A TRANSLATED LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE LAST SAFAVID SHAH OF IRAN, SOLTAN HOSSEIN (1668 - 1726), TO THE NEWLY-ELECTED DOGE OF VENICE, SILVESTRO VALIER (1630 - 1700)
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ENGLISH BIBLIOPHILE
Iran, ca. 1694

Italian translation of a Persian document ('traduzione di lettera scritta in idioma Persiano') with 12 to 24ll. of sepia ink italic handwriting on Italian laid paper, 2pp., the letter a translation from the congratulatory message and wishes extended by Soltan Hossein, the de-facto last Safavid ruler of Iran, to Silvestro Valier, elected the 109th Doge of Venice, reigning from his election on 25 February 1694 until his death six years later, the content mostly honorific and auspicious but the underlining tone serving the clear political purpose of expanding and reaffirming a potential collaboration of the two countries in case of an Ottoman insurgence, 28cm x 20.5cm.

Provenance: purchased by the present vendor at a German auction, Reiss & Auvermann, 1987.

The news of the passing of Doge Francesco Morosini (d. 16 January 1694) and the election of his successor, Silvestro Valier on 25 February 1694 reached the Persian court during the last few months of Shah Solayman’s reign (r. 1666 - 1694). Due to his decaying health, the Safavid Shah could not attend to diplomatic matters and relied on his son, Soltan Hossein, to send Iran's heartfelt congratulations to the new Doge, Soltan Hossein did so as soon as he ascended to the Persian throne on 6 August 1694.

For Valier, this letter was most welcome as he became Doge at the height of the Morean War, also known as the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War, which was fought between 1684 - 1699. Tensions with the Ottoman Empire considerably affected Venice’s international trade, which only resumed in full after the Peace Treaty of Karlowitz, signed on 26 January 1699. Under the Treaty, Venice received the modern-day Greek territories of Morea, Aegina, Lefkada, and Zakynthos, revitalising Venetian international trading sea routes.

During his reign, Soltan Hossein attempted to maintain relatively peaceful relations with both the Ottomans and the West, engaging in regular diplomatic and commercial exchanges with both parties without losing sight of a potential alliance with Venice against the Ottomans in case conflict arose. Little he knew back then that his defeat was going to come from the East, and not the West, by the hand of Afghan rebels led by the warlord Mahmud.