"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٦‎١] (١٧٨٢/٢٠٤)

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61
privileges as at Bandar 'Abbas, the course of negotiations for the renewal
of grants might, in 1696, have been accelerated; but the Company
prudently abstained from committing themselves to hostile action against
the Arabs of 'Oman, whose pirates had up to this time respected British
shipping.
At length, after many delays, a satisfactory Farman,* dated 18th
June 1697, was signed by the Persian monarch; its general provisions
were similar to those of the Farman of Shah 'Abbas I of 1617 and need
not therefore be summarised here,t but in it was added a condition that the
import and export duties payable by the Company in Persia should be the
same as those levied by the Turks at Aleppo and Constantinople.
The Raqams J or subsidiary grants by which the Farman was accom
panied were 2-0 § in number; of these 18, already existing, were now only
confirmed, while the remaining two were granted for the first time. Under
the old Raqams the Company enjoyed the following rights :—(1) to
possess a house at Isfahan; (2) to recover goods taken from them on the
road ; (3) to be exempt from Rahdari or road dues throughout Persia; (4)
to receive civil usage ; (5) to export twelve horses annually ; (6) to export
(? in each year) 2,000 maunds of merchandise duty free ; (7) to convey
their goods in safety to their house at Isfahan ; (8) to bring water to
their house; (9) to have guards for their caravans ; (10) to make, drink
and export wine; (11) to employ assistants for making wine; (12) to
buy what Kirman wool they might require; (13) " to have the power of
judging of the offences of their own people; " (14) to sell goods for
ready money to the Governor of Bandar 'Abbas, who, however, was forbid
den to compel such sales ; (15) to re-occupy a house at Shiraz, of which
they had been dispossessed by the Persian Governor; (16) to refuse
presents to Khans and Governors ; (17) to be protected against hindrance
in landing their goods at Bandar 'Abbas; and (18) to deal free of duty in
sugar and assafoetida. The two new Raqams provided (19) for the exemp ■
tion of British trade in Persia, in future, from the dues knoun as Sad-Yak||
and Havoy,^[ and (20) for an immediate adjustment of the arrears of
customs due to the Enodish at Bandar 'Abbas.
cD
* Also described aa an 'Ahdnameh or " engagement."
t A statement of the contents will be found in Bruce's Annals of the Honorable
East India Company, Vol. Ill, pages 241-3, from which also (page 243) the statement
of Raqams given in the text is taken.
% Literally " writings."
§ According to Bruce the number was 21, of which 19 were old, but his enumeration
shows only 18 of that class.
|| Or " one per cent."
So in Bruce. It ia difficult to conjecture what Persian word is intended-
Farmtn of
the 18th
June 1697.
Raqams re
newed or
granted in
1697.
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