"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٢‎٢‎٢] (١٧٨٢/١٣٧٧)

r—
** هذه التواريخ تقريبية *■
Attempt by
the Pasha to
lev.v customs
at 5 per cent,
on British
trade, 1760.
Elevation of
the Basrah
Reiidency
to the status
of an Agency.
1763.
1222
had been reached in 1756 ; but also to abolish for the first time a number
of other irregular charges on shipping and on the transit of goods to the
interior. The exemption of the Company from inland transit dues ;
hitherto not enjoyed in practice, would enable them to supply the
native merchants of Baghdad with goods on the same terms as those of
Basrah, provided that the purchasers on their part undertook the risks
of carriage ; and the consequence would be a reduction of 13 per cent,
in the price of woollens at Baghdad. Mr. Shaw, on his return to
Basrah at the middle of September, met with a very hearty reception
from the officials, merchants and citizens of the town,—a circumstance
which he attributed to the favour shown him by the Pasha at Baghdad,
and to the redress of several Basrah grievances which he had by his
representations been able to obtain.
Sulaiman I'asha^s regard for the Capitulations and for Mr. Shaw
must rapidly have grown cool after the return of that gentleman to
Basrah; for in the following year, professing to act under orders from
Constantinople, he required payment of import duty by European
merchants on their goods at the rate of 5 per cent, instead of the 3 per
ceni . admissible under treaty. The Mutasallim of Basrah, who was
well affected towards the British, informed the Resident privately of this
demand and of interference which had already been practised under it with
the goods of Europeans at Baghdad; his advice was that the Resident
should protest against the innovation, at the same time detaining the
" Swallow " at Bagrah as if for the purpose of shipping off the
Company's goods; and he promised that remonstrances on his own part
should not be wanting. The withdrawal of the obnoxious order was at
length obtained, though not without the solemn production of the Capitu
lations by the British, nor until a present had been demanded from Mr,
Shaw s private representative at Baghdad and refused; and only then
did it become known that the eccentric behaviour of the Pasha had
been due to the advice of a new Kehiyah, who was an enemy of all
Chiistians, and to whom had been assigned the difficult task of replenish
ing an empty exchequer.
The assistance against the Ka'ab given by the British to the Turks
^ has already been noticed above.
In accordance with orders passed by the Court of Directors in the
pievious year, the Government of Bombay in January 1763 prepared to
transfer the Company's principal station in the Gulf from Bandar 'Abbas
to Hasiah; and, as an important inquiry was to be held at Basrah into
tht conduct of Die late Resident there, for which Mr. Douglas, the Agent