Treaty of Turkmenchay


The Treaty of Turkmenchay was an agreement between Qajar Iran and the Russian Empire, which concluded the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828). It was second of the series of treaties signed between Qajar Iran and Imperial Russia that forced Iran to cede or recognize Russian influence over the territories that formerly were part of Iran.
The treaty was signed on 22 February 1828 in Torkamanchay. It made Iran cede the control of several areas in the South Caucasus to Russia: the Erivan Khanate, the Nakhchivan Khanate and the remainder of the Talysh Khanate. The boundary between Russia and Iran was set at the Aras River. These territories are now Armenia, the south of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan and Iğdır Province.
The treaty was signed for Iran by the Crown Prince Abbas Mirza and Allah-Yar Khan Asef al-Dowleh, chancellor to Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, and for Russia by General Ivan Paskievich. Similarly to the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan, the treaty was imposed on Iran following a Russian military victory. Paskievich threatened to occupy Tehran in five days unless the treaty was signed.
Following this treaty, as well as the Treaty of Gulistan, Russia completed its conquest of the Caucasian territories from Qajar Iran; what is now Dagestan, eastern Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, all of which had formed part of its very concept for centuries. The areas north of the Aras River, such as the territory of the contemporary nations of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the North Caucasian Republic of Dagestan, were Iranian until they were conquered by Russia during the 19th century.
Following the two treaties, the formerly Iranian territories came under Russian, and later Soviet control for approximately 180 years, where Dagestan remains a constituent republic within the Russian Federation to this day. Comprising most of the territory ceded in the Gulistan and Turkmenchay treaties, three separate nations would gain independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991: namely Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Terms

[Image:Treaty of Turkmenchay Cannon.JPG|thumb|Treaty of Turkmenchay Cannon in Military Museum of Tehran]The terms of the treaty are as follow
  • Article 4: Persia ceded the Erivan Khanate, the Nakhchivan Khanate, the Talysh Khanate, and the Ordubad and Mughan regions and also reiterated the cessions made to Russia in the Treaty of Gulistan
  • Article 6: Persia promised to pay Russia 10 korur in gold or 20 million silver rubles.
  • Article 7: Russia promised to support Abbas Mirza as the heir to the throne of Persia on the death of Shah Fath Ali.
  • Article 8: Persian ships lost full rights to navigate all of the Caspian Sea and its coasts, which were given to Russia.
  • Persia recognised capitulation rights for Russian subjects in Persia.
  • Article 10: Russia gained the right to send consular envoys anywhere in Persia.
  • Article 10: both parties accept commercial treaties with detailed conditions.
  • Article 13: prisoners-of-war were exchanged.
  • Persia officially apologised for breaking its promises made in the Treaty of Gulistan.
  • Article 15: Shah Fath Ali Shah promised not to charge or persecute any inhabitant or official in the region of Iranian Azerbaijan for any deed carried out during the war or during the temporary control of the region by Russian troops. In addition, all inhabitants of the aforementioned district were given the right to move from Persian districts to Russian districts within one year.
Article 15 provided for the resettlement of Armenians from Iranian Azerbaijan to the Caucasus, which also included an outright liberation of Armenians taken captive by Persia since 1804 or 1795. This resettlement replaced the 20,000 Armenians who moved to Georgia between 1795 and 1827.

Aftermath

According to Prof. Alexander Mikaberidze:
According to the Cambridge History of Iran:
In combination with the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan, some authors have claimed that the two resulting Iranian territorial cessions separated the Azerbaijani people and the Talysh people from their brethren in Iran. Following the two treaties, the formerly Iranian territories came under the Russian, and later the Soviet control for approximately 180 years, and Dagestan remains a constituent republic within the Russian Federation to this day. Comprising most of the territory ceded in Gulistan and Turkmenchay treaties, three separate nations would gain independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991: Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Repatriation of Armenians

By virtue of the 15th term of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, Armenians from the Iranian Azerbaijan Province were given the freedom to emigrate to Russian-controlled territory north of the Aras River. In the period 1828–1831 following Russia's annexation, 45,000 Armenians from Iran and 100,000 from the Ottoman Empire immigrated to Russian Armenia. Beginning in October 1829, 7,668 families immigrated to Russian Armenia; ultimately, 14,047 families consisting of 90,000–100,000 people had immigrated.

Massacre at Russian embassy

In the aftermath of the war and the signing of the treaty, anti-Russian sentiment in Persia was rampant. On 11 February 1829, an angry mob stormed the Russian embassy in Tehran and killed almost everyone inside. Among those killed in the massacre was the newly-appointed ambassador to Persia, Aleksander Griboyedov, a celebrated Russian playwright. Griboyedov had played an active role in negotiating the terms of the treaty. As a sign of his apology for the murder of the Russian ambassador, the Shah of Iran gave the Russian Czar his most valuable crown jewel, the Shah Diamond.