War with Persia, 1856 and 1857. Introduction.

EGH Town of Bushire, 1856-57.

A wind tower can be seen in the centre of the photograph. These clever devices use the daily occurring on and offshore winds to draw cool air through the house below. To the right of the photo can be seen the Flag Pole over the British Legation. From this it is possible to establish that the photo was taken from the south of the city, looking due north towards the anchorage.
Please click on image for larger version. Photo courtesy of Mr & Mrs A. Barton.

With scarcely a day going by when Iran and its nuclear programme does not feature in our newspapers and media, it is perhaps worth reflecting that this situation is nothing new.

What follows is an account of an earlier political struggle with Iran that turned into a fierce little war. As is the case today, Persia in the 19th Century was a proud and ancient nation, situated at a strategic cross roads in a very volatile part of the World. It found itself under pressure from the military Super Power of the day.

My interest in this campaign stems from the discovery of a photograph album that belonged to my Great Great Grandfather Charles James Barton, an officer in the Bombay Artillery containing a number of pictures taken during this campaign.

With the recent advent of Google Books and the re-publication of several accounts from the period it is now possible to put together a narrative to describe the campaign, using these photos to illustrate these events.

A map showing the political and military situation in 1856.

Please click on the image for a larger version. [1]

With the ending of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain and Russia had been left with experienced armies, and with no real rivals to keep them in check as they both developed their Empires in the East. Russia had expanded its territories to the south east towards the Caspian Seas and towards Bokara and Samarkand.

The East India Company was at the same time steadily absorbing the Punjab and much of what is now Pakistan. This forward expansion by the European's into Asia had been a bloody experience for all concerned, as small professional armies came up against strong local forces made up of tribal warriors with centuries of experience in fighting guerilla warfare.

Some of these Asian and Caucasian nations like the Afghans, Sikhs and Georgians where able to inflict serious defeats on the European's.

However by 1855, the remaining independent states of Afghanistan and Persia found themselves under pressure from both Russia and Britain, to come within their respective spheres of influence. The Crimean War was being fought out between the Russian's and the British, French and Turks around the Black Sea and in the eastern parts of the Ottoman Empire which added to the tensions in the region.

Both Britain and Russia were engaged in what has since become known as the Great Game.

Embassies and military missions, in towns like Kars, Tabriz, Teheran, Herat, Meshad and Kabul were increasingly occupied by competing diplomats, soldiers and adventurers from Britain and Russian, bent on increasing their respective countries dominance over these strategic centres.

The existing rulers of Persia, led by the Shah, and Afghanistan by Dost Mahomed Khan tried their best to play off the two European Super Powers, to gain time and support in their own internal power struggles, and in those with their neighbours.

Nether ruler entirely controlled their respective territories, so that Dost Mahomed Khan's nephew Syed Mahomed Khan was able to rest much of Kandahar and the west of modern Afghanistan away from his uncles control, and Herat had become a kind of no man's land between Persia and Afghanistan, ruled by Syed Mahomed Khan.

Throughout the early 1850's the British representative in Teheran Colonel Sheil, appears to have maintained a difficult balance between representing his national interests in Persia, whilst at the same time maintaining dialogue with the Shah and his representatives.

Reading the British correspondence, which seem through modern eyes, very overbearing and which must have been highly offensive to the Persian's, it is perhaps surprising that relations had not broken down earlier.[2]

As in many wars, the final breakdown in relations between the countries came over a side issue, rather than because of the major grievances that had been building up over the previous decade.

On the 15th of June 1854 Meeza Hashem Khan was appointed as Persian Secretary to the British mission at Teheran. He was a thirty year old member of the Nooree tribe, and he was married to a member of the Shah's family. This appointment caused great offence to the Shah and his advisers, possibly because Meeza Hashem Khan was in far too a good a position to advise the British about the internal workings of the court. Perhaps he was seen as threat to the Shah. The appointment became a diplomatic incident involving the British Government in London, and nether side wanted to back down.

A compromise was suggested by the British whereby Meeza Hashem Khan would be appointed as British Agent at Shiraz. However on the 6th of November 1855, the Persian Government told Mr. Murray the new British representative in Teheran, that if Meeza Hashem Khan set out for Shiraz he would be detained. Shortly afterwards Meerza Hashem Khan's wife was seized and detained. Mr. Murray at once demanded this ladies release, threatening to take down the Missions flag and to break off friendly relations.

Sadr Azim the Persian prime minister then stated that the reason Murray and Thomson were trying to get Meeza Hashem Khan's wife released was because they had been having an affair with her. He claimed that when the mission had gone into summer camp in the mountains above Tehran, with the Shah and his government, they had camped in the same village, and had been seen together.

The Persian's then commenced a campaign to whip up local public indignation. Sadr Azim drew up a petition against Murray and the Khan family which was sent around the Mullah's to receive their seals. However the Chief priest Imaum o' Joomah refused to sign as he said he had no knowledge of the truth of its contents.

