Abschrift des sultanischen Dekrets (<foreign>nīşān-ı hümāyūn</foreign>/<foreign>berat</foreign>); Istanbul, 14. Dezember

148 Nīşān-ı hümāyūn oldur ki: Ḳıdvetü ümerāʾi’l-milleti’l-mesīḥiyye Romā imperāṭorı ṭarafından büyükilçilik ile der-i devlet-medāruma gelen Cenerāl Ġrūf de Virmond ḫutimet ʿavāḳibühū bi-l-ḫayr südde-i saʿādetüme mühürlü ʿarż-ı ḥāl gönderüb Devlet-i ʿAliyyem ile müşārün ileyh Romā imperāṭorı beyninde vāḳiʿ olan ṣulḥ ve ṣalāḥ muḳteżāsınca memālik-i maḥrūsemde Sāḳız cezīresine müşārün ileyhüñ bayraġıyla gelüb gidüb reʿāyāsınuñ vāḳiʿ olan umūr ve ḥuṣūṣlarını görmek üzere cezīre-i mezbūreye bir tercümān naṣbı iḳtiżā eylemekle rāfiʿ-i tevḳīʿi refʿīʿü ş-şān-ı ḫāḳānī Vincāco (Vincenzo) Moroni veled-i Kurūmī tercümān naṣb ve taʿyīn olunub ʿahdnāme mūcebince olıgeldügi üzere berāt-ı şerīfüm virilmek bābında ʿināyet ricā eylemegin bu nīşān-ı hümāyūn virdüm. Ve buyurdum ki mesfūr Vincāo (Vincenzo) Moroni The Austrian ambassador Virmont reported the appointment of Vincenzo Moroni to Vienna in his letter dated January 29, 1720. The purpose of the appointment was to help with the commercial matters and monitor the implementation of the newly granted religious privileges to the Catholics. veled-i Kurūmī vech-i meşrūḥ üzere cezīre-i mezbūrede tercümān olub tercümānlıḳ ḫidmetinde olanlar ve oġulları ve ḫidmetkārları ve cāriyeleri ḫarāc ve ʿavārıż ve ḳaṣṣāb aḳçası ve resm-i üsārā ve sāʾir tekālīf-i ʿörfiyye ṭalebiyle rencīde ve remīde olunmayub ve ḳul ve cāriye istiḫdām idermişsün diyü kimesne ḫarāc ve rüsūm ve bāc ṭalebiyle daḫl ve rencīde eylemeye ve gendünüñ maṣraf ve hedāyāsına ve ḳadīmden geydügi melbūsāt ve mefrūşāt ve meʾkūlāt ve meşrūbātına kimesne daḫl ve rencīde eylemeyüb ḳadīmden olıgeldügi üzere ʿafv olunub ve rüsūm-ı gümrük ve bāc ṭaleb olunmaya ve evlerine ʿasākir-i ḳonak ḳonulmaġa rencīde olunmaya ve gendü bāġında ḥāṣıl olan şırādan ḫamr emīni ve voyvodaları ve sāʾirlerden olıgeldügi üzere foçi aḳçası ṭaleb eylemeyüb gendüsi ve evlādı ve taṣarrufında olan cāriyeleri ḫarāc ve ʿavārıżdan ve ve ḳaṣṣāb aḳçası ve resm-i maṣdariyyeden ve tekālīf-i ʿörfiyyenüñ cümlesinden muʿāf ve müsellem olub ve mezbūr ile her kimüñ daʿvāsı olur ise ellerinde olan ʿahdnāme-i hümāyūn mūcebince āsitāne-i saʿādetüme ḥavāle olunub ġayrı yirde istimāʿ olunmaya baʿżı zamānda bir yire gitmek istedükde gidişde ve gelişde ḳaradan ve deryādan menāzil ve merāḥilde gendüye ve esvāb ve ṭavarlarına ve emvāl ve erzāḳına ve yanında olan ādamlarına ulaḳ ve ulaḳ aḳçasından ve ġayrı cānibden kimesne daḫl ve taʿarruż olunmayub ve her ḳanda dāḫıl olur ise zād u zevād ve sāʾir ẕaḫīresi narḫ-ı rūzī üzere aḳçasıyla virilüb bir ferd taʿallül ve nizāʿ eylemeye ve maḫūf ve muḫāṭara olan yirlerde başına aḳ ṣarınubWrapping white or putting a white cap on head was a practice of janissaries. What is likely meant here was that the dragomans were allowed to put on a janissary attire when they traveled through places that were known to be dangerous and insecure for travelers. ve ḳılıç ve oḳ ve yay ve sāʾir ālāt-ı ḥarb götürdükde ḳāḍīlar ve beglerbegiler ve ġayrıden bir ferd rencīde eylemeyüb olıgeldügi üzere ḥimāyet ve ṣiyānet ve anuñ gibi teʿaddī ve tecāvüz üzere olanlar menʿ ve defʿ olunub dāʾimā işbu nīşān-ı hümāyūnumuñ mażmūn-ı münīfiyle ʿamel olunub ḫilāfına rıżā ve cevāz gösterilmeye şöyle bileler. fī evāil-i Ṣafer sene 1132

