'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [‎60r] (119/344)

Part V—Chap. XXV.
99
13. We have directed Major-General Sir William Grant Keir to reduce the force under
his command and to return it to 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. at as early a period as practicable retaining^
until further orders, a battalion of Native Infantry at Kiebm, or at any other eligible
island under a strict injunction not to admit of the troops occupying any position on the
main.
14. The presence of this force will in our opinion produce a very salutary impression m
overavring any disposition in the Joassmes or any other tribe, atter the reduction of their
port, to prosecute piracy, by manifesting to the different petty States that our views are not
limited to the mere reduction of Rassul-khima and the destruction of the piratical boats;
but extend to the prosecution of arrangements of a more permanent nature.
We have the honour to be, etc,,
M, ELPHINSTONE,
CHARLES COLVILLE,
ALEXANDER BELL,
G. L. PRENDERGAST.
Bombay Castle;
The 15th December 1819.
207. The following is the despatch sent to His Majesty's Charg6
d* Affaires at Tehran (Henry Willock) on 15th December 1819, which is referred
to it in the despatch to the Marquis of
Page 70 of Volume o2-49 of 1820-1821. Hastings (paragraph 11) :—
1. The Rio-bt Hon'ble Sir Evan Nepean communicated to you in his letter, dated the
Qfb of October last, the necessity which has impelled the British Government to equip a force
for the reduction of the piratical powers in the Gulph of Persia ; aud having entered into a
consideration of the measures which it may be expedient to adopt for the purpose of rendering
the result of this second armament permanently promotive of the security of its navigation,
T have the honour of transmitting to you, as affording the best view of the nature of the
arraneements which we contemplate for that purpose, the copy of a despatch from this
Government to His Excellency the Most Noble the Governor-General in Council on the
* 3 2 I anticipate the difficulties which you may experience in satisfying the Persian
Government that our object is limited exclusively to the suppression of piracy, particularly
nnder the reports which have been propagated as alluded to in seme of your despatches to Hit
Excellency the Governor-General, that we were desirous of obtaining possession of the Island
of Bahrein. * * j -
8. You cannot afford the Persian Government a more satisfactory proof of the ais"
inlerestedness of our intentions than by an appeal to the nature and result of the last expedi
tion On which occasion the most positive orders were issued for confining its operations to
tbp destruction of the piratical craft and on no account to extend tbem to the interior of the
country. These instructions having been fulfilled, the armament returned to Bombay,
4 The expectations however which had been formed of the beneficial effect that
hp nroduced by that expedition soon proved fallacious j the Joassmee Arabs succeeded in
obtaining- other boats and vessels, and renewed their depredations with increased audacity;
artoonvnanied by acts of savage cruelty and of murder, committed indiscriminately on vessels
and subjects belonging to the British as well as on those of other powers ; even in the Indian
seas.
5 The British Government remained passive under these multiplied aggressions during
tbr last five years under a hope that they might be checked by the constant presence of a
marine force in the Gulf of Persia, and that some attention would be paid to the repeated
remonstrances which have been made to the Arab Chiefs who have been the most conspicuous
in the prosecution of piracy as well on the Persian as the Arabian side of the Gulf.
6 You must be fully aware (notwithstanding a recent application has been n»de by the
Government of Shiraz for the restoration of a Botella captured by His Majesty s Ship Curleuf
on the plea of her being the property of a Chieftain subject to Persia) that fie influence of
that Government on the various tribes inhabiting the ports on the skoret and islands of t c
Gulf of Persia has been completely annihilated since the ascendancy of the Wahabee power,
and that it has not commanded the means oj controlling those pirntteal habits whtch have been
tncouraged and protected by the Sheikh of that tribe.
7. Under these circumstances the British Government was ai full liberty to pursiu
whatever measure it might consider necessary for the protection of tU own subjects and
9 «nsral trade of India against jut we annoyance. A desire however of avoiding any aet.