"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٦‎١‎١] (١٧٨٢/٧٥٤)

W -^Jj
Ol?5
611
Pelly, the Resident in the Persian Gulf ; but the time for negotiation
was already past. About midnight on the 21st of February Ibrahim
Khan ; s leading troops under the command of Husain Khan of Gaih,
who was acting with the Persians, reached Chahbar; and on the
next day, after a defence of three hours and the loss of several men,
'Abdul 'Aziz evacuated the fort, which he had held with four guns and
a garrison of 30 Arabs and Baluchis, and took refuge on board of a vessel
in the harbour.
Directly the fighting was over the Persians commenced to plunder
the town, from which the British Indian residents had fortunately
sent away their families and much of their property in anticipation of the
attack. To the remonstrances which Major Miles, in accordance with
the instructions of the Government of Bombay, addressed to him from
Gwadar, Ibrahim Khan replied denying the claim of 'Oman to possession
of Chahbar and asserting the title of Persia, which had, he said, been
confirmed by the recent* award of the Perso-Kalat Boundary Commission;
he also complained of the conduct of 'Abdul 'Aziz in confining some
Persian subjects on board of his vessel. After a few cays .. e
Sartip made over charge of the town to Husam Kaan o ai an
departed for Qasrkand in the interior. The proceedings o usam an
were much complained of by the British traders of Chahbar, who were
reducei to great straits for food and at the same time "w rt prcven e
from removing their goods lest they should quit the place Most
British subjects had now taken refuge in the neig i 'om 0 ° . ,
British telegraph station, and, to ensure their safe y, u sv a» i . '
send a vessel of war to the spot; but none was at the moment a^ ailal e.
'Abdul 'Aziz remained for some days on his vessel m the ^ uou ^ .
intercepted specie arriving from abroad, sent boa s to •
assistance from Sur and Khabui-ah in 'Oman, and, on
at least, opened fire on the fort; but his action on y 1 made
enemy without advantage. Meanwhile represen a ion _ r) m P]1 t who
by the British Minister at Tehran to the Persian \ retain
were still in total ignorance of the occurrences at uti a , OT oceed
Miles, the Assistant Political Agent at Gwadar, was < m ^ • t | iere
to Chahbar in the despatch vessel " Hugh lose am , twice
until the arrival of a' gunboat. The Persian Prime ^
telegraphed to Husain Khan, whose attitude towaidb j protection
ment was openly Jisrespectful, almost derisive, o a attention to
to British subjects; but the Khan at first p nf apnt orders by
these commands. Eventually the Persian tch a special
courier to the Governor-General of Kirman to c T? r lti s h subjects;
Commissioner to Chahbar to settle the grievances o ^heir normal
and, after this, matters seem to have returned ua > i je on his way
course. In March Ibrahim Khan, who was reported to be ^onn^^y
to Tizto inspect a new fort built there by his or . , ' eI1 t to Hindu
offered immunity from taxation for one year as an 1 losses
traders who had left Chahbar to return. Compensa precautions
sustained by British subjects, which in consequent:e '
*This was of course nonsense. The settlement of on Persian or
and Kalat could not affect the title of Masqat to any place,
the Kalat side of that frontier. 48
Ill-treatment
of British
subjects by
the Persian a
on the occu
pation of
OhaWm*.