'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [‎136v] (272/344)

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Part VII—Chap. LIII.
CHAPTER LIII.
REVOLUTION AT lUSIIIHF AND REMOVAL OF THE
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. FROM THERE, 1837.
Reeident's letter to Bombay GoTernment, dated 467. In February 1827 events Occurred
7th February 1827. a t Bushire which were followed by serious
Volume 3VV of 1827, page 305. consequences. On the 2nd February
tbere was a simultaneous and almost unpremeditated insurrection of the
inhabitants of Bushire headed .hj 150 men from the Benifladgi tribe from
a neighbouring village and led on by Sheikh Hussein (brother of Sheikh
Abdul Eassul Khan) who had for the last two months resided under the
Besident's protection.
468. The insurgents during the night surprised the onlv two towers of
the fort which were occupied by Sheikh Alimed's faithful adherents and
suspended their further operations till daylight when they surrounded the
Sheikh's house, and after skirmishing the greater part of the day compelled him
to subscribe to an agreement concluded under Colonel Stannus's mediation,
whereby he was obliged to abdicate the Government and take refuge in the
Besidency till accounts were received of the surrender of Karrack, when he
was to be furnished with the means of proceedinsr by sea beyond the limits of
the Bushire territory.
469. The authority of Sheikh Ahmed was at no period more generally
recognised or more cheerfully submitted to than on the day previous to his
downfall. His popularity was lost by a plan which he had formed of sending
hostages from each tribe to Karrak as pledge of their fidelity on the
approach of the Prince, and this one act of oppression had been found to cancel
all his former claims on the gratitude of the inhabitants.
^ 470. On the second day after Sheikh Ahmed had taken up his abode at the
Besidency, it became necessary to make a communication to the new Govern
ment on behalf of that Chieftain, which induced him to repair to the house of
Bheikh Mahomed, the uncle of Sheikh Abdul Bassul Khan, when the Resident
requested that the two young Sheikhs who were in possession of the Govern
ment might be sent for to hear the proposal with which he was entrusted. In
the course of the conversation that followed Sheikh Hussein took offence at an
observation which fell from the Kesident, left the house abruptly and rushed
towards the towers with his followers, who were soon raised-by his voice and
gestures to a proper pitch for executing any act of violence.
471. The consequence was that the armed rabble of the town were soon
everywhere in motion. The 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. was gradually surrounded by men
posted in groups behind the neighbouring huts, and detached parties were seen
creeping along the roofs of the houses to occupy commanding positions. These
demonstrations were followed by the approach of a large gun which was
brought from a distance and planted within 100 yards of the house, one of the
Besidency servants was stopped close to the walls and plundered of articles
which he was carrying to the gate. Parties were stationed in the streets
leading to the 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. avow 7 edly to prevent ammunition being introduced
there, in which occupation they committed the most wanton acts, emptying
water jars, opening bundles, and searching the persona of Armenians and
Others who approached it.
472. These violent proceedings forced the Resident to adopt measures for
sustaining an attack, and the 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. was in the course of the afternoon
placed in a respectable state of defence, but fortunately for both parties
matters were prevented from coming to extremities. A note which Colonel
Stannus addressed to Sheikh Kasir about 12 o'clock occasioned them to pause
and reflect a little on the consequences of their proceedings, and a second
written about three hours later produced a cessation of the frantic preparations
and the removal of the armed bodies from our immediate neighbourhood.