'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎32] (175/1782)

• >Vr-v'.;' ;■> /./ ;
Despatch of
an Knglish
embtssy to
Persia under
Sir D. Cotton.
Voyage of
the English
embassy to
India, 1627.
32
appeared habited as a PerBian and was received with much ceremony.
Meanwhile, however, perhaps at the suggestion of the Company's servants
in Persia, Shah 'Abbas had despatched a Persian gentleman as Ambas
sador to England; this was a certain Naqdi 'Ali Baig, who left Surat in
April 1625 but did not reach England until February 1626, sometime
after the a Star/' in which he sailed, had been given up for lost. A
singular collision occurred in London between the Shah's two ambas
sadors, of whom Naqdi 'Ali Baig apparently enjoyed the countenance of
the East India Company. Sir Robert Sherley, having gone with the
Earl of Cleveland and others to visit Naqdi 'Ali Baig at his lodgings,
was violently assaulted and knocked down by the Persian and his son;
and Naqdi 'Ali Baig declared Sherley to be an impostor and his letter of
credence a forgery. On the 6th of March 1626 the Persian had an
audience of King Charles and presented a letter from the Shah, in which
it was stated that Naqdi 'Ali Baig had been sent "to desire nothing but
" His Majesty's love, and that he would command his merchants and all
" his people to come freely into his country to buy or sell or do what they
" pleased, and none should dare to force any bargain upon them."
The Knglish court, though inclined to trust Sir Robert Sherley, were
unable to decide between the two disputants, and ultimately the King
decided to send Sir Dodmore Cotton as Ambassador to Persia to
reciprocate the friendly sentiments of the Shah, to place the English
trade in Persia, which as we have seen was in a depressed state, upon a
better footing, and also to ascertain whether Sir Robert Sherley had
really been accredited to him by the Shah. Sherley was to accompany
the mission, and the East India Company were requested to arrange for
the conveyance of the Ambassador and his party to Persia. This last
demand the Company sought to evade, as they wished neither Cotton
nor Sherley to be brought into their affairs, but their objections were
overruled. Cotton was instructed, however, not to interfere in the
Company's mercantile business.
The Company's fleet, carrying the English Ambassador, his staff,—in
cluding Sir Thomas Herbert, the chronicler of the mission,— and the
rival Persian Ambassadors, sailed from England on Good Friday 1627
and reached Surat on the 30th of November in the same year. On the
day of sighting the Indian coast, Naqdi 'Ali Baig, on whom the fear of
his master s displeasure had begun to weigh,* committed suicide by
» He lad torn up a commission which Sherley alleged to be the Shah'.s and he had
also been guilty of some irregularities in money n atters. Shfih 'Abbas subseqaentlj
^ec are ^ I 16 bad not thus prevented it, at his coning to tie Court his Body
should first have been hackt in pieces, and t! en in tie open Market -place burnt with
" Dogu-ttirda.'' r r