Ottoman

Turkish): AGAD, AKW, Dz. tat., k. 65, t. 125, no. 701.

125 × 30 cm. (3 sheets glued together)

invocation (black): nesih script

proto-tuġra (gold): divani script

text (black with gold insertions, ornamented with scattered golden triple

dots): divani script

the black almond-like seal of Ghazi II Giray (1.7 cm. in height) is impressed

at the bottom

Published in Materialy dlja istorii Krymskago xanstva, pp. 13–18.

Hüve

Ebü`l-feth el-ġazi Ġazi Gėrey Han sözüm

[1] Uluġ ulusnıng ve köb Rusnıng ve Prusnıng ve İlehning ve Mazavşnıng ve

Milyanıng ve Qraqovnıng ve barça qrıstyanlarınıng

[2] uluġ qrıstyan padişahı qarındaşımız Zigmut qıral köbdin köb selam-i

merfu‘ dėgeç yahşımısız ve hoşmısız dėb

haliŋiz ve hatırıŋız sorġanmızdın

song

[3] i‘lam-i yarlıġ-i şerif-i muhabbet-i haqani oldur kim eger biz qarındaşıŋız

sarı sorar bolsaŋız el-hamdü li`llah memleketimiz emin-aman bolub

barça çerüvmüz tüz ve yasanlı

[4] hoş-hal bilgeysiz hala siz Zigmut qarındaşımız bilmiş bolsun kim mundın

burun mėn Ġazi Gėrey Han köblik ve sansız Deşt-i Qıpçaqnıng

[5] uluġ padişahınıng uluġ atamuz uçmaqlıq Haci Gėrey Hannıng hanlıqları

çaġındın rahmetliq babamuz Devlet Gėrey Hannıng

[6] hanlıqları zamanıġa kėlgince İleh qıralları bolġan Zigmut qıral ve Ahust

qıral qarındaşlarımız dost ve muhabbet ve barış yarış bolub ėki curtnıng

[7] arasında öksüz oġul ve tul hatun ve yırtca yarlılar başlarınga altun tac

urub yürür bolsalar kim kimesnedin zarar ve ziyan körmey

[8] ve asla meci-i bazarganlar ėki curtnıng arasında emin varub ve aman

kelib padişahlarġa alqışlar qıla turur ėrdiler ve taqı hanlar

[9] ve sultanlar çerüv birlen qıral qarındaşlarımız memleketlerin çabmay ve

aqın qılmay turur ėrdiler eger beş-baş Tatar qazaqları yürütüb barub

On the paper, on which this document is issued, see Document 34, n. 1.

It can be also read deyib.

778 document 35 (14 february–14 march 1592)

