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CHAPTER IX.

Provisions of the Treaty of Turkomanchai—Alteration of the Treaty between England and Persia—General Confusion in Persia—Supineness of the Shah's Government—M. Grebaïodoff—Murder of the Members of his Mission—Terror of the Shah Embassy to Petersburg of Prince Kosroo—Severe Earthquakes in Persia—Campaign of the Crown Prince in Khorassan—Fall of Ameerabad and of Kabushan—Assault on Serrekhs—Origin of the Affghan War—Death of Abbass Meerza—The Kaim-makam—Last Days of Fetteh Ali Shah—His Character—Burial-place of the Persian Kings

As the provisions contained in the treaty of peace concluded between the plenipotentiaries of Russia and Persia respectively, at Turkomanchai, now form the basis of the intercourse between Persia and the nations of Europe, it is desirable to examine this treaty with some care. By the fourth article the following line of frontier is laid down as that which was thenceforward to separate the territories of Russia and of Persia. From the frontier of the Ottoman dominions nearest in a straight line to the summit of the lesser Ararat a line was to be drawn from that mountain to the source of the lower Karasou, which runs from the southern slope of the lesser Ararat, and it was to follow its course as far as to its junction with the Araxes opposite to Cheeroor. Having reached that point, the line was to follow the bed of the Araxes to the fortress of Abbassabad, round the outer works of which a line of three versts was to be traced, and all the ground enclosed in this line was to belong to Russia.