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Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

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264 HISTORY OF PERSIA<br />

mgio army, however, advanced, and Shah Abbas was<br />

induced to open up negotiations for peace. In A.H. 1027<br />

(1618) the terms agreed to in the previous .treaty were<br />

accepted, except that Sliah Abbas -bound .himself to a gift<br />

oone hundred loads <strong>of</strong> silk, instead <strong>of</strong> the two hundred<br />

previously agreed upon.<br />

lafr a Turkish arm besieed<br />

with only foil r-4igbt--&4d pieces.<br />

The siege dragged on<br />

for six months, and Shah Abbas then came to the rescue.<br />

After fierce fighting, with heavy losses on both sides,<br />

a mutiny forced_ the Turkish leaders- to retreat, and<br />

thousands- <strong>of</strong> their men died from starvation.<br />

These campaigns were the first in which the advantage<br />

lay distinctly with <strong>Persia</strong>. ^Ithottgfe the SullaB was<br />

the aggressor, the Shah's troops proved that<br />

(generally<br />

tj^eyjxmld at least hold their own against the enemy.<br />

The Embassies <strong>of</strong> Sir Robert Sherley.<br />

Sir Robert Sherley<br />

was appointed Master-General <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Persia</strong>n army, and<br />

while holding this position won great<br />

distinction in the<br />

Turkish wars. The Shah bestowed many tokens <strong>of</strong> his<br />

favour on the gallant Englishman, among them being<br />

a grant <strong>of</strong> bread for sixty years<br />

! In spite <strong>of</strong> the failure<br />

<strong>of</strong> Anthony's mission, Abbas determined to despatch<br />

Robert Sherley on an embassy to the European powers.<br />

He left <strong>Persia</strong> in 1609 and visited Poland, Germany, and<br />

Rome. In 1611 he reached England, where he was well<br />

received by the King, but the object <strong>of</strong> his mission, which<br />

was to open up<br />

direct trade relations between <strong>Persia</strong> and<br />

England, met with strong opposition from the Levant<br />

merchants and was not at the time attained. Sherley<br />

remained in England a year and returned to <strong>Persia</strong> by<br />

way <strong>of</strong> India in an English ship.<br />

In 1623 Sir Robert Sherley came to England on<br />

a second mission. On this occasion his position was<br />

weakened by the arrival <strong>of</strong> another ambassador from Shah<br />

Abbas in the person <strong>of</strong> a certain Nakd AH Beg,<br />

1<br />

who,<br />

upon meeting Sherley, assaulted him. The English<br />

knight finally returned to <strong>Persia</strong> with Sir Dodmore<br />

1<br />

We learn from the Court Minutes <strong>of</strong> the East India Company that Nakd Ali Beg<br />

before his departure was presented with his " portrait exactly and curiously drawn by<br />

Mr. Grcenburie." The artist also painted a replica which is<br />

hung in the India Office.

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