APIS Translation (English)
OIM 13787, recto: (1) In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. (2) It has been decreed by the noble exalted order of our Lord (3) the Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Saif al-Din. (4) (may God Almighty exalt it, honor it, implement it and make it effective) that there should be drawn up this (5) noble decree to all who peruse it from among the deputies, chamberlains, judges and executive officials (6) in God-guarded Tripoli (may God Almighty strengthen them), the contents of which are to tell them that they cannot be unaware of (7) the custom of buying a third of the potash that is brought there for our noble Bureau (8) and selling it to the Frankish merchants in God-guarded Tripoli. It has now reached our noble hearing (9) that the fiscal regime has become disorganized and everyone has ventured to make his own purchase and there is an interruption of the sale of potash affected (10) to our noble Bureau. We have therefore decreed that the Frankish merchants should not be allowed to purchase any (11) potash except the potash of our noble Bureau and the potash of the noble Vicegerency. All those who sell to the Franks (12) any potash should be admonished and not allowed to load it. [It has been ordered that] official sworn undertakings should be drawn up to apply to the merchants, (13) the owners of soap factories, that they will not sell any potash secretly. Likewise the officers [of the Bureau?] should swear that they will not make illegal deals (14) with the merchants or with all who customarily buy potash for any of the potash in secret. (15) All who are seen to act not in conformity with this must pay a sum of money and other items to our noble Treasuries. It has also reached (16) our noble hearing that, when the ships of the Venetians arrive, they bring (17) in them various sorts of merchandise, which they unload in the harbor of Tripoli and place in the middle of (18) the bales of ... cloth and sacking some costly goods, timsah sable, (19) satin and velvet etc. There is lost to our noble Bureau thereby (20) a considerable sum. We have decreed then that each bale should be examined piece by piece, and likewise (21) the items of the weighed [variety] should only be received [separately] by type. It has come to our noble hearing (22) also that the aforesaid Franks bring merchandise from Beirut to Tripoli (23) the God-guarded and they may have unloaded from their ships top quality cloth, sable [and] satin and other things (24) in secret, while claiming that it came to them from Beirut, although the fact is that they unloaded it secretly. (25) We have decreed that if goods are brought to them from Beirut they should all be checked before they reach (26) their storehouses and [the officials] should not impose any duty on them in order that it might be known what comes from Beirut and what (27) is unloaded from their ships. Our decree to [those mentioned] is that they should proceed to carry out what we have ordered in connection with all this (28) in the terms set forth therein with no carelessness or neglect in the matter, (29) directly and decisively. Our noble decrees place full emphasis on this. Let them take cognizance of this, and God Almighty will support them with His grace and favor, (30) If God Almighty wills it. (31) Written on the twentieth of the month of Ramaddan of venerated status, (32) in the year nine hundred and nineteen (33) according to the noble decree. (34) Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe, and His blessings and His peace be upon the most noble of creation, our lord Muhammad, and his family and his Companions and the Followers.