[10] qarındaşlarımıznıng memleketlerin esir çıqarub Qırım memleketiġe

kėltürseler Qırım hanları ve sultanlar qayta yiberirler ėrdiler ve eger

satub

[11] bazarganlar esirni satun alub İstanbula alub barsalar devletluġ uluġ

padişah hündkar hazretlerining hükm-i şerieri birle esirni bazargandan

[12] tartıb alub qayta yiberirler ėrdiler Ahust qıral qarındaşımız ölgendin

song İleh memleketiġe bolur oġlı qalmay barça İleh memleketi

[13] on ėki yıl çaqlı qıralsız ve padişahsız qalıb turġanda qırġavda

bolġan

qrıstyan voyvodaları ve panları ve kermen biylikleri hırsuz ve harami

[14] bolġan qrıstyan qazaqların tirkemey ve zabt qılmay azıq ve kemiler

vėrüp

Özü suyıġa yiberüp Tatarnıng tuvarcısın ve tuvarın alġanlarındın

[15] song devletluġ uluġ padişah erkli kişi hündkar hazretlerining qırġav ker-

menleri bolġan Cankermen ve Aqkermen ve Bender kermeni aralarında

yürügen

[16] qoyların ve tuvarların ve yılqıların alub müslümanlarġa zarar ve ziyanları

üçün iki curt biri biringe düşman bolub uçmaqlıq babamuz Devlet

Gėrey Han

[17] ve aġacalarımız hanlar ve mėn Ġazi Gėrey Han ve uluġ kiçik sultanlar ve

Tatar qazaqları ve beş-başları barub İleh curtın çabub yaqub yıqub

[18] harab ėdüb ve qrıstyan kişilerin köblik esir ėdüb kėltürgenleringe harami

ve hırsuz qrıstyan qazaqları Tatarnıng burundın örüşi ve qışlavı

[19] olan Özü suyındın kėtmegenleri sebeb olunmuşdur ve taqı qarındaşımız

bilmiş bolsun kim qrıstyan harami hırsuz qazaqlarıŋız Özü suyındın

[20] çıqmay Özü suyındın barub devletluġ uluġ padişah ayamuz erkli kişi

hündkar hazretlerining kermenleri arasında yürügen qoycı ve tuvarcı

yarlı

[21] faqirlerin incidüb üşendirgenlerin padişah hündkar hazretleri bilüb

qahrġa kėlib men Ġazi Gėrey Hanġa hükm-i şerierin çavuşları birlen

yiberib

[22] manga düşman bolub memleketimge zarar ve ziyan yetkürgen İleh

memleketi qrıstyanlarınıng halin ve aslın yahşı bilürsün senki

[23] Deşt-i Qıpçaq hanı Ġazi Gėrey Hansın qapum qullarındın köblik

qullarım ve toplar ve zarbuzanlar ve yengiçeriler ve Urum-ėli paşasın

ve Anadolı paşasın

[24] barça köblik çerüvni sanga qoşub yiberirmin İleh memleketin yaqub ve

yıqub ve zabt olunur uluġ şehirlerin ve kermenlerin alub içine

[25] kişiler qoyub zabt ėtkeysiz dėb hündkar hazretleri buyurmışlar ėrdiler

men Ġazi Gėrey Han qarındaşıŋız taqı bulay sözüm söz ve cevab

[26] qılıb devletluġ padişah hündkar hazretleringe kaġıdım yiberüb bildirdim

ki Ahust qıral ölgendin song İleh memleketi on ėki yıl qıralsız

[27] turub memleket tirkevsiz ve zabtsız olunġan üçün Özü suyına kelüb

zarar ve ziyan ėderler ėrdi ve on ėki yıldın song Macar qırallarındın

[28] İştfan qıral İleh memleketiġe qıral olub Macar qıralları burun ve

burundın devletluġ padişah hündkar hazretlerining eski düşmanları

e term qırġav probably refers to the borderland; see also verse [15].

It can be also read gemiler.

