'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎552] (643/748)

552
PERSIA
and war proceeding between the Dutch and Persians, he returned
re infect a. Soon after, however, the English agents in Persia were
fortunate, in spite of Dutch opposition, in securing new and more
favourable firmans, and in 1697 a payment of some portion of the
Bunder Abbas arrears was made in silk. Throughout this period
the chief British agent appears to have occupied a position of
especial distinction at Isfahan, being regarded as an accredited
representative of the Crown; and in 1699 the Shah conferred upon
the English factory An East India Company trading post. the peculiar honour of a visit, which compli
ment cost them the modest sum of 1,200/. The amalgamation of
the old and new companies in 1708 put an end to an unfortunate
interlude of bickering and rivalry, and was followed by the despatch
of Mr. Prescott to Isfahan as chief agent of the United Company^
with a letter from Queen Anne to Shah Sultan Husein. Then
followed a period of general dislocation and anarchy, arising from
the Afghan and Turkish invasions, and from the internal warfare
that succeeded. The English were compelled to shut their esta
blishment at Isfahan, and a little later at Bunder Abbas; and of
their fortunes in this stormy period the Abbe Kaynal writes :—
During this general confusion the English sales in Persia consisted
of no more than a hundred bales of woollen manufactures, 2,000 cwt.
of iron, and the same quantity of lead. These articles, taken together,
brought them no more than from 1,200,000 to 1,300,000 livres paid in
money (=554,687/. 10s.). 1
In 1763 Bushire was selected as the headquarters of the Gulf
trade of the company, and, although it was temporarily relinquished
in 1770 in favour of Busrah, it was reoccupied three years later,
and commercial residents were retained at both places under the
Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. . At first only one vessel was annually
despatched to Bushire, with a cargo of 60 to 100 bales of cotton
fabrics, iron, sugar, and muslins. 2 But from 1790 the trade between
the Gulf and India rapidly increased, and in 1809 had risen at
years, or 150,000 tomams, but offered to take 50,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. in composition, and to-
be content with 10,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. yearly in future. On the other hand, Dr. Fryer,
who was in Persia a little earlier (1676-7) as doctor to the East India Company,
says that the latter had failed in their part of the bargain by not keeping two
men-of-war in the Gulf. {Travels in Persia, pp. 222, 353.)
1 History of the Settlements and Trade of the Europeans in the East and West
Indies. Translated by J. Justamond, vol. i. p. 362.
From 1780-90 the establishment at Bushire was only maintained at a total
annual loss of 1,800Z. In no year did the aggregate of sales exceed 7,000Z.; in
one year it sank to 93Z. (Milburn's Oriental Commerce, cap. x.)