Treaty of Zuhab

The Treaty of Zuhab (also called Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin), 1639, concluded between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Empire in the village of Zuhab, near Qasr-e Shirin, ended the Ottoman-Safavid War (1514–1639), which was fought for dominance in the Middle East and South Caucasus. The treaty finally established the border between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Empire over the conquered lands. The border passed east of Akhaltsikhe, Kars, Vani, Shahrizor, Baghdad, and Basrah. Azerbaijan remained entirely under the influence of Iran, as well as Eastern Armenia and Eastern Kurdistan, the Arab lands, Western Armenia and Western Kurdistan under the influence of Ottoman Empire. Georgia was also divided: Eastern Georgia remained under the control of the Safavid Empire, Western Georgia and Samtskhe-Saatabago under the control of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty effectively legalized the political division of Georgia, as the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Empire considered Eastern and Western Georgia to be their dominions and prevented the unification of the country.

Georgians did not recognize the terms of the Treaty of Zuhab and fought for independence. The Treaty of Zuhab was not violated until 1723, which is why it is also called the Century-Old Treaty.

 

Literature: გაბაშვილი ვ., ქართული დიპლომატიის ისტორიიდან (საქართველო და ანტიოსმალური კოალიციები XVI–XVII სს.), «მასალები საქართველოს და კავკასიის ისტორიისათვის», 1954, ნაკვ. 31; სვანიძე მ., საქართველო-ოსმალეთის ურთიერთობის ისტორიიდან XVI–XVII სს., თბ., 1971; ჩოჩიევი ვ., ირან-ოსმალეთის 1639 წლის ზავი და საქართველო, კრ.: ნარკვევები მახლობელი აღმოსავლეთის ისტორიიდან (ფეოდალური ხანა), თბ., 1957.

 

M. Svanidze