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Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

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328 HISTORY OF PERSIA CHAP.<br />

muftiy which ordered the true believers to extirpate the<br />

heretics. Simultaneously with the Russian operations on<br />

the littoral <strong>of</strong> the Caspian Sea, the Turkish troops entered<br />

Georgia, and Tiflis surrendered in A.H. 1135 ( T 7 2 3)-<br />

Ganja was afterwards besieged, but without success, and<br />

at Baku the Turks were forestalled by the Russians.<br />

The Russo-Turkish Treaty for the Dismemberment <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Persia</strong>, A.D. 1724. Negotiations between Turkey and<br />

Russia were resumed and culminated in an agreement for<br />

the partition <strong>of</strong> the most valuable provinces <strong>of</strong> <strong>Persia</strong>.<br />

In the north, the cession by Tahmasp to Russia <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Caspian provinces to the confluence <strong>of</strong> the Kur with the<br />

Araxes was confirmed by the two powers. Turkey took<br />

up the new frontier line from this point and drew it close<br />

to the west <strong>of</strong> Ardebil so as to include Tabriz, which,<br />

with Hamadan and Kermanshah and all the districts<br />

between them and the Turkish frontier, was to be<br />

included within the Ottoman empire. It was cynically<br />

agreed that, if Tahmasp consented to these conditions, he<br />

should be aided to recover his throne.<br />

If, however, he<br />

proved obdurate, the two powers were to provide for the<br />

future tranquillity <strong>of</strong> <strong>Persia</strong> by raising<br />

to the throne whichever<br />

candidate was held to be most deserving.<br />

The Conquest <strong>of</strong> Western <strong>Persia</strong> by the Turks ,<br />

A.D.<br />

1724-1725. After the conclusion <strong>of</strong> the treaty by which<br />

<strong>Persia</strong> was thus partially dismembered,<br />

it remained for<br />

the Turks to make good the possession <strong>of</strong> their share,<br />

Russia having already occupied the western part <strong>of</strong> her<br />

portion. The Turkish army first marched on Hamadan,<br />

which fell after a short siege<br />

in A.H. 1<br />

136 (1724). Meanwhile<br />

a second Turkish force had advanced on Erivan,<br />

which was justly regarded as the strongest fortress in the<br />

country. Operations were pushed on with the utmost<br />

determination, and in spite <strong>of</strong> the loss <strong>of</strong> twenty thousand<br />

men in four assaults and by disease Erivan was taken in<br />

A.H. 1137(172 4) after a three months' siege ; the garrison<br />

marched out with the honours <strong>of</strong> war.<br />

The victorious army was now directed against Tabriz.<br />

A <strong>Persia</strong>n force ten thousand strong was defeated outside<br />

the city,<br />

which seemed likely<br />

to be taken without much

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