'Letters and Enclosures from Sir Harford Jones (His Majesty's Envoy to Persia) to The Right Honble Robt Dundas (President of the Right Honble The Commissioners for the Affairs of India.), from 12th June 1807 to 8th Sep 1808, Vol: 1.' [‎451r] (912/936)

Content

The volume contains copies of correspondence, journal extracts, and intelligence reports relating to Sir Harford Jones’s diplomatic mission to Persia [Iran] in 1808.

The papers reflect the purposes and practicalities of the mission and cover the following matters:

• Jones’s progress from England to Bushire [Būshehr, in this volume also written Abusheher, Abushehr and Busheer] via Funchal, Cape Town, and Bombay [Mumbai]
• The purpose of, and uncertainty caused by, another diplomatic mission to Persia under Brigadier-General John Malcolm and sent by the Governor-General, Lord Minto [Gilbert Elliot Murray Kynynmound]
• Relations between France and Persia, specifically British fears regarding the presence and influence of a French Embassy in Teheran [Tehran, in this volume also written Tehraun]
• The mission of Captain Charles Pasley, Malcolm’s Secretary and sometime Acting Envoy, to Shiraz [in this volume also spelled Sheraz, Shirauz, Sherauz, and various other spellings] and failure to open negotiations with the Persians (folios 114-121 comprise extracts from Pasley’s journal)
• Discussion of the terms of any agreement to be made with the Persian Government
• Political and social affairs within Persia, both locally and nationally
• The presence of Russian and French diplomatic agents in Persia
• European politics, specifically the closing of Portuguese ports to British shipping following the former’s alliance with France during the Napoleonic Wars
• Requests for money and details of costs from Jones.

Principal correspondence is from Jones, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary A diplomatic representative who ranks below an ambassador. The term can be shortened to 'envoy'. to the Court of Persia, to Robert Dundas, President of the Board of Control Formally known as the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India, it was established by an Act of Parliament in 1784 to supervise the activities of the East India Company. . Enclosures, which constitute the bulk of the volume, include correspondence between Jones; Lord Minto, Governor-General of the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. of Fort William; Brigadier-General John Malcolm, Government of India Envoy to the Court of Persia; and Captain Charles Pasley, Malcolm’s Secretary and sometime Acting Envoy. Further correspondence, sometimes in summary form, is between Jones; Meerza Sheffee [Mirza Muhammad Shafi Mazandarani], Grand Vizier of Persia; Nasr Oolah Khan [Nasrallah Khan], Chief Minister of Fars; Prince Hoossein Ally Meerza [Ḥusayn ‘Alī Mirzā], Governor of Fars; Jaafer Ali Khan [Ja‘afar ‘Alī Khān], ‘Native Agent’ [a non-European employed by the British as a representative and broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. , among other things] in Shiraz; and Mohammed Nebee Khan [Muḥammad Nabī Khān Shirāzī], Governor of Bushire [in this volume, also written Abusheher, Abushehr, Busheer]. Other correspondents include Claudius James Rich, Resident in Bagdad [Baghdad], and William Bruce, Acting Resident in Bushire.

Extent and format

1 volume (462 folios)

Arrangement

The volume is divided into two parts, part 1 (folios 2-261) and part 2 (folios 262-461). The parts are arranged chronologically. Each part begins with a list of contents with columns providing a letter number, date, enclosure number, details of correspondents, a brief summary, and a page number. Following this, and within each part, is the principal correspondence from Jones to Dundas, in chronological order, and then all of the enclosures in an order that mirrors that of the principal letters they are connected to.

The final part of the letter found on folios 313-314 is found on folio 321.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 462; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers.

Pagination: the file also contains multiple original pagination sequences.The sequence contains two foliation anomalies, at f 242 and f 433a.

Written in

English in Latin script

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