Articles, Importance and Results of the Treaty of Zitvatorok

During the rise Ottoman Empire He managed to expand his lands in Europe. He also obtained significant tax revenues from here. However, at the same time, the rebellions that started in the east and the conflict with Iran were increasing. In this case, the Ottoman Empire was becoming unable to control what was happening in its western lands.

The country in Europe where the most problems arose was Austria. The wars that started between the Ottomans and Austria were challenging for both sides. Ultimately, both states signed a peace treaty. Signed the Treaty of Zitvatorok. Now, Articles and importance of the Treaty of Zitvatorok Let’s look for answers to questions such as “How did the results of the treaty affect the Ottoman Empire?”

What is the Treaty of Zitvatorok, why and when was it signed?

The Treaty of Zitvatorok was signed on 11 November 1606. Ottoman Empire and Archduchy of Austria Signed by (Ahmed I and Archduke Matthias). So why was the Treaty of Zitvatorok necessary? Because the Ottoman-Austrian Wars, which lasted between 1593-1606, had to end. In order to put an end to these wars in a peaceful way, the Treaty of Zitvatorok was signed between the parties.

For this reason, the Treaty of Zitvatorok was concluded for many years. Ottoman-Austrian Wars He is known for finishing. We can say that this is the most important feature of the agreement, but it is not only remembered for ending the war. There are other articles that make the agreement important. However, before moving on to the articles, we need to look at the environment of the period when the Treaty of Zitvatorok was signed.

The process leading to the signing of the Treaty of Zitvatorok: Ottoman-Austrian Wars of 1593-1606

The Ottoman-Austrian Wars, which lasted 13 years, were fought by the Austrians. “Long Turkish Wars” It is referred to as. During these years, the Ottoman Empire was struggling to expand its borders towards Iran. While the Ottomans were taking care of the lands in the east, the problems were not ending in the West. Austria, located in Ottoman territory, was delaying its taxes by causing unrest on its borders. Thereupon, Bosnian Governor Telli Hasan Pasha organized an expedition to Austria. The Pasha’s return with thousands of captives and booty caused great damage to Austria-Ottoman relations.

Austria began to attack and was then almost defeated. All of Europe took advantage of this situation and supported Austria. For the Ottoman Empire, which was at war with Iran, this union of forces in the West changed the course of the war against the Ottoman Empire. But one thing we all know is that the Ottoman Empire fell behind the military developments of the West. The same situation occurred in the Ottoman-Austrian Wars. The military developments of the West had favorable results for Austria.

The Ottoman Empire and Austria were exhausted from this war that lasted for many years. At the same time, fighting on two fronts, both east and west, had become quite tiring for the Ottomans. In addition, the Celali Revolts, which continued increasingly in Anatolia, increased the disadvantages in the Ottoman household. To end the war On the Ottoman Empire side, Sultan Ahmet I and Archduke II of Austria. of Rudolf The Treaty of Zitvatorok was signed near the Danube River.

What is the importance of the Treaty of Zitvatorok, what happened?

The Treaty of Zitvatorok was one of the agreements that changed the course of the political history of the Ottoman Empire. Because with this treaty, the Ottoman Empire lost the rights it gained in the 1533 Treaty of Istanbul. With the signing of the treaty, the supremacy of the Ottoman Empire in Europe ended. The Archduke of Austria was considered equal to the Ottoman sultan. We can say that the legal superiority of the Ottoman Empire over Europe disappeared.

Although on paper the Ottoman Empire survived this war Even though it seems like it’s profitable This has never been the case. Now let’s examine the reason for this situation by looking at the articles of the Treaty of Zitvatorok.

What are the articles of the Treaty of Zitvatorok?

• The Ottoman sultan and the Austrian Archduke will be considered to have equal status.
• The Ottoman sultan will address the Austrian Archduke with the title of “Holy Roman Emperor”.
• The lands won in the war that lasted for years will remain on the winning side.
• The Archduchy of Austria will pay a one-time payment of 200 thousand gold coins to the Ottoman Empire as war compensation.
• The annual 30 thousand gold tax paid by Austria for the Hungarian lands under its sovereignty will be abolished.
• The nobles who did not pay taxes to the king in the Austrian Empire would not pay taxes to the Ottoman Empire either.
• Taxes would be collected by village headmen instead of Ottoman officials.
• Castles cannot be occupied, taking captives will be prohibited and captives will be exchanged mutually.
• The treaty will remain in force for 20 years.

Let’s briefly talk about the results of the Treaty of Zitvatorok and its effects on the Ottoman Empire.

• The Ottoman Empire lost its legal supremacy.
• The Ottoman Empire lost tax revenues in Europe.
• The treaty caused the Ottoman Empire to remain in the background in Europe.

As can be seen in the articles, with the Treaty of Zitvatorok, the Ottoman Empire gained legal supremacy as well as international relations in Europe. It also lost tax revenues. Tax revenues were the most important thing that kept the Ottoman Empire afloat as an economic power.

Austria’s rise to prominence in the legal and political arena caused the Ottoman Empire to remain in the background in Europe. After the Treaty of Zitvatorok, the Ottoman Empire’s advances in Europe stopped. Later The Ottomans were forced to gradually withdraw from Europe.

While the Ottoman Empire was trying to expand its territory in the east, it could not follow Europe’s military progress. Thanks to the Ottoman-Austrian Wars The Ottoman Empire was introduced to military methods developed in the western sense. After the Treaty of Zitvatorok, the first steps were taken to develop the Ottoman army.

who changed the political history of the Ottoman Empire Treaty of Zitvatorok We answered frequently asked questions such as what happened with the agreement, what was the importance of the agreement, and what was the impact of its consequences on the Ottoman Empire. Let’s see what you think about the Treaty of Zitvatorok in the comments.

Resources: History Maps, Ankara University

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