'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎1375] (1530/1782)

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1375
dispute. The British Commissioner was Colonel WUiams,* R. A. after
wards Sir W. Fenwick Williams " of Kars," and with him was associat
ed in the heginning the Hon'hle R. Cnrzon, afterwards Lord Zouche, from
til' 1 British Embassy at Constantinople.
The first conference of the Commissioners at Erzeromn was held on
the 15th May 1843. The difficulties inherent in the task of the com
mission were greatly aggravated by the recent Turkish massacre of
Persians and other Shi'ahs at Karbala, and by various questions regarding
the position of Persians in Turkey which had arisen; but examination of
evidence and discussions continued at Erzeroum until March 1844, when
they were interrupted by the insolence of the Turkish plenipotentiary,
Enven Bey,t in replying to his Persian Colleague,J Mirza Taqi Khan, on
the question of whether Shi'ahs should be allowed to possess separate
mosques of their own in Turkey. The principal negotiations were then
transferred to Europe, the members of the commission awaiting the result
at Erzeroum. Not uneventfully, however, for in 1 846 the house of the
Persian plenipotentiary was besieged and pillaged by a Sunni mob, the
Turkish authonties not stirring to his assistance, though Colonel Williams
risked Ins life in the affray. Two dependents of the Persian representative
were murdered also ; ?nd eventually he received £8,000 as compensation
from the Turkish Go*, ernment.
At length, on the 31st IVIay 1847, the Second Treaty of Erzeroum
was signed at that place by the Turkish and Persian plenipotentiaries,
Enveri EfPendi and Mirza Taqi Khan, in the presence of Colonel Williams
* Colonel Williams was the original nominee, but he fell ill; and Mr. Curzon, who
was at the time Sir Stratford Canning's Private Secretary at Constantinople, was
appointed in his place. Colonel Williams presently recovered, however, and he and
Mr. Curzon then proceeded to Erzeroum as Joint Commissioners. In October 1843,
Mr. Ourzoii had an attack of brain fever at Erzeronm and was obliged, after his
recoverv, to go home. Sir Stratford Canning, the British Ambassador at Constanti
nople, had originally advocated the appointment as British Commissioner of Mr.
(afterwards Sir A. H.) Layard, a private traveller possessed of local knowledge; but
his recommendations wez-e not accepted by Lord Aberdeen, Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs. Lord Palmerston, Lord Aberdeen's successor, offered Mr. Layard a
Joint Commissionership at a later stage of the proceedings, but Mr. Layard had by that
time found other employment.
t The original Turkish Commissioner was Nuri Effendi, who had been Ambassador
at London and Vienna, but he died before the proceedings at Erzeroum began. It was
only after some delay that Enveri Effendi, who had been his Secretary, arrived in hie
place.
| The first nominee of Persia was Mirza Ja'far, who had been Persian Ambassador
at the Porte, but illness prevented his proceeding further than Tabriz in the direction
of Erzeroum.