document 35 (14 february–14 march 1592) 779

[29] olġanları üçün Özü suyında bolġan qrıstyan qazaqların tirkemey artuġıyla

harami ve hırsuz qazaq köblik boldılar hala bundın burun İleh

[30] memleketi qıralı bolub ölgen Ahust qıralnıng çyanları ki İsveşke qıral

qarındaşımıznıng oġlı Zigmut qarındaşımız İleh memleketiġe qıral

boldılar taqı kėlmey

[31] ve qıral tahtıġa keçmey bu kün yarın kelüb tahta keçüb devletleriyle qıral

olurlar Zigmut qarındaşımız kėlib qıral tahtıġa keçkendin song harami

ve hırsuz

[32] Özü suyında olġan barça qrıstyan qazaqların Özü suyındın çıqardub

burunġı Zigmut ve Ahust qırallardın köblik devletluġ padişah hündkar

[33] ve mėn Ġazi Gėrey Han qarındaşlarınga dostluq ve muhabbet ve barış

ve yarış ve qarındaşlıqnı yahşı qılarlar ve devletluġ padişah hündkar

hazretlerige

[34] ve mėn Ġazi Gėrey qarındaşlarıga ‘adet olan bölek hazinesin her yıl

artuġıyla yiberüb dost ve muhabbet ve qarındaş ve barış ve yarış bolub

curtlar padişahlar

[35] devletlerinde emin-aman bolub yarlı faqirler zarar ve ziyan körmey du‘a

ve alqış qılarlar tėb devletluġ padişah erkli kişi hündkar hazretleringe

bildirübmin

[36] devletluġ padişah hündkar hazretleri mėn Ġazi Gėreyning bu sözni

yahşı kördiler imdi sen qarındaşımız Zigmut bilmiş bolsun kim Özü

suyı içinde

[37] bolġan harami ve hırsuz qrıstyan qazaqların bir qazaq Özü suyında

qomay çıqarġaysın yahşı yasaq ve tirkev ėtkeysin ve taqı mėn Ġazi Han

[38] qarındaşıŋızga bölek hazinesin her yıl tutqar qılmay berib yibe[r]geysin

ve deer ėtken kişilerimüzning tiyiş bernesin eksiksiz yibergeysin

[39] ve taqı qaġılqa sultanımız bolġan qarındaşımız qaġılqa Feth Gėrey Sul-

tan her yıl altmış postaf çekmen bölek hazinesiyle yibergeysin imdi

[40] sėn ki Zigmut qıral qarındaşımızsız Özü suyında fesad ėtken hırsuz ve

harami qrıstyan qazaqlarıŋıznı barçasın Özü suyından çıqarub

[41] tirkeb qoycı ve tuvarcımuz zarar ve ziyan qıldırmay ve şartımuz üzerine

bölek hazinesin ve tiyişlerin berir bolsaŋız ve qaġılqa sultan

[42] Fethi Gėrey Sultan qarındaşımızga her yıl altmış postaf çekmen ve on

ėki kişisiġe tiyiş berür bolsaŋuz vallahi ve billahi ve tallahi mėn ki özüm

Ġazi Gėrey Han

[43] uluġ sansız Deşt-i Qıpçaqnıng uluġ hanımėn ve qaġılqa sultan Fethi

Gėrey Sultan başlıq ve nureddin sultan uluġ kiçik sultanlar

[44] çerüvmiz birlen sen qarındaşımız Zigmutnıng İleh ve sair mem-

leketleringe barmasmız ve çabmasmız ve yaqub yıġmasmız ve esir

qılmasmız

[45] dėb içki ve tışqı ve uluġ qarayçı ve ulan keyan ve bek ve mirza çınlıq

üzerinde ant ve şart ėdüb ve Branovski

uluġ ėlçiŋiz birlen taqı

Written with a nal Arabic he (ﻪﻜﺳﻮﻧاﺮﺑ); its ending can be read—ki as in the

word ki (

ﻪﻛ ) .

780 document 35 (14 february–14 march 1592)

