Page 297 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

lart VII—Chap. LXIV. 275

CHAPTER LA IV.

MAHOMED SIIAH’S AM1UTIOUS PROJECTS. HE BESIEGES
HERAT. THE BRITISH OCCUPY IiARRAK.
OFFERS OF SHEIKH IV AS IR, 1837-1838.
531. On tho dedth of Eatii-Ali Shah in 183<L, the country wa9 thrown
M arkbnm'rt History of Persia. into confusion by civil wars. Ultimately
Watson's History of Persia. Mahomed Shah (1836) succeeded in
(1S00-1830.)
defeating his rivals mainly through the
able and skilful handling of tho troops by Sir Henry Bethunc. On tho accession
of Mahomed Shah, tho British Government having determined to retransfer
the superintendence of tho Persian mission from the Government of India to
tjhe Crown deputed Sir Henry Ellis a9 His Majesty’s Envoy to Teheran to
congratulate tho now Shah. Sir Henry was received by tho Shah in November
1835. Ho returned to England in August 1830, and was succeeded by Mr.
McNeill, who had been for many years in Persia as Doctor to the Mission.
532. Mahomed Shah was an ambitious prince and entered into a scheme
of conquest in the direction of Herat, in which ho was encouraged by Count
Simonich, the Russian Minister at Teheran, but to which the British Govern­
ment was opposed. In November 1837. tho Persian Army led by the Shah in
person invaded the territory of Herat. Gharian was captured on 15th Novem­
ber and on 22nd the siege of Herat commenced. Komran Shah the ruler of
Herat, an old drunken debauchee, left the management of his State in the
hands of his Minister Yar Mahomed, and the latter’s influence over the
defenders, seconded by the energy and skill of Lieutenant Eldred Pottinger (a
nephew of Sir Henry Pottinger, Resident in Sind), enabled the town to offer
a stout and gallant defence against tho Persian attacks.
533. On 6th April 1838, Mr. McNeill arrived in the camp and formally
protested against the Shah’s proceedings. He declared that the invasion of
Herat was a violation of the treaty and therefore Groat Britain was at liberty
to take measures to compel tho withdrawal of the Persian Army. All British
officers serving in Persia had already been ordered to leave the country.
534. Meanwhile tho siege on Herat was pressed with increased activity
under tho personal superintendence of Count Simonich, and Russian influence
had become paramount in the Persian Court. One of McNeill's messengers
had been stopped and insulted by tho Persians. Outrages had been committed
against the Resideucv and our otficors at Bushire and all demands for repara­
tion were treated by the Persian Government with contempt. In these circum­
stances Mr. McNeill was driven to the necessity of leaving the Persian camp
at Herat which he did on 7th June 183S. He was the next day on his way to
Meshed and Teherau.
535. While Mr. McNeill was still in the Persian camp, the Government
of Iudia conceived the project of sending
Volume 78—962 of 1838-1839.
an expedition to the Persian Gulf, as
appears from the following letter dated 1st May 163S from the Secretary to
the Government of India to the British Envoy :—
I am directed by th*^ Right. Ilon’ble the Governor-General of India to acknowledge the
receipt of Your Excellency’s letter dated the 7th ultimo, with the copies of despatches to the
address of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which accompanied
it, and for which His Lordship desires me to tender to you his best thanks.
2. His Lordship gathers from these documents that the state of our relations with Persia
is at the present moment exceedingly critical, and that Your Excellency may not improbably
be compelled to assume a very high tone in your communication with the Shah. It has
occurred to the Governoi-General that it might prove of very essential aid to your negotiations
were as many croizers ns can be spared for the service, together with a regiment of Native
Infantry despntebed to the Persian Gulf to hold themselves in readiness for any service on
which Your Excellency might s*-cm it expedient under the orders of Her Majesty’s Govern­
ment, or the general authority which you may possess from it to employ them with a view to
the maintenance of our interests in Persia. A recommendation to this effect will accordingly
be made immediately to the Right Hon’blo the Governor in Council of Bombay, who will
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