A Contribution to the History of Ottoman-English Diplomatic and Commercial Relations: The Ahdname of 1612

This study analyzes existing literature by examining the ahdname of 1612, which has yet to have been explored in the literature. The ahdnames granted to England established the framework for the rights and obligations associated with the navigation of ships flying the English flag in Ottoman waters, as well as the movement, residence, and commercial activities of English merchants within Ottoman domains. After the first ahdname was granted to England in 1580 during the reign of Sultan Murad III (1574-1595), the scope of future ahdnames was expanded with later additions. This study will first briefly introduce the ahdnames granted to England and then elaborate on the process leading up to the Ahdname of 1612. Despite not being particularly groundbreaking in terms of its articles, the ahdname of 1612 is quite valuable due to the additions and revisions to previous ahdnames. Moreover, this ahdname provides a crucial opportunity upon examination with reference to earlier works in the literature to track the development of English privileges from 1580-1612.