[46] yibergengiz bölek hazinesin hoş körüb alub qabul qıldım ve Branovski

uluġ ėlçiŋiz körünçe ‘ahd qıldıq ve ‘ahdnamemizni taqı yazub ve ant

ve şart

[47] qılıb siz qarındaşımız Zigmut qıral huzurlarınga yiberdim eger qrıstyan

qazaqlarıŋıznıng barçasın Özü suyındın çıqmay ve çıqarmay

[48] zabt ve tirkev qılmas bolsaŋız hazine bölek yibermek ile dost ve qarındaş

ve muhabbet ve barış ve yarış olunmas Tėngri kimge berür bolsa ol

alur

[49] ve taqı şart üzerine turub qazaqlarıŋızdan tuvarcılarımızga zarar ve ziyan

olmay Özü suyından çıqarır bolsaŋız Qırım vilayeti qazaqları

[50] barub İleh memleketindin esir kėltürür bolsalar esirleri tutub ciberirmiz

ve qazaq ve beş-başlarınıng haqlarındın kėlürmüz ve dostuŋızġa dost

[51] ve düşmanıŋız[ġa] düşman bolurmız ve taqı sen Zigmut qarındaşımız

bilmiş bolsun kim Masqov memleketi begi olan Yivan oġlu kenaz Fodor

mėn Ġazi Gėrey Han

[52] Deşt-i Qıpçaq hanıġa kaġıdın ve ėlçisin yiberüb ve bölek hazinesin tondan

ve aqçadın köb nime göndürüb bu kündin song ėkev dost ve barış yarış

[53] bolalıq ve her yıl otuz kerre yüz biŋ nuqrat aqçasın ve naqd bölek hazi-

nesin birlen berüb yibermin tėb söz qılmış ėrdi siz Zigmut qıral

[54] qarındaşımızdan dostluq ėdüb bölek hazinesin vėrürmiz tėb Hocam

Berdi tilmaçı yibergengizde Masqov ėlçi ve sözin qabul ėtmeyüb ve böle-

kin hoş körmey

[55] Hocam Berdi tilmaçı közünce Masqov ėlçisin tutdurub zindanġa saldırub

habs qıldırdım ve Qırım çerüvi ve Noġay çerüvi ve Çerkes qullarım

çerüvi

[56] barça üçyüz biŋ çerüv birlen Masqov tahta varub yolda qoyġan çerüvin

ve qaraġulun qırub öldürdüb tahtın bilge yaqub ve yıqub ve esirin ve

malin

[57] kėltürüb el-hamdü li`llah barça çerüvmiz saġ-esen keldik şöyle bilgeysin

inşa’a`llahu ta’ala evvel baharda yaz olduqda taqı çerüvmiz ile varub

[58] çabub cavlarımız sėn Zigmut qarındaşımızdın

köblik dilek qılarmız

sefer ve çerüv harcı üçün biz Ġazi Gėrey Han qarın daşıŋızga yoq

[59] dėmey beş biŋ lori harçlıq çıqarub burun kėlgen bizim ve sizning

çapqunlarımızdın qaldırmay cibergeysin

[60] burun bolġan hanlarġa ve uçmaqlıq aġacamuz Mehmed Gėrey Hanġa

beş biŋ lori sefer harcı üçün qıral qarındaşlarımız vėrgenlerdir

[61] sėn Zigmut qıral dahi yoq dėmey beş biŋ lorini vėrüb tėz-oq çapqunlar

ile burun cibergeysin hala siz

[62] Zigmut qıral qarındaşımız birlen bolġan dostluq ve muhabbet ve barış

ve yarış ve qarındaşlıqımıznı siz Zigmut qıral qarındaşımızga berir aytıb

bildirmek üçün

[63] uluġ içki begimiz bolub vezirimiz bolġan yahşı kişimiz Qasım Bekni

uluġ ėlçi biyimüz qılub sėn Zigmut qıral qarındaşımıznıng huzurlarınga

ciberdim

Apparently written in gold by mistake.

document 35 (14 february–14 march 1592) 781

[64] tėti ve bahşısı birlen Tėngri berse savlıq ve esenliq birlen barġanda taqı

öz sözlerimizi taqı sorar bolsaŋız barçasın aytıb sėn Zigmut

[65] qıral qarındaşımızga aytıb bildirirler inşa’a`llah kėlürde savlıq ve

esenlıqıŋıznı mėn qarındaşıŋız Ġazi Gėrey Hanġa bildirgeysiz kim

süyünüb ve könenib

[66] dostuŋızga dost ve düşmanıŋızġa düşman bolub köb yıllar barış ve yarış

ve muhabbet ve tatuv-i qarındaş bolġanmız birlen ėki curtımız emin-

aman bolub

[67] yarlı faqirler ėkev qarındaş padişahġa alqış ertüre turġaylar teyü aġır

selam ve yingil bölek birlen yarlıġ-i şerif-i muhabbet-i haqani bitildi

[68] ve`s-selam ‘ala men ittaba‘a`l-Hüda  şehri Cemaziyi`l-evvel min şuhuri

seneti biŋ yılında tarihining

Alma Sarayında bitildi

Ġazi Gėrey Han bin Devlet Gėrey Han

Translation:

He!

