IOR/L/PS/5/487, ff 426-436

This item comprises a copy of an enclosure to a despatch from the Government of Bombay Secret Department to the Secret Committee, Number 53 of 1856, dated 28 July 1856. The enclosure is dated 19 May 1856.

The enclosure comprises copies of despatches sent by Richard W Stevens, HM Consul in Tehran, to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, copies of which are forwarded for the information of the Government of Bombay and the Government of India. The despatches notably cover and include:

• The bastinado (punishment by caning the soles of the feet) of the post-master of Semnaan [Semnan], convicted of bringing false news of the capture of Herat
• Intelligence from a European (Italian) officer attached to the Persian [Iranian] Army at Herat that the Ruler of Herat, Mahommed Youssuf [Muḥammad Yūsuf], has been sent a prisoner to the Persian camp by his Vezier [vizier, minister] Essau Khan [ʻĪsá Khān], that the Vezier has ‘sold himself to the Persians’ (f 428) and with other Heratee leaders has agreed to all Persian surrender terms apart from the admission of troops into Herat (ff 430-432. (The copy of the original intelligence is in Italian, with an English translation. This is a duplicate of a document in item IOR/L/PS/5/487, ff 381-396, on ff 395-396).
• Stevens’s belief that Essau Khan has not surrendered but has: pretended to espouse the Persian cause; got the Persian Army to withdraw to Bernabad [Baranabad] 25 miles from Herat; ‘set the Persians at defiance’ (f 429) after disposing of the Ruler of Herat to the Persian camp; and infuriated the Shah [Shāh] and Persian Commander
• Reports of great Persian losses during attempts to storm Herat, and the assembling of more Persian troops in Khorassan [Khorasan] and Teheran [Tehran]
• Authorisation given by the Persian Sadr Azem [Ṣadr A‘ẓam, minister] to the Commander of the Persian Army at Herat to confirm Essau Khan in power provided he allows the town to be garrisoned by Persian troops
• The Sadr Azem’s claim that Persian troops have occupied the forts of Laush, Jeven [Lash-e Juwayn?] and Kohak, former dependencies of Kandahar
• Details of the present distribution of the Persian Army (f 434)
• Intelligence that prior to peace negotiations in Paris (to end the Crimean War) Russia amassed war stores at Lankeran [Lankaran] and Bakoo [Baku] for troops collected at Astracan [Astrakan], which would have been sent to Herat to assist Persia
• Intelligence regarding friendly relations between the Governor of Asterabad [Gorgan] and Russian agents stationed there.