Letter No. 192: Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Hennell, Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, to His Excellency Lieutenant-Colonel Justin Sheil CB, Her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Persia, Tehran

Content

Samuel Hennell refers to his earlier letter to Justin Sheil, no. 139, dated 9 April 1850, which concerned complaints from Shiraz against the British Agent of that city, Mirza Mahmood. The complaints originated from letters addressed to Sheil, which were purportedly written by Mirza Mahomed Houssein and Mirza Ahmed Khan respectively. The first complaint concerned a court case, in which the Agent was alleged to have interfered in order to prevent the plaintiff from obtaining justice. The second complaint was that the Agent had appropriated a portion of the effects of the late Mr Tasker, including a gold watch. Hennell states that he has enquired into the matter and found the accusations to be without any foundation. Hennell goes on to write that another letter, purportedly written by Mirza Mahmood to His Excellency the Prime Minister [ Mīrzā A title of honour originally applied to princes, later to military leaders, and later still to secretaries, chieftains, and other ‘gentlemen’. Taqī Khān, known as Amir Kabir], is in fact a forgery. Hennell states that he suspects that the late Acting Agent at Shiraz, Mirza Rerza, has been plotting to ruin Sheil's good opinion of Mirza Mahmood. Hennell's letter is followed by the following enclosures:

• Translation of a letter from Mirza Ahmed Khan to Samuel Hennell, Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , not dated, received by Hennell on 2 May 1850, in which Mirza Ahmed Khan states that he has not complained of Mirza Mahmood to anyone;
• Translated substance of a letter from Hajee Mahomed Jaffer, a merchant of Shiraz, to Samuel Hennell, Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , dated 27 April 1850, in which he responds to suggestions that the watch that he sold to Mirza Mahmood and the watch that Mirza Mahmood sold to Mirza Abdool Bakee are in fact the same watch.

Extent and format

5 folios

It is part of

Vol 166: 1850 Persia

454 images

Ref: IOR/R/15/1/121

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Letter

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

IOR/R/15/1/121, ff 68-72

History of this record

Date(s)

16 May 1850 (CE, Gregorian)

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Letter No. 192: Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Hennell, Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, to His Excellency Lieutenant-Colonel Justin Sheil CB, Her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Persia, Tehran, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/121, ff 68-72, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024051546.0x000025> [accessed 29 March 2025]

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