So is the imperial sign (nīşān-ı hümāyūn): General [Damian Hugo] Count of Virmont—may God end his days propitiously—who came to my gate that is the center of state as grand ambassador from the Roman emperor, the paragon of the great commanders of the community of Messiah, sent a sealed petition to my threshold of felicity [about the following matter]: In accordance with the peace and reconciliation that occurred between my sublime state and the aforesaid Roman emperor, it is required to appoint to the island of Chios in my well-protected domains an interpreter who may travel there under the flag of the Roman emperor in order to take care of matters and issues that may arise concerning [the Roman emperor’s] subjects. Thus, the ambassador requested my favor, as it has been the practice in accordance with the imperial letter of agreement (ʿahdnāme-i ḥumāyūn), to issue my most noble charter to appoint and designate Vincenzo Moroni, son of Kurumi, the bearer of the imperial sign of exalted fame. [Upon his request,] I issued this charter and I order that Vincenzo Moroni, son of Kurumi (?) shall be an interpreter on the aforementioned island in the described way. Those who are interpreters, their sons, servants, and women in their household shall not be injured and disturbed with the claims of tribute, levies, dues for goods in transit (ḳaṣṣāb aḳçasi, lit. 'butcher’s fee'), or other extraordinary taxes. No one shall interfere with or injure – claiming tribute, fees, and toll – under the pretext that he employs slaves and women. No one shall interfere with and injure him due to his expenses and gifts, the garments that he wears since a long time ago, his fabrics, his provisions, and his drinks. He shall be excused as it has been the practice since a long time ago. No customs duty and toll shall be claimed. He shall not be injured through the appointment of a military officer at their house. For the must that is produced from his own vineyard, the wine superintendent and voivodes shall not claim barrel money as it has been the practice for others. Himself, his children, and the women under his authority shall be exempt and delivered from tribute, extraordinary tax, dues for goods in transit (ḳaṣṣāb aḳçası, lit. 'butcher’s fee'), export fee (maṣdariyye), wine tax, and all the extraordinary levies. When someone has a case against him, the case shall be referred to my threshold of felicity as per the imperial letter of agreement in his posession and the case shall not be heard elsewhere. At certain times, when he wishes to go somewhere, as he comes and goes on land and sea, at stations on the road, and during stages of the journey, no one from among couriers or [those claiming] courier fees - or [others] based on other excuses - shall interfere and attack him, his clothes, his flock of animals, his properties, and his provisions. In whichever location he enters, his victuals, provisions for the journey, and cereals shall be given in return for the fixed price. No one shall seek an excuse to avoid or dispute it. Neiter judges nor provincial governors nor a single person from among the rest shall disturb him when he, at dangerous and insecure places, puts on a white cap on his head (başına aḳ ṣarınub, lit. ‘wraps white on his head’) and takes with him a sword, an arrow, a bow, and other equipment; they shall guard and protect as it has been the practice. Those who do wrong and attack shall be prevented and repelled. At all times, [you] should act as required by the exalted purview of our imperial charter/sign (nīşān-ı hümāyūn). No consent or permission shall be shown to the contrary. So shall you know and [have confidence] in the noble mark! December 14 to December 23, 1719