Storia do Mogor 349.2

349.2

The other shopkeepers, indignant at such an act on the part of the servants of the English merchant, sought to retaliate violently upon Gregory, who had been the cause of this disturbance. For this purpose they concocted a false charge against him, and taking false witnesses, went to the Shaikh al-Islãm, and declared that this Gregory had reviled their sacred Law, and demanded judgment according to law. The Shaikh al-Islām gave answer: 'If your words are true, this man must either die, or save his life by embracing our faith.' The complainants corroborated their words by means of their false witnesses, and obtained a judgment of death or apostasy. This judgment they carried to the Kāzi of the city, and got it legalized by his seal, and then went to the governor of the city, who was a Georgian by race and a grandson of Shāh Nawāz Khān, and laid it before him. The governor, seeing the crowd of shopkeepers and their zeal for the faith, was pleased thereat and impressed in their favour. Thereupon he sent some of his servants to the house of the English merchant to bring Gregory and his fellow-servants, who had committed the assault. On their arrival there they made known the order, and demanded the surrender of the men.