'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' [‎47r] (95/226)

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.
63
Vakeel on the subject, and of our apprehensions that if the Government's people were
not more speedily checked, they would proceed to such lengths as to render our
departure from hence more eligible than our stay here. We are sorry now to inform
Your Honor that these apprehensions were but too well founded: the 31st ultimo your
broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. , Coja Yacoob, with the women and others of his family were seized in their
own house and obliged by repeated beatings, at some of which Ally Mahomed Caun,
the Governor himself, was present, to sign a bond for 6,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. . Our Linguists
sent to ask the reason of this treatment was again denied admittance, and as all
remonstrance we found would be ineffectual, we shut up our factory An East India Company trading post. and determined
on having as little communication with Ally Mahomed Caun's people as possible, until
we should receive an answer to a letter which we then prepared for Curim Caun, and
which was despatched to Shyras by the way of Bushire, as soon as the wind would
admit, on the 6th instant. In the meantime Ally Mahomed Caun's people finding that
the shutting up the factory An East India Company trading post. had alarmed the town in such a manner that they were
obliged to double the guards on the gates to prevent the escape of the inhabitants.
Being disappointed also in the amount which they expected from Coja Yacoob, notwith
standing all their severity, and beginning, we believe, to be apprehensive of the conse
quences of our complaining to the Vakeel, they gave us many hints that if we went to
see the Caun, everything might be amicably adjusted; but finding these had no effect, two
of his principal people at length desired to see us. Being admitted after some hesita
tion into the factory An East India Company trading post. , they made many professions of the Caun's friendship towards us
and endeavoured to persuade us to overlook what was past, and to visit the Caun, in
which case everything might be settled and Coja \ acoob released from the trouble in
which he was. 8uch, hon'ble gentlemen, is our present disagreeable and uncertain situa
tion, and we have no prospect of any change in it for the better before the arrival of a
cruizer from Bombay, or of answers to the letters of the Vakeel. If the latter are as
favorable as we flatter ourselves they will be, we may yet do something in the way
of trade at this place; but should they not be so, and there should be as little prospect
as there is at present of the towns again falling under a Turkish or Arab Government,
in duty to Your Honors we cannot avoid confessing that we much fear the advantages
which may be expected in the way ol trade will be far from an equivalent for the
expense and risk under such unsettled and rapacious Government as is the present,
and that the sooner we can withdraw the settlement from hence the better it will be for
Your Honor as well as your interest."
146. On the representations of the Agent in Council at Bussorah
reaching Curim Caun* in regard to the encroachments made by the
Persian authorities upon the Hon'ble Company's factory An East India Company trading post. , he issued the
following phirman to the Persian Governor of Bussorah:—
" Youlmust know that I have a very great regard for the English nation; they were
always^ friends to this kingdom and now are so, on this account my friendship towards
them is very great, and I must always take notice of their situation. You are there
fore to take particular care that you behave in a proper manner to Mr. LaTouche, the
linglish Chief, and to his people. You are to do them all the good you can. You are
not to suffer any one whatever to use force towards him, or the people that are in his
service, or to ask anything from them. In short, you are to behave to them in such a
manner that he may be contented and carry on his business with credit. These orders
must be strictly obeyed, whether he is contented or whether he is displeased must not
pass unnoticed by us; we must pay regard to his representations. I repeat that
what I now write must not be neglected or disobeyed by you on any account.
\ on know that the revenues of Bussorah depend on its customs, and you are
therefore to behave in such a manner as trade may go on and the revenues receive no
detriment."
147. This phirman, which reached Bussorah on the 17th March
1777, was accompanied by the following letter from Curim Caun to Mr.
LaTouche, the Agent at Bussorah :—
" 1 have received your petition and everything that you wrote concerning the situation
oi Bussorah 1 have understood. I have always had, and still have, the greatest regard for
the Lnglish Nation, and 1 know they have the same regard towards me. I have
* The Vakeel of Persia.