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TREATY OF TURKOMANCHAI.
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subjects of the most favoured nation. Goods passing from one country to the other were to be subjected to one sole duty of five per cent.,[1] levied at the frontier. Russian subjects were to have the right to acquire en toute propriété habitable houses and magazines into which the employés of the Persian government should not have the right of penetrating by force, except by the sanction of the Russian Minister or Consul. The representatives of Russia, with the gentlemen attached to them, and the consuls of the same nation, were to have the privilege of being allowed to import, free from duty, all kinds of articles which should be intended solely for their own use, and Persians employed by the Russian officials were to enjoy Russian protection in the same manner as Russian subjects. The settlement of all disputes between Russian subjects in Persia was to be entirely confided to the Minister or Consul of his Imperial Majesty; the treatment of them to be according to the laws of Russia. Disputes between subjects of the two governments were to be settled by the two courts of religious law and of equity, but a Russian employé was to be present during the hearing of each case.

Such were the provisions of the Treaty of Turkomanchai, concluded between General Paskiewitch and Monsieur Obrescoff on the part of Russia, and Prince Abbass Meerza on that of Persia, and signed in the presence of the Asef-ed-Dowleh and the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs. The chief difficulty in carrying the provisions of this treaty into effect lay in the extreme unwillingness of the Shah to part with his treasure. His Majesty consented to give six crores of tomans,


  1. Cinq pour cent.
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