Letter from Major General William Grant Keir, to Captain William Bruce, Resident at Bushire

Content

The letter and its enclosures relate to Britain's suppression of 'piracies' in the Gulf, and its treaties with the rulers of the region. In the letter, Grant Keir writes to inform Bruce that he has signed a Preliminary Treaty with the ruler of Bahrain. He includes a number of enclosures with his letter:

1. Translation of the Preliminary Treaty (folios 21v-22) with the Sheikh of Bahrain, dated 5 February 1820;

2. Tranlsation of a Furmann [ Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). ] (folios 22-23) from His Royal Highness Hoosein Allee Murza [Hussain Ali Mirza], Prince of Sheeraz [Shiraz], to General Sir William Keir, dated 18 March 1820. The Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). discusses the spirit of friendship between Britain and Persia, which is at risk because of the actions authorised by Persia, and carried out by the Persian subject Rahman ben Jaber against Bahrain;

3. Translation of a letter (folios 23v-24) from His Highness the Imaum of Muscat, to General Sir William Keir, undated, discussing terms of peace between Muscat and Bahrain;

4. Translation of a paper of proposals (folios 24-25) to His Highness the Imaum of Muscat on the part of the Atoobees [ʿUtūb] by Syed Abdol Julil, undated, detailing the terms of peace between Muscat and Bahrain, including the payment of 30,000 French dollars by the latter to the former;

5. Draft of a letter (folios 25-26) from Major General William Grant Keir, to His Royal Highness the Prince of Sheeraz, dated 20 March 1820. The letter is Grant Keir's reply to Prince Hussain Ali Mirza's letter (folios 22-23), in which Grant Keir reiterates the British Government's desire and success to date of suppressing piracy and bringing peace to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ;

6. Draft of a letter (folio 26) from Major General William Grant Keir, to His Highness the Imaum of Muscat, dated 9 March 1820.

Extent and format

6 folios

It is part of

‘Vol 21 Letters inward’

128 images

Ref: IOR/R/15/1/21

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/15/1/21, ff 21-26

History of this record

Date(s)

21 Mar 1820 (CE, Gregorian)

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Letter from Major General William Grant Keir, to Captain William Bruce, Resident at Bushire, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/21, ff 21-26, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024100364.0x000046> [accessed 21 November 2024]

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