[proto-tuġra] e conqueror and ghazi, Ghazi Giray Khan: my word:

Great Christian emperor [padişah] of the great people [ulus], of many [lands]

of Ruthenia, Prussia, Poland, Mazovia, Sandomierz,

and Cracow, and of all

Christians, our brother King Sigismund! Having expressed great many exalted

salutations, and aer we have inquired about your condition and health by

asking: “do you feel well?” and “are you doing well?,” the message of the noble

yarlıq [full] of imperial aection is that:

If you address the [same] question to us, your brother, you should be pleased

to know that—thank God!—our kingdom [memleket] is strong and safe, and

all our army is in good order and ready.

Now, our brother Sigismund, you should know that formerly, from the age

of the reign of Hadji Giray Khan, the great heavenly [i.e., residing in heaven]

ancestor of mine, Ghazi Giray Khan, [who am] the great padishah of the

numerous and countless [inhabitants of the] Kipchak Steppe, until the time

of the reign of Devlet Giray Khan, our late father, the kings of Poland, our

brothers King Sigismund and King Augustus, remained in friendship, aection,

peace, and companionship [with our ancestors], [and] if an orphan, a widow,

or ragged beggars were to travel between the two countries wearing golden

crowns on their heads, they would not experience any harm or damage from

Text of the seal.

In the Turkish text Milya, apparently a corrupt rendering of Sandomiria, the Latin

name of Sandomierz.

782 document 35 (14 february–14 march 1592)

anybody; and by no means [did anything disturb] the arrival of merchants,

who traveled securely and returned safely, constantly praising the rulers.

Also the khans and princes [sultans] along with their troops did not raid

or attack the kingdoms of our brothers, the kings; and even when the Tatar

cossacks committed a small raid [ beş-baş],

abducted captives from the king-

doms of our brothers and drove them to the Crimean kingdom [memleket],

the Crimean khans and princes sent [these captives] back. And when they [i.e.,

the Tatar cossacks] sold them to merchants, who purchased the captives and

took them to Istanbul, upon the noble orders of His Excellency, the sovereign,

the illustrious great padishah [i.e., the Ottoman sultan], aer examination the

captives were taken from the merchants and sent back.

Aer our brother, King Augustus had died leaving no son to [rule] the Polish

kingdom, the whole Polish kingdom remained without a king or an emperor

[padishah] for twelve years;

[during that period] the Christian palatines

[voyvodalar], lords,

and town commanders,

[residing] in the borderland,

did

not restrain and hold the Christian cossacks, who were thieves and robbers, but

provisioned them, gave them ships, and sent them to the Dnieper river; aer

[the cossacks] captured cowherds and cattle of the Tatars, they [also] captured

sheep, cattle, and horses moving [i.e., grazing] between the borderland towns

of His Excellency, the sovereign, the illustrious great padishah, the master of

power: Djankerman [i.e., Očakiv], Akkerman, and Bender; and because of the

harm and damage done to the Muslims there has been mutual enmity between

the two countries; [hence] our heavenly father, Devlet Giray Khan, our elder

brothers, the khans,

and I, Ghazi Giray Khan, and the older and younger

princes [sultans], and the Tatar cossacks and small groups [beş-baş],

have

been setting out and raiding, burning, destroying, and ruining Poland, and

taking many Christians as captives; the reason that made them [i.e., us] enter

[Poland] were the raids of the Christian cossacks—robbers and thieves, from

the Dnieper river—the ancient pastureland and wintering area of the Tatars.

Also, our brother, you should know that as Christian robbers and thieves,

your cossacks, without having gone out from the Dnieper river, set out from the

Dnieper river,

injuring and annoying the poor and miserable from among the

Lit. “[a raid committed by] ve heads.”

