'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎8v] (21/143)

2
• • •root.qV. Thp Turks at this time seemed
was useless for him to remain m B ^ money The Company
anxious to subdue the Ka ab > but unless P the latt er paid for the expenses
morwver T ,' l aiA not d 0( but it was not possible
? Sbdrr°brE.*b£,Jiw™.. ,»i. B^h. **.i**»~
TS™ fy « Baghdad and the place would
rreek near a new erected fort named Mansur 1 which it was determined by
them not only to destroy but also to attempt the fort, the former °f w ic
was effected but failed in the latter for want of water and people to t g
guns, being’seven miles from the place of their landing when they began the^r
retreat which was about midnight, the greatest loss was in the death o±
Lieutenant Nesbitt with an European gunner, four others only being uounde
(Saldanha, p. 201).”
At this time the Turks granted the Company’s fleet a monthly subsidy ot
1,000 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a month, in consideration of the assistance they gave m sub
duing the Ka’ab-
During July 1766, Mahmud Kia A deputy or lieutenant of the governor in Ottoman Iraq, with additional responsibilities as a high-ranking provincial judge. , a Turkish^ General, arrived from
Baghdad with 1,500 men and proceeded to Qubban in company with part ot
the Company’s fleet.
“ The Chub people immediately on their appearance deserted the fort with the
greatest precipitation, the consequence of which has been a whole tribe ot
Chaub’s principal Musquetiers having fled to Mahmud Kia A deputy or lieutenant of the governor in Ottoman Iraq, with additional responsibilities as a high-ranking provincial judge. with their
families as well as to our ships. By those people we have learnt that the
greatest disaffection reigns among his troops who would all desert him, but
that he keeps their Chiefs continually within his sight and on the least sus
picion commits the most horrid barbarities; in short they say there is nothing
wanting but for the Turks to march into his country when it is thought the
whole of his people would immediately desert him; therefore this measure has
lately been very strongly represented by the Agent of the Company to the
Karim Khan was asked at this time not to give protection to the Ka’ab :
he made no answer and appears in practice to have sheltered refugees
(Saldanha, p. 205).
Under date 23rd October 1766, the Basrah agent and Council wrote to
the Council at Bombay that they had decided in regard to some small
schooners—
“ As they were so convenient for the Ka’ab’s rivers to detain them with the rest of
the fleet until we can know the final determination of the Turks in regard to
Karim Khan, for although they have moved their Camp from Jalahai (Jarrahi)
to the Haffar (Mohammerah) on account of the farinan lately sent to them by
the Khan, yet there is reason to think they must renew the war against the
Ka’ab and therefore have requested that we would continue the fleet on the
present station and maintain blockade by sea as much as possible.’’
On the 23rd August, Shaikh Ghanim, son of Shaikh Salman, made an
appointment to meet Captain Andrew Nesbitt in the neighbourhood of Khor
Buzlyeh. The meeting took place, but Ghanim behaved with impertinence
and plainly contemplated treachery, which Captain Nesbitt prevented by
attacking him first-
Ghanim was dangerously wounded and several Shaikhs and others killed
and wounded. The Company only lost one European and one sepoy Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. killed,
5 Europeans and 3 Indians wounded. This affair happened about 5 in the
evening.
“ Towards ten o’clock, the flow having made, he (Nesbitt) endeavoured to board thef
‘Fort William’ and ‘Sally’ but that being come within about Musqett
shot the enemy set them both on fire but they (Captain Nesbitt and party)
continued there till the flames burnt down to the water’s edge.”
1 A district of this name (Mansureh) exists some 8 miles north-east of'Buziyeh on the Jarrahi River (vide 1
mile-1 inch map), but the same name occurs on the 1st edition of the Survey of India’s (Colonel St. John’s) map
of Persia, lb miles - 1 inch, opposite Qabr-an*NakhudS on the mainland near rocks now known as Umm-ud-