Relationships broke down completely, and the mission was withdrawn. In November 1855 Kars fell to Russia, and sensing that the British who were still fighting Russia in the Crimea would be unable to prevent their taking Herat, the Persian army set off for the city, which they took.

As far back as January 1853 Colonel Shiel had advised that in the event of Persia attacking Herat, the best practical option for Britain was to capture Bushire on the Persia Gulf, and to hold it as a bargaining counter, until such time as Persia could be pressured into giving up Herat.

The British had several motives for this approach. The first was that they feared that if a Russian dominated Persia took Herat it would open up the route to the Bolan and Khyber Pass to the Russian's.

It was feared that Russia could bring an army to the Punjab or Sindh.

Britain however also wanted control of Bushire because it offered a better port than Basra, which was Britain's main base at the head of the Gulf. Kharg Island had particularly good fresh water, and was easily defensible with a small force against attacks, unlike Basra which was easily approached by land.

Throughout the summer of 1856 Persian missions to London, and to Constantinople attempted to negotiate a resolution to the impasse.

In Constantinople the British team was led by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe. He presented Ferokh Khan an ultimatum on the 17th of October demanding that Herat be evacuated, which Ferokh Khan signed consenting to the Persian's evacuating Herat.

Herat had finally fallen to the Persian force on the 25th of October 1856. On the 25th of November Mr. Murray struck his flag at Teheran by the 5th of December 1856 he had travelled out of Persia and onto Baghdad.

Ferokh Khan, known today as Faruk Khan Nadar.[3]

The British seemed determined to push further and they demanded the dismissal of Sadr Azim the Persian Prime Minister. A proclamation of war was issued by the Governor General of India on the 1st of November 1856.




[1] Thomson Map of 1814. Courtesy of Wikimedia. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Persia_1814.jpg
[2] Capt. G.H. Hunt, Outram & Havelock's Persian Campaign. Published 1857, re-published by The Naval & Military Press Ltd. 2009, pages 140 to 186.
[3] From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Faruk_Khan_Nadar.jpg

Informal Group at Karachi in 1866

Mrs Brab 1866, this is known to be the wife of Brabazon Pottinger, because she also appears in the following photo.




Left to right, Miss Sealey, Thornhill, Mrs Nicholetts, Spring, Alfred Pottinger, Mrs Brab Pottinger, - Mrs Sealy.



Spring, Barton, Griffith, Mrs Canfield{?}, Brab Pottinger, Mrs Do., Mrs Dende, Jenner, Myers, Miss Faithful, Thornhill.

These photos come from a private collection originally put together by my great great grandfather Charles James Barton, Bombay Artillery, & Royal Artillery.

They were almost certainly taken in Karachi, where Captain Barton was stationed with his battery.

Hill Fort of Mhowle or Mahuli

Hill Fort of Mhowle Drawn by Captn. Barton and Lithographed by R Ackermann.
Please click on image for a larger version.

The lithograph is one of a number made from drawings by James Barton my great great great grandfather, a Captain in the Bombay Artillery between 1811 and 1827.

James Barton who originated from Manchester, had sailed out to India from Portsmouth shortly after 12th January 1811. Arriving in Bombay shortly before the 8th of June 1811, he was appointed as a Lieutenant Fireworker on the 8th of June 1811, and was promoted again on the following day to Lieutenant.

It is not clear when the drawing that Ackermann subsequently turned into the lithograph was completed.

James Barton was however on active service in this region of the Konkan during 1818 at the height of the Mahratta War.

Following the war he married Eliza Georgiana Hawkins on the May 22^nd 1821 at Bombay Cathedral. During the 1880's Eliza wrote an account of her life which said..

“I continued to reside with Catherine until in May 1821, I married Captn James Barton, who was Brigade Major in the East India Company’s Artillery. We were married in Bombay Cathedral, & went to live in Seroor, where my Husband held his appointment.We lived there very comfortably."

It is quite possible that the drawings were done in the course of their journey or possibly honeymoon while on their way together to Seroor.

Mrs James Barton, dressed in her best Muslin dress

I have never been to this region of India, and I would be fascinated to learn where he had been camped. What does this mountain look like today?

I do not know the route he was taking, but there was a route past the fort that was sufficiently important during the 1820's for it to appear in a guide book published in 1826. This perhaps provides a clue as to the location of the camp.

From "Itinerary and directory for Western India: being a collection of routes ..." by John Clunes published in 1826.

It is interesting to try to fit the route given above with Google Earth images.

Kalian, is now called Kalyan. If however you type Kalyan into Google Earth it takes you to a location at 19 degs 16' 23.32" N 73 degs 08' 13.16" E, which is a grassy bank on the Ulhas River a couple of miles upstream of a major unnamed city shown at 19 degs 14' 30.21"N 73 degs 07' 19.28" E which appears to be Kalyan, and which appears to fit mapping produced in the 1950's much better than the position given by Google Earth.

The second location given in the itinerary Titwalla is spelt Titvala today.

