Page 92 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

70 Part III—Chap. XX.

CHAPTER XX.

INSULT TO Mr. WILLIAMS AT SHIRAZ—1810.
gyaffiy 167. In 1816, ono Mr. Williams belonging to tlio Bombay Civil Service
pp. 9166-2167. * under tho Company proceeded to Shiraz and was subjected to outrageous
insults at the hands of Persians attached to tho Court of Shiraz. The following
correspondence gives tho facts and tho measures taken for avenging the outrage.

Dated Buahiro, tho 27th September 1816.
From—Mb. William Bbucb,
To—The Government of Bombay.
In transmitting the accompanying copy of a letter from Mr. Williams of the Civil
Service, for the information of the Hon'ble Board, I havo tho honour to acquaint you that on
Mr. Williams leaving this for Sheras, I officially acquainted that Government of tho circum­
stances advising that ho proceeded for change of climato and requested that the Zabuts and
chiefs of the village he might rofeide at should bo instructed to be oivil and kind to him and
supply him with suoh necessaries as he might require, paying for tho same. He was also
living at this time in one of the Prince's gardens by the permission of His Royal Highness ;
consequently was to be considered as moro immediately under the Prince's protection, notwith­
standing which he has been insulted in such a disgraceful and shameful manner that even
docenoy forbids mentioning : the three officers who are tho aggressors are in tho immediate
employ of the Prince and consequently about his person.
I shall take an early opportunity of addressing His Royal Highness in terms showing
him the abhorrenoe we entertain of such proceedings and expressing my surprise that he should
have foregone punishing the offenders that could be guilty of such conduct, notwithstanding
Mr. Williams should have expressed himself satisfied, which it was natural he should do out
of respect for His Royal Highness. Aa tho culprits were brought into his presence for punish­
ment, I conceive the more necessary as His Koyal Highness restored these officers to favour
immediately after Mr. Williams' departure from Sheras. The venality and duplicity of this
Government is quite distressing to any person who has business to transact with them ; for no
dependence is to be placed on anything they say or firmauns that they issue. I shall also
bnng this affair to the notice of H. M.'s Minister at Teheran, and I trust the Right Hon'ble
the Governor in Counoil will approve of my intentions.

Dated Boehire, tbe 29th September 1816.
From—Mb. Johjt Williams, of tbe Bombay Civil Servioe,
To—Mb. William Bbccb. Beeideat at Buehire.
i Poll. Dept. Diary
No. 432 of 1816, It is with much regret I have to complain to you of the infamous and brutal conduot
! pp. 2167*2168. offered to me by three persons attached to the Court of the Prince at Shoraz during my
residence in his garden, and you will I trust after a relation of the circumstances be induced
to take such measures as your judgment may suggest to make the Persian Government
sensible of the iosult offered to me as an Englishman and for the security of others who may
hereafter visit the countiy.
On the 80th of August last when at the Prince's garden two servants came to inform
me that Feridoon Khan And two others wished to call on me; being in a bud state of health I
declined teeing them, notwithstanding which they forced themselves into my presence and
remained half an hour walking about the room abusing me and beating my servants; they
then left me and an hour afterwards eight of their servants came to tell me they wore coming
again and I again declined seeing them and endeavoured to escape down stairs, but was
prevented and forcibly brought hack into the room. They remained insulting me most infamously
for upwards of an hour till at last their conduct became so brutal, I was compelled to make my
escape by a rope out of the window at the risk of my life.
On my departure from this in May last I carried an official letter from you to one of the
Prince's officers reporting my arrival at Sheraz, consequently I felt myself under the Prince s
protection and applied to him to punish the officers which was with difficulty acceded to.
Feridoon Khan was not brought forward but tho other two weie disgraced and expressed
myself satisfied, so it is not my wish that a further punishment should be enforced on them,
but it will I hope appear to you advisable to represent it to the Persian Government in tbe
strongest terms and also to the Envoy at Teheran.