French-Language Travelogues of the First Third of the Nineteenth century as a Source on the Modern History of Iran

In the beginning of the 19 century Iran was visited by many Europeans alongside with other Asian countries. Some of them compiled travelogues after returning home. Russian historians cite such publications quite often though many of them were not analyzed properly. Due to availability of their electronic copies, these books are accessible for the widest readers' circles. Nevertheless they are still not widely used in scientific circulation. Some of such works are characterized in this article. An entire chapter of the sixth volume of G.A. Olivier's «Voyage to Ottoman Empire, Egypt and Persia» is devoted to Russia's expansion in the Caucasus. The same chapter contains a French version of the Treaty of Georgievsk. Olivier covers some details of Agha Mohammed Khan Qajar's Tiflis campaign. The author states that Heraclius II of Georgia planned to prepare the city defenses while the Persian ruler was expected to besiege Shusha and Ganja. However, Qajar passed these fortresses and lead his army directly to Tiflis, thus preventing the Georgians from completing defense preparations. The French author also explains why Agha Mohammed did not set out against Valerian Zubov's troops in Azerbaijan. At the very time of Zubov's campaign Agha Mohammed was struggling with Sharokh khan of Khorasan. Claude de Gar-dane's diary mentions an important detail of French-Iranian relations. Half a year before a treaty between Fath Ali Shah and Napoleon had been signed two French officers were in the service in Abbas Mirza's army. «Letters about Persian and Asian Turkey» by Joseph Michel Tancoigne mention active trade between Russia and Iran during the first Russian-Iranian war. This work also reveals a piece of information concerning 150 Russian deserters in Iran and their role in training Persian soldiers. The book contains some noteworthy details of Georgian prince Teimuraz Bagrationi's biography. Unlike other Frenchmen, Colonel Rotiers spent several years in Russia. His «Trip from Tiflis to Constantinople» contains a version of the Treaty of Georgievsk which differs significantly from that published in «The Acts of Caucasian Archeography Commission» as well as a treaty between Georgian nobility and Russian foreign affairs minister Rostopchin. This document has much in common with the so called Rostopchin's note publiched in the «Acts». The valuable data contained in French-language travelogues determine the scientific value of these works and the importance of their use by orientalist historians.

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