The governor of Kaniza, Ahmed Páshá, Ghraj-ban Gasper, who had been raised to the principality of the island of Naxia, and the hákim of Prague arrived in Constantinople with credentials from the emperor Mathias, requesting a conference with respect to the late treaty of peace. It would appear that before the treaty was finally settled the commandant of Buda, Alí Páshá, was removed from the frontiers, and Hasan Páshá was appointed in his stead; the latter, not knowing the advance which had been made towards laying a foundation for a solid peace, disturbed the tranquillity of the country in several instances, and committed some serious evils besides. However, he died, and Alí Páshá, at the establishment of the peace, being again re-appointed to the government of Buda, not only restored peace and good order, but also settled the boundaries of the villages belonging to both countries, and the payment of all dues, as they had been in the days of Soleimán. It was in reference to these and similar matters that the personages before-mentioned came to Constantinople, in order that they, along with Charizghal, the Austrian ambassador at the court of Constantinople, might be able to arrange matters in conformity to the articles of the peace.
Iskander Páshá marches against the Cossacks.
The emperor having determined on rooting out the troublesome and factious Cossacks on the Black Sea, ordered his fleet to be in readiness, and commanded Iskander Páshá, governor of Bosnia, to conduct the Romeilian troops by land against them; but both the expeditions against the Cossacks did not proceed till after the new year. About this time the Transylvanian ambassador arrived, and informed the government of Turkey, that certain German princes who had committed violence and robbery on the borders of Transylvania, but who had been severely chastised, and obliged to retire in disgrace, were again threatening to invade that country with their collective force. The Osmánlí government, in order to maintain its guardianship over that country, and to awe the invaders, sent a number of troops towards its frontiers, and wrote for an explanation to the Austrian ambassador at the court of Constantinople. The ambassador replied, that his master was wholly ignorant of the fact. The Ottoman emperor was unwilling to enter into any hostile attitude, but found it requisite to support his allies; especially as one of the engagements entered into with the emperor of Austria was in favour of Transylvania. The emperor, therefore, in accordance with his own peculiar engagements with Transylvania, wrote to Iskander Páshá, who had been appointed to conduct the land expedition against the Cossacks, to take fifteen thousand of the troops, foot and horse, under his own command, conduct them in person, or give the command to some other fit officer, and oppose the threatened invasion of Transylvania. “You are by all means,” said the emperor in his letter, “to deliver out of their hands the fortress of Yanovah.”
In Petcheví’s narrative it is said that Dúmnah, the widow of Eremia (Jeremiah), the former voivoda of Moldavia, had great possessions in Poland, and that an infidel of the name of Korsákí, of the race of Russian and Polish nobles, was her son-in-law. This Korsákí, wishing to recover Moldavia for her youngest son, raised an army of twenty thousand native Russian vagabonds, and another of as many Poles, entered Moldavia, took possession of that province, and thrust out Stephan, whom the Osmánlí government had fixed there as voivoda of the country. To reinstate the ex-voivoda, Serkosh Ibrahím Páshá, governor of Silistria, the begs of Bender and Akkerman, and a Tátár army were instantly dispatched; but were completely defeated and routed in the very first engagement. At this time, Iskander Páshá, who had been removed from Agria, was employed in some service in Constantinople. The káímakám, Gúrjí Mohammed Páshá, appointed him governor of Bosnia; and afterwards sent him into Moldavia with the Bosnian, Serm, Semendrian, Alájahisár and Walehet troops. Ibrahím Páshá, with the Silistrian troops, was ordered to join Iskander’s camp. Iskander Páshá, having penetrated into Moldavia with his mighty force, met with the army of Dúmnah, headed by Korsákí, her son-in-law, near a village called Istaphanish, where a most sanguinary battle took place, but in which the Moslems were triumphant. The two sons of Dúmnah, and her son-in-law Korsákí, were made prisoners; and all the three, along with five hundred Cossacks who carried muskets, were sent bound in chains to Constantinople. So many living prisoners had not, in modern times, been presented before the royal diván.
Iskander Páshá, the conquering Iskander, was every where hailed as the deliverer of the country: he again placed the ex-voivoda Istaphan in his former government, and succeeded in restoring peace and good order. It is worthy of remark, before closing the events of this year, that the daughter of Dúmnah, the wife of Korsákí, a woman of extraordinary excellence, fell into the hands of a Tátár, and could no where be found. She was, however, afterwards ransomed for thirty thousand dollars, and was found pregnant by the Tátár, to whom she had borne two daughters; a circumstance which, for a time, was much talked of both in Poland and amongst the Moslems.
The grand vezír and commander-in-chief goes to Diárbeker, where he winters.—Ján Beg Gheráí, the khán of Crimea, joins the royal camp.
On the 8th of Jemadi II. the grand vezír and commander-in-chief passed over with a splendid army to Scutari; but because of the great distance of the Persian frontiers he was ordered to winter at Diárbeker. On arriving in this city he was informed that his highness the khán of the Crimea, Ján Beg Gheráí, had left Kaffa with an army forty thousand strong, and that he was on his march to join the grand army. The commanding general, however, sent him word, that before joining the royal camp at Diárbeker he should ravage the frontier territories of Persia, viz. Gunjah, Nakhcheván, and Jelha; which he did, carrying off about a thousand captives, and as many cattle. On approaching the royal camp, the grand vezír and commander-in-chief went out to meet his highness the khán of the Crimea, and conducted him to his tent. After the table was removed, the grand vezír presented his highness the khán, in the name of the emperor, with a splendidly ornamented sword, a steed richly caparisoned, and five thousand pieces of gold, for the purpose of covering his expences in the war. His mirzás were also presented with robes of honour: the Osmánlí beglerbegs bowed and did obeisance in his presence, and then conducted him to his own camp. After a day or two the island of Ebn Omar, in the jurisdiction of Mír Sheríf Páshá, was assigned to him and his Tátár army for winter-quarters.
A division is sent to protect Gúrjistán (Georgia) from the grasp of the heretics.
In the meantime the governor of Gúrili sent letters to the commanding general, informing him of the intention of the kizilbáshes of subduing the province of Gúrjistán (Georgia). The general, in order to afford protection to Gúrjistán, sent the beglerbeg of Batum, Omar Páshá, and his provincial troops; also Murteza Beg, beg of Childer, Sefer Páshá, and other chiefs of that nation; and the emírs of Gúrilí, of Dadyou, and of Askukbásh, with their respective provincial troops, to the aid of the Georgians. Moreover, the whole of the janissaries in Erzerúm and in Trebizond, with their respective officers, and the governors of Dághistán, were ordered to join the camp of Omar Páshá, to whom the chief command was committed.