The Firman of Investiture of Prince Charles of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as Prince of the
United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, October 23, 1866
To Prince Charles of Hohenzollern, who has been in vested with the dignity of Prince of
the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. Having nothing more at heart than
putting an end to the disturbances which have for some time past taken place in the United
Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, an important part of my Empire, and to see their
prosperity developed, as well as the happiness and well-being of their inhabitants, and
that object being only attainable by the establishment of solid and lasting order;
Recognising, on the other hand, the wisdom, the high intelligence, and the capabilities
which distinguish you, I confer on you the Rank and Prerogatives of Prince of the United
Principalities on the following conditions, which have been specified in the Vizieral
Letter addressed to you on the 19th October of the present year, which you accepted by
your answer dated on the 20th of the same month, and by which:
Recognition of Rights of Turkey to Sovereignty over the United
Principalities.
1. You engage, in your own name and in the name of your successors, to respect in their
Integrity my Rights of Sovereignty over the United Principalities, which form an Integral
Part of my Empire within the limits fixed by the stipulations of ancient Conventions and
by the Treaty of Paris of 1856;
Armed Force not to exceed 30,000 Men.
2. Not to exceed, under any pretext whatever, without previous understanding with my
Government, the number of 30,000 men, to which the Armed Force of every description of the
United Principalities may be raised;
Coinage.
3. Authority having been granted on our part to the United Principalities to have a
special Coin bearing a mark of our Government, which shall be hereafter decided between my
Sublime Porte and you, to consider that authority as of none effect so long as that
decision has not been come to;
Treaties and Conventions with Foreign Powers to be binding on United Principalities.
Principalities not to conclude Treaties or Conventions with Foreign Powers. Principalities
to be consulted on Treaties and Conventions bearing upon their Laws and Commerce.
4. To consider as binding on the Principalities all Treaties and Conventions existing
between my Sublime Porte and other Powers, in so far as they do not infringe on the Rights
of the United Principalities established and recognised by the Acts which concern them;
also to maintain and respect the principle that no Treaties or Conventions can be directly
concluded by the United Principalities with Foreign Powers. My Imperial Government will
nevertheless not fail in future to
consult the United Principalities on the stipulations of any Treaty or Convention which
might bear upon their Laws and Commercial Regulations.
Above Restrictions not to bear upon Arrangements of an Unofficial or
Non-Political Character.
Arrangements of local interest between two neighbouring Administrations, and not having
the form of an Offical Treaty, or of a political character, shall continue to remain
excluded from the above restrictions.
Not to create any Order of Decoration.
5. To abstain from creating any Order of Decoration intended to be conferred in the
name of the United Principalities.
Rights of Sovereignty.
6. Always to respect my Rights of Sovereighty over the United Principalities in the
proportion which shall hereafter be fixed in concert with you.
Tribute.
7. To increase the Tribute paid to my Government by the Principalities in the
proportion which shall hereafter be fixed in concert with you.
Disturbers of the Peace not to be allowed in the United Principalities.
8. Not to permit that the Territory of the United Provinces shall serve as a focus for
Ringleaders of Disturbances, such as would endanger the tranquillity either of the other
parts of my Empire or of neighboring States.
Security to Turkish Subjects Trading in the Principalities.
9. To come to an understanding hereafter with my Imperial Government for the adoption
of practical measures necessary to secure the assistance and protection due to those of my
subjects who from other parts of my Empire shall proceed to the United Principalities with
the object of entering into commercial transactions.
Hereditary Title of Prince of the United Principalities.
Considering the conditions enumerated above, and the engagements contained in the
before-mentioned answer to the letter of my Grand Vizier, the Rank and Prerogatives of
Prince of the United Principalities are conferred upon you as a Hereditary Title for you
and your heirs in a direct line, with the reservation, in case of a vacancy, that Rank
shall be conferred upon the eldest of your heirs by an Imperial Firman.
Fulfilment of Engagements.
You will therefore watch that no Act shall be allowed contrary to the preceding
conditions and to the fundamental dispositions of the Treaties and Conventions concluded
with friendly and Allied Powers of my Empire, referring to the United Principalities, and
you will devote your attention in perfecting and ensuring the good administration of the
United Principalities, and in developing the well-being and prosperity of their
inhabitants in conformity with my Imperial wish.
Given at Constantinople, the 14th Djemasl-ul-Akhir, 1283 (23rd October, 1866).
Source:
From: Edward Hertslet, ed., The Map of Europe by Treaty, (London: Harrison and
Sons, 1891), Vol. III, pp. 1783-1787, reprinted in Alfred J. Bannan & Achilles
Edelenyi, eds., Documentary History of Eastern Europe, (New York: Twayne
Publishers, 1970), pp. 158-163.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton.
This text is part of the Internet
Modern History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and
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