An Ahdname, achtiname, ahidnâme or athname (meaning the "Bill of Oath") is a type of Ottoman charter commonly referred to as a capitulation.
[2] It was influential in the way it helped to structure society and maintained the agreements made between nation states.
[4] After all, Venice was very aware that in order to protect the strength of their commerce, it was imperative to remain to in good standing with the Ottoman Empire.
The remaining treaties were simply edited for better quality and protection willingly by both the Empire and Venice.
Historian, Daniel Goffman, writes that those that composed Ahdnames seemed to have, "drawn upon Islamic, sultanic, and even local legal codes as the situations warranted.