Letter No.52 of 1870 from Colonel Sir William Lockyer Merewether, K.C.S.I. & C.B., Commissioner's Office, Camp the Tanda to His Excellency The Right Honourable Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey Fitzgerald, G.C.S.I., Governor and President in Council, Bombay [‎62v] (18/28)

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Letter regarding Colonel Robert Phayre's report 'outline of Khelat [Kalāt] affairs from 1857 to 1869' and providing comments on each of the points made by Colonel Phayre.

Sir William Merewether's observations include explanations of terms used in the report; the influences around the young Khan of Khelat [Kalāt], Khodadad Khan; the difficulties caused by the Khan having been raised in seclusion by his mother; recent events in Khelat from 1857 onwards; grievances against the Khan by discontented nobles; attempts by the Jam of Beyla [Bela] to disrupt the Khan's government and rulership.

The letter goes on to give Merewether and others opinions on the Khan's Wuzzeer Wullee Mahomed Shagassee and of Khodadad Khan himself; as well as the apparent change in temperament of Moolla Mahomed Raisanee; and the ongoing difficulties with Azaud [Azad] Khan od Kharan not only in Khelat but in Beloochistan [Baluchistan] in general.

The letter also comments on the number of regular forces under the Khan's command; Captain Harrison's more favourable impressions of these forces and the arrangements for payment of these forces; as well as Merewether's disagreement with Colonel Phayre's opinion that the British Government should interfere in both these matters and that of the relations between the Khan and his Chiefs.

The letter proceeds by making observations on the state of affairs in Beloochistan and why he advocates that their should be no change in policy towards Khelat state. Merewether also comments on recent proposals around the future management of the Murree and Boogtee tribes as well as his recommendation that Government relations with these tribes should not be handled directly but should go through the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Khelat. The letter also outlines Colonel Phayre's proposals for the enacting of suggestions from the Punjaub Government on the protection of the frontier, and Merewether's disagreement with these proposals, giving reasons, and his alternative plan for taking these suggestions forward by using the local tribes to provide defensive forces for the frontier, along with details of costings for such a plan.

The letter concludes by noting that the current sum of 50,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per annum which the British Government pays to the Khan under the terms of their treaty does not actually re-imburse him for the duties lost from leveies on merchants passing through his territory and that a further sum of 44,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per annum should be granted to aid the Khan in acting on his engagements in regards to cattle-lifting and intertribal quarrels.

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14 folios

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English in Latin script

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