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

376 HISTORY OF PERSIA
conduct. Thanks to Dutch protection, the barren island
became a thriving emporium and the population of one
hundred poverty-stricken fishermen expanded into a prosperous
town of twelve thousand inhabitants. The Dutch
held Kharak for some years until it was taken from them
Mir Mohanna of Bandar Rig, after
by a notorious pirate,
which its prosperity and its population alike disappeared.
The Foundation of the English Factory at Bushire, A.D.
1763. The Afghan invasion and the period of confusion
that followed were responsible for the closing of most of
the European factories in Persia, and some of them were
not reopened. The British factory
at Bandar Abbas was
closed in 1761 owing to the extortions of the Governor
of Lar, and in 1763 Bushire, the port of Shiraz, was
selected as a new centre for commercial activity.
Karim
Khan was anxious to foster this British trade, and his
farman, of which I give a copy, 1 was highly favourable in
its terms. In 1770 Bushire was relinquished
in favour
of Basra, but three years later it was reoccupied, the factory
at Basra being retained with it. Since that date Bushire
has been the chief centre of British activity
in the Persian
1
Royal Grant from Karim Khan, King of Persia, conferring various Privileges on
the English, and granting Permission to them to establish a Factory at Bushire, and to
Trade in the Persian Gulf. Schyrash, 2nd July, 1763.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Art. " I. The English Company may have as much ground, and in any part of
Bushire, as they choose to build a factory on, or at any other port in the Gulf. They
may have as many cannon mounted on it as they choose, but not to be larger than 6
pounds bore j
and they may build factory-houses in any part of the kingdom they
choose."
(2) No Customs' Dues to be Levied on Goods Imported or Exported at Bushire
or elsewhere.
(3) No other European nation to Import Woollen Goods.
(4) Payment of Debts due to English Merchants and others.
(5) Right of English to Buy and Sell Goods.
(6) Prohibition against Clandestine Trade.
(7) Wrecks.
(8) Religious Liberty.
(9) Surrender of Deserters.
(10) Exemption of Brokers, Servants, and others belonging to Factories from
Payment of Taxes or Imposts.
(n) "Wherever the English are, they shall have a spot of ground allotted them
for a Burying Ground ;
and if they want a spot for a Garden, if the King's property, it
shall be given them gratis j
if belonging to any private person, they must pay a
reasonable price for it."
(12) "The House that formerly belonged to the English Company at Schyrash I
now re-deliver to them, with the garden and water thereto belonging."
(Quoted from Herfslet's Treaties, p.
n.