Treaty of Nerchinsk

The Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed between the Qing and Russia in 1689. It was the first treaty between the Qing and a European country on an equal footing. Since the mid-17th century, Russians have been advancing into the Heilongjiang (Amur River) area, which has led to constant conflicts between the Qing and Russia. From around 1670, the Qing asked Russia to hand over fugitives, and in the 1680s, they asked Russia to withdraw, but Russia did not comply, and the Qing army eventually surrounded Albazin Castle. Russia then sent Golovin to make peace with the Qing, and he and the Qing's Suo Etu met in Nerchinsk to sign this treaty. The success of the treaty was due to Russia's desire to establish diplomatic relations and trade with the Qing, and the Qing's desire to make peace with Russia and isolate Galdan of the Dzungars, who were exerting power in Mongolia. It also owed much to the good offices of two Jesuits, Pereira and Gervillon, who accompanied the Qing delegation as Latin interpreters.

The treaty was signed on September 7th (the 24th of the 7th lunar month), and the main points were as follows: (1) The border would be the Argun River, the Gorbitza River which flows into the Shilka River, and the Stone Mountain (the Outer Khingan Mountains). However, the land between the Udy River which flows into the sea and the Outer Khingan Mountains was left undecided and would be decided at a later date. (2) Russian houses on the south bank of the Argun River would be moved to the north bank, and the Albazin fortress would be demolished and removed. (3) Illegal border crossing would be prohibited, and violators would be handed over to the authorities of their home country and punished according to the severity of the crime. (4) Past fugitives would not be held accountable, but in the future all would be captured and handed over. (5) Those with passports would be allowed to travel and trade. (6) The treaty would be observed. A stone monument with the text of the treaty engraved on it could also be erected at the border.

The Russian side claims that at the time of signing, the Qing plenipotentiary pledged that no structures or residents would ever be erected on the destroyed land of Albazin, but the Qing denied this.

After the treaty was concluded, trade with Beijing by Russian caravans flourished, but the relationship between commerce and diplomacy was unclear. The unresolved border was left unresolved for a long time, but it was used as a pretext for determining the border at Heilongjiang in the Treaty of Aigun in 1858, and the Treaty of Nerchinsk was abolished by the Treaty of Beijing in 1860. In later years, the Soviet Union criticized the treaty as having been concluded under the coercion of the Qing army, lacking a ratification clause, and no local border setting, and considered it a flawed treaty.

[Kinichi Yoshida]

"Modern History of Russian-Chinese Relations" by Kinichi Yoshida (1974, Kondo Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1689年に清(しん)とロシアがネルチンスクで結んだ条約。清がヨーロッパ諸国と結んだ、最初の対等の条約である。17世紀中ごろからロシア人が黒竜江（アムール川）方面に進出してきたので、清との間に紛争が絶えず、清はロシアに対し1670年ごろから逃亡者の引渡しを求め、1680年代に入るとさらにロシア人の撤退を求めたが、ロシアはこれに応ぜず、ついに清軍がアルバジン城を囲んだ。そこでロシアは清と和を講ずるためゴロビーンを派遣し、彼と清の索額図(ソンゴトウ)がネルチンスクに会してこの条約を結んだ。条約締結に成功したのは、ロシアは清と国交を開いて交易を行うことを望み、清はロシアと講和してモンゴルで威を振るうジュンガルのガルダンを孤立させることを望んだためであり、さらに清の全権団にラテン語通訳として同行した2人のイエズス会士ペレイラとジェルビヨンの周旋に負うところも多い。

　調印は9月7日（陰暦7月24日）で、要点は次のとおりである。（1）境界はアルグン川、シルカ川に注ぐゴルビッツァ川、石の山（外興安嶺(こうあんれい)）とする。ただし、海に注ぐウディ川と外興安嶺の中間の地は未決定とし、後日決定する。（2）アルグン川南岸のロシア人の家屋は北岸に移し、アルバジンの城塞(じょうさい)は破壊し、すべてを撤去する。（3）不法越境を禁止し、違反者は本国官憲が引渡しを受け、罪の軽重に応じて処罰する。（4）過去の逃亡者は不問に付すが、将来はすべて捕らえて引き渡す。（5）旅券を持つ者は往来と交易を許される。（6）条約を守る。また条約文を刻した石碑を境界に建ててもよい。

　なお、調印の際、清の全権は、破壊したアルバジンの地には永久に建造物を設けず、住民を置かないと誓約したとロシア側はいうが、清は否定した。

　条約締結後、ロシアの隊商の北京(ペキン)貿易が隆盛になるが、通商と外交の関係が不明確であった。未決定部分の境界は長い間放置されてきたが、1858年のアイグン条約で黒竜江を境界と定める際の口実に利用される結果となり、1860年の北京条約でネルチンスク条約は廃棄された。後年ソ連では、この条約は清軍の強圧のもとで結ばれ、批准条項を欠き、現地での境界設定がなかったと批判し、欠陥条約視した。

［吉田金一］

『吉田金一著『近代露清関係史』（1974・近藤出版社）』

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