"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٨‎٠] (١٧٨٢/٢٢٣)

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History of the Persian Gulf from the Invasion of Persia by the
Afghans to the removal of the British Headquarters in the Gulf
from Bandar 'Abbas, 1722-63.*
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The Seven
Years' War,
1756-63.
Events in Europe and India, 1722-63.
During the period now to be examined, the only events in Europe affect
ing- the position of Great Britain in India and the Persian Gulf were the
Silesian Wars and the Seven Years' War, in both of which Britain took
part against France.
The Sileflian In the Silesian Ware, which began in 17-1-2, Holland, the only other
Wars, 1742- European power having important interests in the Persian Gulf, joined
with Britain in supporting the cause of Maria Theresa. The Britifih
victory at Dettingen in 1743 and defeat at Fontenoy in 1745 were inci
dents of this war, with which also was connected the Jacobite invasion of
Scotland and England in 1745-46. In India Britain lost Madras to
the French in 1746, but recovered it under the treaty of Aix-la-Cbapelle
in 1748.
By the Seven Years' War, which continued from 1756 to 1763, the
maritime and colonial superiority of Britain over France was definitely
established. Passing over the incidents of the struggle in Europe,
of which the battle of Minden in 1759 was the most important,
and over events in America, we may observe that the course of operations
in the East was favourable to Britain and resulted in the total overthrow
of the French power there. The British Factory at Bandar 'Abbas in the
Persian Gulf was, as we shall see further on, captured and destroyed
* The principal authorities relating to the period 1772-63 in the Persian Oulf
are an anonymous official Precis containing Infovmution in Tegavd to the
Connection of the Hon hie East India Company with Turkish Arabia, printed
in 1874, and Mr. J. A. Saldanha'a Selections from State Papers, Bombay, regarding
the East India Company's Connection with the Persian Gulf, with a Summwy
of Events, 1600—1800, printed in 1905, both covering the whole period. For the
general affairs of Persia Malcolm's History of Persia, 1815, and for that of Turkej
Creasy « History of the Ottoman Turks, 1856, may be consulted, as before. Apart
from the semi-offioial authorities first quoted, the most valuable sources of historical
information about the Gulf countries at this titne are Niebuhr's Description de
i Arabie, 1774, and his I oyage en Arabic, 1776, referring particularly to the year
1/65-66 bu^ dealing also with earlier events. Mention may also be made of
Ives's Journey from Persia to England, 1773, relating chiefly to occurrences in or
about 1758, and of Five Letters from a Free Merchant in Bengal, 1777.