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encroaching up on the Persian soil from the west. These two powers ultimately decided to divide Persia between themselves. The western provinces, according to this undersanding were to belong to the Turks, while the northern ones as far as the Araxes were to be the property of Russia.
Prince Tahmasap since a long time was negotiating with the Porte and the Czar to help him in his struggle against the Afghans. Ismail Beg, one of his envoys reached St. Petersburg for this purpose and succeeded in concluding a treaty, by which it was stipulated that the Emperor of Russia would expel the Afghans from Persia and help Tahmasap in the restoration of his throne. In return for these services the Prince agreed to cede in perpetuity to Russia the towns of Darband and Baku, with the provinces of Daghistan, Shirwan, Gilan, Mazindaran and Astarabad. While these negotiations were going on in St. Petersburg, the Turks, availing of the opportunity, were extending their conquests at the cost of Persia. Kurdistan had acknowledged their authority, and the fall of Irwan, Khui, Nakhjawan and Maragha made them masters of
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