A critical study of the 1969-edition of “Resāle-ye tahqiqāt-e sarhaddiyeh”

With the convention of the Erzurum Conference in 1259 A.H./1843 and the signing of the Second Erzurum Treaty in1263 A.H./ 1847, Iran-Ottoman relations entered a new phase. According to this treaty, it was concluded that by setting up a commission, the boundaries between the two countries be formally established. During his assignment as Iran’s representative in the commission, Mirza Ja’far Khan Moshir al-Dowleh sent hundreds of letters to Iranian authorities regarding the process of border demarcation. Apart from this, he set out a detailed report of his commission under the title “Resāle-ye tahqiqāt-e sarhaddyeh (An Essay on Border Studies) and presented it to the then Prime Minister in 1856. As the first important document about the Iran-Ottoman borders cited by Iranian delegates in numerous border delimitation commissions, this essay was only once edited and published by Mohammad Moshiri in 1348 Sh./1969. Regrettably, 49 years have passed since then and no critical research has been undertaken about this work to assess its degree of accuracy and reliability    The present article addresses the matter for the first time.