A Turkish-language work, provisionally titled Tarikh (History), written by Ahmed Vasif Efendi in 1786, provides a detailed discussion of Ottoman Turkey’s relations with Russia and European powers, including Austria, France, and Spain, as well as the Balkan countries in the second half of the 18th century. The author covers key events such as the 1774 Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, which ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–74. The treaty was a significant step in Russia’s recognition of its rights to parts of the Black Sea region and the independence of the Crimean Khanate. The Aynali Kavak Convention, which reaffirmed the terms of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, and the Austro-Turkish Convention are also mentioned. The work also discusses issues that arose in Turkey’s bilateral and multilateral relations with other countries. The list of these documents was copied on European paper in the late 19th century.
The collection also contains works on the history of Turkey translated from Arabic into Persian. One of these works is Misbah al-sari wa nuzhat al-kari (The Light of the Traveler and the Reciter's Comfort), written by Hakim Ibrahim Efendi in the 19th century. This work, dedicated to the Ottoman sultans, contains descriptions of travels in Egypt, Turkey and Europe with historical information about the first two countries and an appendix on the ancient history of Syria. The translation was done by Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Yamani, known as ash-Shirwani, who is also known as the author and publisher of many Arabic works for students. The translation is called Kaysar Nama (The Book of Kaysar) and was copied on oriental paper in the second half of the 19th century.
These manuscripts, written in Nasta'liq script, are essential sources for studying the history of the Ottoman Empire and its international relations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan. Collection of the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Abu Rayhan Beruni of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan".
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