Capitulation (treaty)

As a result, the foreign subjects are immune, for most civil and criminal purposes, from actions by courts and other governmental institutions in the state that makes the capitulation.

[4] In the 9th century CE, the Abbasid caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd granted guarantees and commercial facilities to such Franks, subjects of the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne, as should visit the East with the authorization of their ruler.

[5] The explanation of the practice is to be found in the fact that the sovereignty of the state was held in those ages to apply only to its subjects; foreigners were excluded from its rights and obligations.

When the Ottoman rule was substituted for that of the Byzantine Emperors, the system already in existence was continued; the various Non-Muslim peoples were allowed their semi-autonomy in matters affecting their personal status, and the Genoese inhabitants of Galata were confirmed in their privileges.

[5] Five years later, similar capitulations were concluded between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, and most other European powers, and eventually the United States, followed suit.

While differing in details, the usual agreement covered commitments such as the number of soldiers to be provided, payments or other benefits, and immunity from French law.