'Precis Containing Information in regard to the First Connection of the Hon'ble East India Company with Turkish Arabia, as far as the Same Can Be Traced from the Records of the Bombay Government, together with the Names of the Several British Residents and Political Agents Who Have Been Stationed at Bagdad [Baghdad] and Bussorah [Basra] between A.D. 1646 and 1846, accompanied by Other Information' [‎35r] (71/226)

WITH TURKISH ARABIA A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. —1646 TO 1846.
39
to the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. by that vessel, under the 19th October, and the several papers therein
referred to. Your Honor, &c., will please to observe how greatly I think myself
aggrieved by the conduct of the Right Worshipful the Agent during his stay here, and
equally so by his leaving this place, at a juncture, when I might in a few days have
been enabled by his stay, and a proper assistance, to settle the contractor's accounts,
and recover and pay in the large balance due to the Hon'ble Company.
" I shall not here pretend to vindicate my own conduct in giving the contractor's
cloth upon trust, otherwise than by saying it had ever been practised by my pre
decessors, and self, with success ; and 1 humbly presume to add, no evil consequences
would now have attended it had I been properly supported and countenanced by Mr.
Douglas. By whom on the reverse many impediments were thrown in my way in
that and all my other affairs, which are fully set forth in several letters wrote him
whilst here, and more particularly in that addressed to him alone, of the 9th
October last, and as all those letters and papers are to be sure sent from the
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the inspection of your Honor's Board, I shall not here trouble you
by enlarging thereon, but must take the liberty to say, that his rendering it
apparent here, by his conduct, that from him I had neither favour nor countenance to
expect. His attempts to set the Bashaw An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Baghdad against me, as mentioned in my
said letter of the 19th October, and his giving out here that I had nothing but the most
rigorous resentment to look for from Your Honour and Council, has so much impaired
my credit, that 1 have not been hitherto able to come to any settlement with Hadjee
Eusuph, who has so large a sum in his hands due for the Hon'ble Company's cloth ;
and my own private affairs are still, if possible, in a more desperate condition for the
same reasons, which are unhappily much in the hands of the Government, and
people depending on them, with whom I have neither power nor credit left, being
out of post and unbefriended here, I therefore take the liberty to represent my
unfortunate situation, and the improbability I have to settle (without giving up my
all to ruin) with Hadjee Eusuph and others ; he from his own interest here and the
countenance procured him by Mr. Douglas at our factory An East India Company trading post. , and his own evasions, has till
now protracted the re-adjusting of his accounts; re-adjusting I say, because we had
really adjusted them but a few days before the Swallow's arrival, which was public to
all the world, as it took up several days, yet now he raises such numerous objections, and
adds so many fresh demands, and insists upon re-adjusting all our old accounts from
the year 1758, that there is likely to be no end to it, without the immediate interposi
tion of Your Honor, <fec. I therefore request you will please to think of some method
such as to Your Hon'ble Board shall seem meet to procure the settlement of this and
all my affairs here, and re-establish my credit in consideration of the post I have filled,
which will lay me under the highest obligation. As my stay is attended with so great
an expense of time and money, and I am sensible my character also greatly suffers for
want of being in person at the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. to vindicate myself as far as possible, I am
persuaded Your Honor, &c., will never permit a Company's servant of near eighteen years'
standing to be thus given up to ruin and discredit in the place he once bore some station
without affording him proper relief. Even though in some respects his conduct may
have been judged censurable, and in this confidence it is I make this my humble appli
cation, and I beg leave to subscribe myself with all deference and respect."
98. Iii a letter to Government^ dated 9th July 1762, the Ag-ent
in Council at Gombroon reported the death on the 14th May preeedino-
of Solyman Bashaw An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Bagdad; that messengers had been despatched
to Constantinople with news of that event, and that their return was
hourly expected with the Sultan's appointment of a new Bashaw An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. or
Bashaws, it being, it was observed, the prevailing opinion of many
intelligent persons that Bagdad and Bussorah would for the future be
formed into two distinct Governments under different Bashaws, indepen
dent of each other. This expectation, however, was not realised. Ali
Aga having in July 1762 been appointed Bashaw An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Bagdad and
Bussorah.
99. On the 21st July 1762, Mr. James Stuart, who had been
placed by Mr. Douglas in the month of October preceding in tempo
rary charge of the Bussorah Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , died suddenly. On receiving