"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٢‎٤‎٥] (١٧٨٢/١٤٠٠)

s.-
t
1245
5-lIIi
elapsed between the investment of Basrah and its surrender was ample
to admit of succour being sent from Baghdad^ or even from Constantino
ple; but it is probable that neither the Pasha,* "a weak and needy
ruler/'' nor the Sultan was in a position to render effectual aid.
In the autumn of 1773, when the British Agent and his staff were
on their return journey from Bombay, it was whispered for the first time
that S-arim Khan had designs on Basrah. The Persian Governor of
Kirmanshah, All Quli Khan, was known to have made preparations
foi invading Kuidistan, then a district of the Baghdad Pashaliq,* and
it was feared that a fleet and land force which were being assembled
on the Persian coast under the orders of the Vakil, ostensibly for service
against Masqat, were really intended to operate against Basrah the
apprehension excited at Basrah at this time was so lively that Khojah
Petrus, in whose charge the goods of the East India Company had been
left, thought of shipping them to Baghdad for greater security; and the
Agent himself purposed, if on his arrival at Basrah he saw that an
attack was imminent, to embark as much of the Company's goods as
possible on the vessels "Revenge" and "Drake", which he brought
with him.
The actual position at Basrah was found less critical than had been
feared; but id February 1774, some six weeks after the re-establishment
of the British Agency, Karirn Khan was said to have requested
apparently through the Mutasallim of Basrah, the co-operation of the
Turkish and British fleets against the Imam of ^Oman, with whom he
was at war, and to have threatened in case of non-compliance to attack
Basrah. This inteJligence was fully confirmed by letters received from
Messrs. Beaumoct and Green, two of the East India Company's servants
who were then confined by Karim Khan at Shiraz. Mr. Moore at once
apprised the Pasha of Baghdad that, so far as British vessels were
concerned, the \ akil s demand was inadmissible, adding: "In my
" humble opinion, therefore, it behoves Your Excellency t^o'order down
^ Your troops immediately for the defence of this place and give orders to
the different tribes of Arabs to march down to the banks of this river
^ to prevent the Persians from landing on this side of it—the sooner this
" is done the better, as Bussora according to my notions is in no state of
" defence whatever• and at the same time he was careful to inform the
Pasha that the British ships then at Basrah could not be spared, partly
* Whom Brydges and Olivier both call 'Umr Pasha, but who cannot well have been
he I mi that succeeded Ah Pasha m 1764 unless he was also called Hamad See
note on page 1242 ante. -nrtinaa, s>ee
Events
leading up
to the siege
of Hasrah,
1773-1775.
February to
March 1774.