"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٩‎١] (١٧٨٢/٢٣٤)

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In 1755 affaire in Persia were still in a chaotic condition. Mr. Wood, 1755.
an employe of the Company, obtained from Karim Khan, who now held
Shiraz, a Raqam authorising the eetahlishment of a Factory at the port of
Rig; and almost simultaneously Karim Khan's principal opponent, Azad
Khan of Azarbaijan, wrote to the British Agent informing him in a
riendly manner of his intention to advance upon Shiraz.
A beginning had been made at Bandar 'Abbas in 1753 in collecting 1756.
and translating all the Raqams, orders and grants of consequence relating
to the Company's privileges in Persia; but the work was not apparently
completed until 1756, when a box containing copies of the translations
was apparently sent to the Presidency. The collection was made under
orders from Bombay; and it is not a little difficult to understand the
anxiety of the Company about the nature of their Farmans at a time
when no responsible government existed in Persia, and when no prospect
of any being established was apparent.
In consequence of the dissolution of the central government of Persia
and the tioubles, to be described hereafter, which sprang up in consequence
at Bandar Abbas, the latter place had now ceased to be a safe or eligible
site for the chief British settlement in the Gulf.
The question of removal was first mooted in 1 750, on the taking of
Shiraz by the Afghans of Ahmad Shah, Abdali. This event led
the British Agent to propose that he should be authorised to transfer the
Agency to Bahrain and to seize the Persian fleet at his departure from
Bandar Abbas, but his scheme did not find favour at the Presidency, and
it was ordered that the Agent and Council should not leave Bandar 'Abbas
Unless there were pressing danger, in which case they might retire " till
''the Troubles in the Kingdom of Persia are subsidedto "any Island
" up the Gulph near Bundar Rushire or Bunder Rique where they are
"sure there is water and provisions and the inhabitants will permit
" them to land and join with them for their mutual defence." In no
circumstances was the Agent to seize the Persian ships at his departure.
The matter was then dropped for a time.
At the beginning of 1752 Nasir Khan of Lar, who owned no superior 1752.
and whose influence was now paramount in the neighbouring country,
paid a visit to Bandar 'Abbas; and his proceedings there, though he
professed friendship for the Company, opened Up such a vista of future
extortion that the Agent advocated the removal of the Bandar 'Abbas
establishment to some adjacent island such as Qishm or Hanjam. In an
insular position he argued, the property of the Company would be secure
without payment of blackmail to any local chief; and he anticipated that
Question of
removing the
British
Agency from
Bandar
'Abbas,
1750-63.
1750.