Diplomacy in the Ottoman-Polish-Crimean Triangle: Shah Mirza's Warsaw Mission (1746-1747)

Abstract

During the time it was ruled by the Ottoman State, the Crimean Khanate was considered highly significant not only for political and economic but also for military and diplomatic reasons. From the 15th century to the last quarter of the 18th century, the Crimean Khans sent many diplomatic missions to various states on behalf of or with the agreement of the Porte, or sometimes in order to free themselves from the control of the Sultan. A careful study of Shah Mirza's diplomatic mission to Warsaw indicates a different dimension of Ottoman-Polish relations vis-a-vis their mutual relationship with the Crimean Khanate and secret disputes in the European political arena in the 18th century. Through this study, it is therefore possible to observe various reflections of French Eastern European policies on the Istanbul-Warsaw-Baghchasaray triangle during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748).