"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٣‎٨] (١٧٨٢/٢٨١)

r r- -
-
Position of
the British
in India
1763-V5.
Transference
of the Persian
Gulf Agency
from Bandar
'Abbas to
Basrah, 1763.
Overtures by
Karim Khan
to the British
138
dependent on Persia through the Shaikh of Bahrain. The only consider
able power in the Gulf besides Persia and Turkey was the Imamate of
^Oman ; which, having shaken off the yoke of Persia only a few years
previously was still inspired with anti-Persian sentiments and a strong
feelino- of nationality. The naval resources of the Imam ; however small
the military forces of which he disposed on land, were probably not
inferior to those of all the ports of Persia combined ; but he was seriously
incommoded, in operations abroad, by the necessity of defending his
north-western frontier against the Qawasim, with whom he was almost
always at war.
The British power in the Persian Gulf was as yet represented, almost
exclusively, by the East India Company ; and the Company were at this
time fairly free from embarrassments in other quarters. In India the
progress of the Marathas had received a temporary check through their
defeat by the Afghans at Panipat in 1761. After the battle of Baxar
in 176i the dangers to be faced by the British in Bengal were no longer
so great as they had been ; and in 1765 the revenue administration of
that province passed into their hands. The first Mysore war, however,
ended unfavourably to the British in 1769 j and even the expansion of
their interests in India, under ('live and Warren H astings, must have
tended to withdraw the attention of the East India Company from
affairs in Persia and Arabia.
1 he A geney, or principal British establishment in the Gulf, was
removed at the beginning of 1763 from Bandar 'Abbas, where it had
ceased, from its isolated position and the constant prevalence of local
disturbances, to possess a commercial or even a political value. It was
located instead at Basrah in Turkish 'Iraq, absorbing a Residency, which
had formerly been subordinate to it; and in 1764 it was expressly recog
nised by the Porte as a Consulate under the Capitulations. Mr. Trice,
the Agent specially deputed from India to inaugurate the new arrange
ments, was ordered to negotiate for a Residency at Bushehr also, and did
so with success; but, in spite of the foot-hold thus retained in Persia,
the policy of the Agency was dominated for some years from this date
by sympathy with its new Turkish surroundings, and verged on
hostility towards Persia. The transference of the British Agency
fiom Persian to Turkish soil was thus an event of decided political
significance.
Kaiim Khan, on his part, was anxious enough to maintain friendly
relations with the representatives o£ the East India Company, for he