‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎292v] (591/722)

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Persian neighbour. She took possession of the province of Palish ; hut
was far too deeply engaged in the affairs of Europe to add much further to
her territorial acquisitions on the side of Georgia.
When Fateh AH Shah found himself unable to cope with Russia, and per
ceived that she was extending her aggression to the Caspian, he naturally
looked to his English ally for support. Accordingly _ he directed his
envoy at Bombay to request the assistance of the British government;
but at that time Great Britain was in alliance with Russia, and could
not move in the matter. Fateh AH Shah then made overtures to France ;
and the idea of an alliance with Persia immediately seized the imagination
of Napoleon, who regarded Persia as part of the great highroad leading to
Hindustan, which had been traversed by Alexander the Great and Nadir
Shah. General Gardanne was despatched by the French Emperor on an
embassy to Tihran, and there met with a distinguished reception. French
officers began to introduce French discipline into the Persian army ; and
French engineers built the first regular fortifications which had been seen
in Persia." The government of India was now alarmed at the action of
the French Emperor, and endeavoured to recover its lost prestige at Tihran.
In 1808, General Malcolm was sent on a second mission on the Gulf. The
French influence was, however, too powerful for him. He was directed to
communicate with the prince-governor A Prince of the Royal line who also acted as Governor of a large Iranian province during the Qājār period (1794-1925). of Fars, and not to advance nearer
to the capital ; and he returned to India to press the British government
to enforce its policy on the Shah by the occupation of the island of Karak.
About the same time, however, Sir Harford Jones was despatched on a
mission to Persia by the court of St. James ; and fortuitous circumstances
enabled him to secure that favourable reception at Tihran which had been
denied to the ambassador from the government of India. By this time
Fateh AH Shah had reason for being utterly dissatisfied with his
French alliance. He had been assured by General Gardanne that, in the
event of a treaty being concluded between France and Russia, a stipulation
should be inserted for the restoration of Georgia to Persia. In July 1807
the treaty of Tilsit was concluded between Napoleon and Alexander ; but
no provision was made for the cession of the territory in question. More
over, the Shah was apprehensive lest his treatment of General Malcolm
should lead to hostilities on the part of the government of India. Accord-
ingly, General Gardanne ultimately received his passports; and a prelimi
nary treaty was concluded between England and Persia. In 1810, General
Malcolm proceeded to Persia on a third mission, to support the dignity of
the government of India. Finally, in 1811, Sir Gore Ouseley proceeded
to Persia as ambassador extraordinary from the court of St. James, and
concluded a definitive treaty, under which British officers replaced French
officers in the army of the Shah.
Whilst Great Britain and Persia were drawn together as allies in Asia,
Great Britain and Russia were beginning to cooperate in Europe for
delivering the continent from the terror of Napoleon. Meantime Great
Britain saw that her Russian ally was engaged in active hostilities with her
Persian ally. As early as 1812, when the French army was harassed by the
Russians in the retreat from Moscow, the army of Abbas Mfrza, the crown
prince of Persia, was cut to pieces by a Russian army on the banks of the
Araxes; and two British officers, with thirteen sergeants, were in action
with the Persian army on that occasion. The diplomatic complication of
being engaged in a close and defensive alliance with two powers, who were