![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 [‎62r] (17/28)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x0003a1/Mss Eur F126_22_0123.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "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 [‎62r] (17/28)")
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 [62r] (17/28)
The record is made up of 14 folios. It was created in 26 Jan 1870. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
( 17 )
" by Shagasseo Wulieo Mahomed that he would never have a strong Govem-
" ment until he drove them out of the country.
" Against this are the following facts :—Sirdar Moolla Mahorned, aided
<4 by
Sirdar
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
Taj Mah omed and other Chiefs, organised the rebellion in which
the present Khan was wounded and had to fly for his life. Shere Dil
Khan was then elected Khan in his place, and was tolerated so long 'as
he had money and land to give away. These turbulent
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
then mur-
dered him and reinstated Khodadad Khan, and virtually became the rulers of
Beloochistan. 1 heir greed and oppressive acts at last roused the anger of
the well disposed
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
, and they insisted on the Khan asserting his autho-
rity. J he
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
Moolla Mahomed and Taj Mahomed then organised
" another conspiracy to murder His Highness, and place his infant son on
" the Khanate. This being discovered just in time, the
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
with the ex-
" ception of laj Mahomed managed to escape; subsequently Tuj Mahomed
" died in confinement.
" A second statement of
Sirdar
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
Moolla Mahomed's calculated to mislead
" is that, owing to his being exiled, 20,000 of his followers have also shared
his fate and are in actual want.
Ihe barawans are composed of several Inbes, of which the Shawanees
" and ll.iismees have atone time or another been the head. The late Nusseer
Khan, for an act of rebellion on the part of the Shawanees, touk away
taeir standard and gave it to the llaisanees. The total strength of this
'■ latter Iribe is only about 200, of which number 1.30 are with
Sirdar
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
Moolla Mahomed. The rest of the Sarawans are loyally disposed, and His
Highness taking into consideration the treacherous character of the llaisanee
Chief, has once more elected the Shawanees as head of the Sarawans.
1 he
Sirdars
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
have talked rather freely regarding Taj Mahomed's mother
" being kept a prisoner by the Khan.
Ihis is not the case ; she lives in a neighbouring village and constantly
goes to call upon His Highness. She has no sympathy whatever with
the Jam's party, and states that her son's ruin was entirely owing to the
" evil influence of
Sirdar
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
Moolla Mahomed.
t rom the above, there can be no doubt of the utter want of truth in
Sirdar
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
Moolla Mahomed s statements, furthermore that thev were only made
to bring the Khan into disrepute. His unparalleled treachery can only elicit
" one opinion, that any hardship or any privation he may have undergone is
only what he deserved. As regards the minor Chiefs who have been in exile»
they preferred conspiring with Moolla Mahomed against their Sovereign to
remaining loyal and true, and have therefore no one but themselves to thank
" for the sufferings they may have endured during the past 3 or 4 years.
Sirdar
Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division.
Moolla Mahomed's behaviour since I met him at Ba^hwana con-
vinces me that his previous history has not been overdrawn or exaggerated,
About this item
- Content
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.
- Extent and format
- 14 folios
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
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 [62r] (17/28), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/22, ff 54-67, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024195159.0x00007c> [accessed 24 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024195159.0x00007c
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024195159.0x00007c">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 [‎62r] (17/28)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024195159.0x00007c"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x0003a1/Mss Eur F126_22_0123.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x0003a1/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F126/22, ff 54-67
- Title
- 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
- Pages
- 54r:67v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence