Page 249 - Gulf Precis (1-B)_Neat

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countries, and importing great Supplies of Merchandize, but joined -with the natives of those
Kingdoms to attack them.
7. After the Portuguese from the Gulph in 1022, other
European Nations found for a short period their Interest in continuing the Trade with Persia
& Arabia, in consequence Bunder Abbasi or Gombroon the former country and Bussorah in the
latter booame both ports of much colibrity, at which the English, French, and Dutch had
each Factories. But occasional hostilities with each other, the weakness of the last monarch
of the Scfi Race the usurpation and tyranny of and the ... that followed his
death together with a new communication which had been opened between Europe & Persia
by the Caspian Sea, brought such losses upon European Trader in that quarter, that Gombroon i
was wholly deserted in 1768 and Bu66orah from the weakness and tyranny of the Turkish
Government and from the constant disputes of its Rulers with their Persian Neighbours had
nearly experienced a similar fate.
8. Such is the outline of the former trade, with the
Persian Gulf. Before I quit this part of ray subject, it but remains to make a few observations
on the Governments with whom that Trade was carried on to show more clearly the cause of
its decline.
9. It is impossible any Country can be more happily situated for an extensive and
lucrative Trade than Persia, possessing a delightful climate, a productive soil, and a numer­
ous people. It communicates with India and part of Arabia to the South by the Persian
Gulph, and to the North it is connected with Europe by
with Candahar, Cabul, and the Southern parts of Tartary, and to the West with the Turkish
Empire.
10. Though this nation had no doubt under its former monarchs carried on a great and
active Trade, sending its Merchants to Constantinople on the one hand and the farthest
conSnes of Tartary on the other, such exertions were only calculated to give it a comparative
prosperity with other States whilst Navigation ... of that wonderful art which has
caused such revolutions in the Globe. -Persia made no use. Her Merchants carried on a ■;
passive commerce on her shores at the mercy of Strangers, by whom indeed those shores were
mostly usurped.
11. The consequence of this was, that as neither Imports or Exports were regular (neither
depending on the Country itself), there was no certain demand for the extra produce of the
soil, or for the work of the manufacturer, Industry and exertion were checked and the
fatal expedient of exporting the specie of the Kingdom in exchange for foreign productions
and manufactures, was resorted to, in order to protract the existance of a dying commerce.
12. This was one among many causes that combined to reduce this Monarchy from the
superior power and splendour which it once enjoyed to a situation the most weak k
impoverished.
13. I have already mentioned that the Arabian Empire under the Caliphs consumed a
great proportion of Indian goods. Bussorah and Baghdad were the chief marts of their
commerce. These cities suffered a natural decline with the power of their Rulers.
14. The Arabian Inhabitants of the Southern Shore of the Gulph have at x con­
tributed much to its commerce. The pearls found near Bahrein formed their chief export, and
these appear to have always fully balanced their imports of European and Indian commodities.
15. I am not in possession of sufficient Documents to enable me to form a correct judg­
ment of- the former Exports and Imports to and from the’Persian Gulf.
10. Of these made by the Hon’ble Company it is sufficient to remark that indepen­
dant of Tin, Iron, Lead and Steel, a quantity of Cloth & Perpet met with an annual sale at the
Ports of Gombroon and Bussorah, at a rate which would have made the Trade advantageous
had not the Company been hourly exposed to the heaviest losses by the repeated extortions k
seizures of Persian Rulers, who in their turns, plundered their unprotected Factories.
17. In opening the Becond part of my subject, View of the present Trade with the Persian
Gulph, it is neopssary to take a glance at the immediate state of the Government of Persia and
Arabia, as from suoh a view alone, a judgment can be formed of the likelihood of improving
the Commercial intercourse with this quarter.