The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 1.10
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 1.10
- Language
- English
1.10.1
The next move was made by the factors at Surat. Induced mainly by the favourable report of trade prospects given by Richard Steel, who had crossed Persia from Aleppo in the preceding summer, they, in November, 1614, determined to despatch representatives to make investigations and to obtain the grant of privileges for trade. Steel himself and a factor named Crowder were chosen for this task. They reached Ispahan in September, 1615, and found there Sherley, to whom they carried letters soliciting his assistance. He was on the point of starting on a second mission to Spain, to make a fresh attempt to induce the King to accept the offers of the Shah; but, with some reluctance, he procured for them three identical farmans ordering the governors of seaport towns to receive and assist any English vessels that might present themselves. One of these was sent to Jashak (the port represented as most suitable for their purpose), Steel carried a second overland to England, and Crowder, as arranged before their departure, returned with the third to India, to report their proceedings to the agent at Surat. Letters written by the two envoys, announcing their success and the hopes they had formed of a lucrative trade, reached Ajmere on February 10, 1616, addressed to Aldworth and Edwards.
1.10.2
As the former was dead and the latter had left for England, these letters were opened by Roe, who lost no time in apprising the Company of their contents, at the same time giving his own views on the matter. The farman which had been procured he thought "of no consequence," as no trade worth speaking of was to be had upon the coast and it was not to be expected that the Shah would send down his silk until a formal agreement had been arrived at. To Roe it seemed that the dominant factor of the situation was Sherley's fresh mission to Europe. Already the Portuguese had an immense advantage in their possession of Ormus; and if the trade monopoly which he was empowered to offer to Philip were accepted (and Roe felt certain it would be) all efforts of the English to obtain a footing would be unavailing. The only hope lay either in defeating Sherley's negotiations at Madrid, or in effecting some amicable arrangement by which both nations should share in the trade. For the present, all that Roe considered it advisable to do was to write a respectful remonstrance to the Sháh, pointing out the perils of allowing the Portuguese to become masters of his coast, and urging him to establish a free port and to throw open the trade to all comers. This done, and the letter forwarded to the care of William Robbins, an Englishman resident in Ispahan, Roe turned his attention to other matters until further news should come from England.
1.10.3
Quite another view, however, was taken at Surat. The ambassador's action in opening and dealing with the letters from their delegates was warmly resented by Kerridge and his colleagues; while his disparaging remarks upon the results of the expensive mission which they had set on foot could not but be felt as a rebuke. The question of trade with Persia was, they considered, a matter purely commercial, and therefore outside Roe's province; and as soon as Pepwell's fleet brought in a further supply of men and goods, a consultation was held at which it was decided that a ship should be sent to Jáshak to test the value of the Sháh's farmán, and to procure, if possible, whatever further concessions were necessary. Edward Connock, the chief merchant of the new fleet, undertook the management of this mission, and sailed in the James early in November, 1616. As may be imagined, Roe was exceedingly angry when he found out what had been done. Not only had his authority been ignored and his purpose crossed, but his opinions and counsels had been treated with contempt.
1.10.4
Both publicly to the Company, and privately to its Governor, he complained bitterly of the behaviour of the factors: "You may now see their hast," he wrote, "and lack of respect to mee." Personal feeling, however, was never allowed by him to injure the public service; and however much he felt inclined to throw upon the factors the responsibility for further action, he determined to do what he could to set matters straight. "If I left them as they are, it were just," he said, "but I am to account to you, and therfore ... I will looke out to mend their faults, and, like patient Job, pray and sacrifice for them, as he did for his sonnes whiles they banquetted." His hand been forced by the despatch of the James, and with Connock already on his way to the Persian Court, inaction was impossible. After consulting the Shah's ambassador at Ajmere, and enlisting his advocacy he wrote again to Ispahan. The ship which had been sent, he told Robbins, was "but to trye and settle our enterteynment," and he hoped the Shah "will not judge vs by this beginning:" if the necessary privileges were granted (a draft of which he enclosed) "wee will then roundly and duly fullfill his desire" (p. 373). Roe strongly urged Robbins to endeavour to obtain the required concessions; and concluded by intimating that possibly he himself would receive by the next fleet instructions to proceed to Persia and bring matters to a conclusion.
1.10.5
Meanwhile the Company at home, though of course unaware of the despatch of Connock to Jashak, had had the advantages of the trade urged upon them by Steel, and had received Roe's first letter on the subject. After due deliberation and an interview with the Lords of the Council, they decided to go forward in the matter, though cautiously, in view of the risks and the large capital required, much of which, it was feared, would have to be sent in specie (p. 421). Their instructions to Roe (see Appendix B) directed him to make careful inquiry into the prospects of trade, and, if satisfied, to despatch a fit person to conclude, upon certain conditions, the requisite agreement with the Sháh. With these instructions came a letter from King James, approving of the measures already taken by Roe and authorising him to sign a treaty with the Persian monarch.
1.10.6
These letters, brought by Pring's fleet in the autumn of 1617, settled satisfactorily the question of control. It was now open to Roe, if he chose, to disavow Kerridge's nominee (of whose character he had grave suspicions), and either to make one of the other factors in Persia his representative or to despatch someone from India to take charge of the negotiations. But, having carried his point, he acted with his usual moderation and good sense. The question whether a ship should be sent to Jáshak to obtain news of the previous year's mission he left to Pring and Kerridge to decide; but in case they should determine to do so, he forwarded a commission and instructions empowering Connock and his fellows to undertake the necessary negotiations with the Sháh.
1.10.7
The Bee was accordingly despatched to the Gulf, and from the intelligence she brought back in January, 1618, supplemented by letters which arrived overland a few weeks later, Roe learned what had taken place since the landing of Connock and his companions in December, 1616. From Jáshak the factors had made their way to Shiraz, whence their leader pushed on to Ispahan. On his arrival (May, 1617) he found that the Shah was with the army on the Turkish border, and thither he determined to follow him; but first he made friends with Robbins, who handed over to him all the papers he had received from Roe, including the draft articles intended for presentation to the Shah. Accompanied by Robbins and a factor named Tracy, Connock set out for the Court about the beginning of July. They were well received by the Sháh, in spite of the efforts of a friar who was acting in the interests of Spain; and the English envoy obtained without difficulty the grant for which he asked. With this he returned to Ispahan, and thence started for the coast, to meet the shipping which he expected would be sent towards the close of the year. But sickness had laid hold of him, as of most of his comrades, and he died at a village near Jáshak, on December 24, 1617, a little more than a year from the date of his landing.
1.10.8
The concessions he had obtained did not cover all the points mentioned in the Company's instructions lately received; and this rendered it necessary that fresh negotiations should be undertaken. On the return of the Bee, therefore, Roe drew up fresh directions for Thomas Barker (who was now the head of the factory in Persia) and Edward Monnox, empowering them to conclude and sign a fresh contract (p. 462). These he had intended to send by the Anne, which was to call at Jáshak on her way to Mocha; but this course was found to be impracticable. To the Company he wrote that, although if the trade could be managed without a great export of specie, "it is the best trade of all India and will yeild you most certeyne Profitt," yet he could see "no way sure but a Composition in Spayne," and were this effected there would be no need of any special bargain with the Sháh (pp. 474-5).