The English Agency in Persia (Port of Jask): A Case Study, 1616–1623
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32792/tqartj.v4i54.968Keywords:
The British Agency, Persia, Port of JaskRemoval of the British Agency, Persia, Port of JaskAbstract
Since the 17th century, the Arabian Gulf has attracted growing interest from European powers, led by England, which sought to gain access to the region and secure its trade routes to India. The southern Iranian coast, represented by the ports of Jask, was one of the most prominent strategic centers on which the English focused in establishing their commercial influence and beginning their political penetration of the region, These ports served as the stage for a commercial and strategic struggle among several major European powers, including England, which obtained Shah Abbas Safavi’s approval to establish its first trading post in the port of Jask. At that time, Jask became a major administrative and commercial hub for the region between India and Persia. Through this port, maritime trade at the entrance to the Arabian Gulf was monitored, reports and information regarding the region were sent to the government in Bombay, and agreements were concluded with the rulers of local ports. However, despite its strategic geographical location, it lacked the capacity to accommodate large ships, which led to a decline in its importance following the expulsion of the Portuguese from Hormuz. The English agency moved its headquarters to the port of Bandar Abbas, which became a commercial hub for the exchange of goods with their trading agency in the region, as well as a diplomatic center for monitoring commercial and political activities in the area. Thus, the Jask agency paved the way for the subsequent expansion of British influence in the region, and served as the early nucleus of British commercial ambition, which later developed into extensive political and economic influence that lasted for centuries.
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1. Ahmad Shams al-Din Layla and Mu'tasim Sadiq Abdullah, “The Economic and Strategic Importance of Iranian Ports: The Case of Jask Port,” Journal of Iranian Studies, Issue 13, Vol. 5, April 2021.
2. Hussein Kamel Jaber Al-Shahir, “The Economic Importance of Bandar Abbas Port during the Reign of Shah Abbas the Great and Its Impact on the Arabian Gulf, 1622–1629,” Uruk Journal of Humanities – Muthanna University, Vol. 15, No. 3, Part 1, 2022.
3- Hussein Kamel Jaber and Nazim Bush Khashan, “The Commercial Activities of the English East India Company’s Agency in Bandar Abbas, 1623–1629,” Uruk Journal of Humanities, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2021.
4- Mustafa Abdul-Qadir Al-Najjar, The East India Company: Its Features and Prominent Characteristics in the Arabian Gulf, 1600–1858, Journal of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, Scientific Publishing Council—Kuwait University, Vol. 4, No. 15, June 1978.
Eighth: Research published in English-language journals:-
1- Loan C. Lancaster. The India Office Records. Journal of The British Association. Vol. IX, No. (43), April 1970.
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