The Petition of Ambassador Āqā Ḥasan as a Source on the Micro‑History of Russian‑Iranian Relations in the Middle of the 17th Century

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the document form RSAAA (Russian State Archive of Ancient Documents) from the archive files related to the arrival in Russia in 1645 of the ambassador Aqa Hasan. Of the entire file (491 folios), this is the only document drawn up in Persian. It is interesting that this document did not relate with the main purpose of the embassy's arrival — the financial claims of the Russian side against the rulers of Iran, the proceedings on which lasted from 1629 to 1645. The Ambassador asked for help both in solving everyday issues and in overcoming difficulties associated with logistics and the movement of goods. It is noteworthy that one of the articles of the petition, dedicated to the fate of the Khorasan captive, was not included in the Russian translation, made by the translator of the 18th century, and, accordingly, was not included in the report to the tsar.