In fact the Polish interregna lasted much shorter: from the death of Sigismund

Augustus till the accession of Henry de Valois (1572–1573), from the departure of

the latter to France till the coronation of Stephan Báthory (1574–1576), and from the

death of Stephan Báthory till the coronation of Sigismund III Vasa (1586–1587).

e Turkish term panlar (in plural) derives from the Polish pan.

Apparently the author refers to the starostas.

Cf. n. b above.

I.e., Mehmed II Giray (r. 1577–1584) and Islam II Giray (r. 1584–1588).

Lit. “[a group of ] ve heads.”

Özü suyındın çıqmay Özü suyındın barub; this fragment seems contradictory;

perhaps the author wanted to stress that the Cossacks did not go by sea, but by land,

or perhaps the name Dnieper (Özü) was entered for the second time by error instead

of the name of another river, for instance the Don or the Boh.

document 35 (14 february–14 march 1592) 783

shepherds and cowherds moving between the towns of His Excellency, the sov-

ereign, the illustrious great padishah, our lord, the master of power, on having

learned this His Excellency, the sovereign, the padishah, got angry and sent to

me, Ghazi Giray Khan, his messengers [çavuşes] with his noble order, saying:

“You, who are Ghazi Giray Khan, the khan of the Kipchak Steppe, you know

well the condition and real state of the Christians of the Polish kingdom, who

are my enemies and who cause harm and damage to my kingdom [memleket].

Hence I am sending a great number of my slaves from among the slaves of my

Porte [qapu qulları], and guns, falconets, janissaries, the pasha of Rumelia and

the pasha of Anatolia [with their retinues], so that all this great army may join

you. You should burn and destroy the Polish kingdom, and, having seized large

fortied cities and towns, you should garrison them and hold them!”—such

were the orders of His Excellency, the sovereign.

I, your brother Ghazi Giray Khan, composed my response in the following

words and sent my letter to His Excellency, the sovereign, the illustrious padi-

shah, making known and saying that:

“Aer King Augustus had died, the Polish kingdom remained without a

king for twelve years; because the kingdom lacked restraint and control, [some

individuals] arrived at the Dnieper river and committed harm and damage.

Aer twelve years King Stephan, from among the Hungarian kings, became

the king of Poland; because from the ancient times the Hungarian kings had

been old enemies of His Excellency, the sovereign, the illustrious padishah, he

[i.e., King Stephan] did not restrain Christian cossacks, dwelling on the Dnieper

river; moreover, the cossacks—robbers and thieves, multiplied. Now our brother

Sigismund, the nephew of the former king of Poland—the late King Augustus,

who is [also] the son of our brother—the king of Sweden, has become the king

of Poland. Having not yet arrived and ascended the royal throne, he will soon

arrive, ascend the throne, and successfully become the king. Aer our brother

Sigismund arrives and ascends the royal throne, he will order to expel from

the Dnieper river all Christian cossacks who dwell on the Dnieper and who

are robbers and thieves, and he will agreeably demonstrate much friendship,

aection, peace, companionship, and brotherhood, dating from the times of the

ancient kings Sigismund and Augustus, towards his brothers: the sovereign, the

illustrious padishah, and me, Ghazi Giray Khan. Moreover, he will send each

year traditional gis [ bölek hazinesi] to his brothers: His Excellency, the sover-

eign, the illustrious padishah, and me, Ghazi Giray; when friendship, aection,

brotherhood, peace, and companionship prevail and the countries and [their]

rulers [padişahs] prosperously enjoy security and safety, the poor and miserable

will not experience any harm or damage and will keep praying and praising;”—

such was my announcement to His Excellency, the sovereign, the illustrious

padishah and the master of power.

[And] His Excellency, the sovereign, the illustrious padishah looked favor-

ably at these words of mine, of Ghazi Giray.

Now, our brother Sigismund, you should know that you should not allow

even one cossack from among the Christian cossacks who dwell on the Dnieper

river and who are thieves and robbers, to remain on the Dnieper; you should

expel them and you should properly enforce prohibition and restraint.