THE GRYPHON IS MOST HIGH HE
IS TO BE PRAYSED
Let Greatness of Glory be his Principality, and Splendor, and Greatness
of Retinue, and Valour and Boldness, and Courage, and Favour with the Gryphon,
the bestower of Victory, to the people of Avacal. So long as flowers spread
their perfume and daylight shines, with Sincere Love and Ancient Friendship, do
We, Ivar the Black and Asney Grimolfrsdottir, who lean upon the Couch of
Command in Our Kingdom of the Gryphon, highly advanced in Dominion, Noble in
Courage and Justice, send praise.
As the maxim says “An equitable Ruler is the personification of Good in
the World[1]”,
and so do We find Our Princely minds wishing to make known what cannot remain
hidden, being the esteem in which we hold Our loyal subject Arwyn of Leicester
also known as Amira al- 'Aliyya. This Arwyn is a woman of Great Worth, beloved
by her family and by our cousin the Shah, who considers her to be a fidalgo[2]
of high rank. As she has great knowledge of saffron, golpar, shevid[3]
and all the spices, and has been governing the accounts of her household, and
made her knowledge available to all, do We elevate her in rank, advance her in
prestige, and make her a member of Our most noble Order of the Laurel. With her
do We then make the following contract:
1st We make her a woman of the pen[4]
and grant her the right and title to sit in the royal palace[5]
and name her moqarrab ab-hazrat sharbat-khana[6],
over-seer of spices and desserts to Our court.
2nd It is granted that she shall pay no manner of Customes or tolles
any kind of waye when buying or selling the commodity of spice.
3rd Free libertie, safe conduct and licence to come or sende her
factors in trade throughout Our countrey, and to act as our Embassador and agent
in the buying and selling of spice with Our cousins in other countreys.
4th That her Camel men, Carauans and Shipps will have safe harbour on
Our roads, coasts and rivers, and that any who infringe upon them shall be
brought to Us for judgement.
We expect all to fulfill these obligations[7]
and be bound by Our stipulations, except a stipulation that makes unlawful what
is lawful[8].
Fulfil this, Our agreement, for an agreement is obligatory.[9]
This is the intention granted by Ivar and Asney, who reside on the Couch
of Justice and Splendidness , may Their dynasty last till the end of the world,
and Their reign be prolonged till the consummation of ages! Done at the
celebration of Yule, in the Barony of Borealis, on the 16th day of
Azar[10]
in the yeare 1398, reckoned in the Society as the 7th Day of December in the
yeare 54.
Wording by Maister Colyne Stewart
of Ealdormere, based upon contracts between: ‘Abd al-‘Ali Khan, ruler of Gilan
and England (14 April 1563); Shah Tahmasp and England (29 June 1566); Shah ‘Abbas I and King James I of England
(1615; modified in July 1697); the Treaty of Peace and the Frontiers (17 May
1639); and a letter from Shah Sulayman to Charles II (1677-78).
Sources
Dandamayev, Muhammad A. et al. “Contracts”. Encyclopædia Iranica, online
edition http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/contracts-legally-enforceable-undertakings-between-two-or-more-consenting-parties
accessed September 29, 2019
Ferrer, José Cutillas, “SPAIN: RELATIONS WITH PERSIA IN THE 16TH
AND 17TH CENTURIES,” Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition,
2018, available at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/spain-relations-persia-16-17-century
September 29, 2019
Ferrier, R. W. “The Terms and Conditions under which English Trade Was
Transacted with Ṣafavid Persia”. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and
African Studies, University of London
Vol. 49, No. 1, In Honour of Ann K. S. Lambton (1986), pp. 48-66 (23
pages)
Hanway, Jonas. An Historical Account of the British Trade Over the
Caspian Sea: With a Journal of Travels from London Through Russia Into
Persia; and Back Through Russia, Germany and Holland. To which are Added, the
Revolutions of Persia During the Present Century, with the Particular History
of the Great Usurper Nadir Kouli in four volumes. Volume one. London: 1753.
“Iran, 1400–1600 A.D.” In Heilbrunn
Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=08®ion=wai (October 2002)
accessed September 29, 2019
Marcinkowski, M. Ismail. “Dastural-Moluk”, Encyclopedia Iranica.
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dastur-al-moluk
Accessed October 1, 2019
ibid. “Tadherat al-Moluk”, Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/tadkerat-al-moluk
Accessed September 30, 2019
Matthee, Rudolph P. The
Politics of Trade in Safavid Iran: Silk for Silver, 1600-1730.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. https://books.google.ca/books?id=5U0yECMV--wC
accessed September 29, 2019
Minorsky, V. Tadhkirat Al-Muluk: A Manual of Safavid Administration (circa 1137/1725). Cambridge: W. Heffer
& Sons LTD. 1943. Online at https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.227105/2015.227105.Tadhkirt-Al-muluk_djvu.txt
Accessed September 30, 2019
Mustafa, Grand Vizier. “Treaty
of Peace and Frontiers: The Ottoman Empire and Persia (17 May 1639)”. Pars
Times: Greater Iran and Beyond, http://www.parstimes.com/history/iran_ottoman.html Accessed October 1, 2019
Ranjbar, M.A. and Sehhat Manesh, R., 2016. “New Routes to Iran’s
International Trade in the Safavid Era”. Ancient Asia, 7, p.8.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/aa.124
accessed September 30, 2019
Savory, Roger M. “COURTS AND COURTIERS vi. In the Safavid period”
Encyclopedia Iranica.
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/courts-and-courtiers-vi
accessed September 29, 2019
Shafaat, Ahmad, Dr. “Islamic Rules Governing Financial Dealings,
“1988. Islamic Perspectives, http://www.islamicperspectives.com/FinancialDealings.htm
Accessed October 1, 2019
With Thanks To
Carroll-Clark, Susan. Private correspondence, Facebook Messenger, September
24 through October 1, 2019.
Leo-Roca, Carlos. SOAS Library, University of London.
[1]
The original maxim is “An equitable Sultan is the shadow of God on earth”.
(Mustafa.)
[2]
Someone who was of a high rank could be known as a fidalgo. (Savory.)
[3]
Spices native to Persia.
[4]
The Safavid administration was split between the “men of the sword” and the
“men of the pen”. (Savory.)
[5] It
was a great honour to be allowed to sit in the Shah’s court. (Savory.)
[6] A moqarrab
ab-hazrat was a manager in charge of a royal workshop responsible for expenditures.
Moqarrab meant “confidant” and “hazrat” is an honorific. The sharbat-khana was
the workshop that included spices, sugar and tobacco. (Savery. Minorsky. Marcinkowski.)
[7]
The koranic verse 5:1 stipulates that agreements must be adhered to. (Dandemayay.)
[8]
This is attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. (Dandemayay.)
[9]
Several
koranic verses teach that contracts must be honoured, including "O
Believers: Honor your contracts" (5:1,) as well as "And fulfill every
commitment. Surely every commitment will be asked about (on the day of
judgment)" (17:34). (Mustafa. Shafaat.)
[10]
Azar is the ninth month of the official calendar of Iran. It begins in
November, ending in December, and lasts thirty days.
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