A marked up copy of a 1950's American map of the Konkan, showing the approximate route given in John Clune's itinerary from 1826. Please click on the image for a larger map. [1]

If you measure the modern direct route to Titvala via Ambivli, it comes out at only 7 miles, where Clunes says 9.7 miles. Interestingly however if you followed the modern NH 222 to the point where it crosses the Ulhas River, and then strike off towards Titvala the distance comes out at 9.7 miles.

Google Earth Image of the areas around Titwalla or Titvala.
Please click on image for larger version.

The most obvious ford of the Kalloo River, or Kalu River is the location shows at Titwalla Ford 1826, but the American military maps which were largely based on British military maps from the early 20th century show the ford at the alternative location I have marked. This alternative location certainly has a large gravel bank and is probably quite shallow. The actual ford used may of course have depended on the state of the river and rainfall at the time, as well as the determination of the party attempting to cross the river.

The itinerary goes on to a village called Ootnah. This name has gone, but there is a village marked at Utan on the 1950's map, and which clearly shows on Google Earth in about the right sort of location.

Route between Titwalla and Kooslah.
Please click on image for larger version.

As the itinerary clearly goes to Ootnah I have shown the probable route. The route traced follows a road that is still in use to this day, although as Kosle is neared it degenerates into little more than a cattle track, but this is often the case with routes whose importance is eclipsed by things like railways for new roads.

I have also marked an alternative route that could also have been used. The intinerary talks of "Through thin jungle... 3. 6 miles." The areas around Utan appear to be cultivated, and I can only presume that this has probably been the case for several centuries.

It is possible that this jungle was the area of tree covered hills shown on the photo. There are tracks across these hills, as well as several long linear features which I take to be natural features, possibly part of the Deccan Traps?

Are these lines caused by volcanic intrusions?



An image showing the two branches of the Batsee River. This river is nowadays called the Bhatsa River. Please click on image for larger version.

The description rather suggests that the 1820's route was somewhat to the east of the existing modern bridge. Close examination of Google Earth imagery shows several tracks down to the river from the village centre which may have moved over time.



Image of the route between the Batsee [Bhatsa] River and Assungaon [Asangaon]. Please click on image for larger version.

The route in the itinerary clearly goes onto towards the modern town of Asangaon, and it would be easy to presume that James Barton might have travelled that route as well.

However inspection of the following photo suggests that this was not the case.

Mahuli from Asangaon, a photo posted by Nature Knights on a blog called Trekmahuli, taken from the south. From comparison from of this photo and the original drawing it would appear that the drawing was either turned into a lithograph in reverse of the drawing was done from the northern slopes. [2]


The mountains either reversed or it looks very similar in profile from the north?

Did Ackermann's draughtsman, just prick the drawing through in reverse?

Have any of you been on the northern side of Mahuli?

Can you work out where James Barton camped?

The trekmahuli blog at http://trekmahuli.blogspot.com/ contains a good series of photos showing the roughness of the terrain that James was travelling through.

In some senses he was nearing the edge of the map. I have tried to match Clunes itinerary beyond Asangaon, and I am finding that I cannot match the 19th century names to places on modern maps.

Have I crossed an ethnic or language boundary? Which way was Clunes sending us?

Is this why I can't match it any further?

[1] From http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/india/
[2] From http://trekmahuli.blogspot.com/

Lakes in Pune

During 1857 my great great grandfather was serving with the Bombay Artillery in the campaign against the Persian's at Bulshire at the head of the Gulf. He's sitting in the boat holding onto the pontoon in the picture above.

Somehow he came into contact with one of the very first cameras to be used in Asia.

We don't know if he operated it himself, or if he used the services of a professional photographer.

An album survives, and through it, it is possible to trace his route back to Bombay in India, and then up the Ghats to Poona, as he knew it.

In the course of researching the locations that these photos were taken, I have received a great deal of help from young Indian trekkers who spend there weekends scrambling up the very passes my ancestors campaigned over.



These same young trekkers are often very environmentally aware. They are trying to get the tree cover restored, and they are trying to halt the damage that is occurring to the lakes and rivers.

Amongst the sadiest of the recent bits of environmental damage being done, is that occuring to the lakes in Pune.



By chance, these lakes were one of Charles Barton's favourite recreational spots.

As the pictures show he used to row on the lakes.



Sadly these lakes are now much smaller and have been filled up in many cases.

These lakes were once a very important part of Pune's life.

Shouldn't they be protected?

Forts in the Vasai and Konkan Region.

Bassein Fort circa 1817, an engraving by Akermann circa 1820, from a drawing by Captn. James Barton.
Please click on the picture for a larger version.

Hello,

The purpose of this post is to provide a discussion area on the history of a number of forts in the area around Vasai, an area approximately twenty miles to the north of Mumbai.

Why should I, an Englishman be interested in these forts?

Well, it all stems from my great great great grandfather, Captain James Barton. James was an officer in the Bombay Artillery, who served in the area from 1811 until 1827, when he died at Matoonga.

My interest originally stemmed from the fact that I had discovered that twenty one coloured engravings had survived, which had been made from drawings that he had sent to Ackermann in London.

I wanted to see if I could find out where these forts were located. Little did I know quite where this journey would take me.

These drawings are kept in the British Library, along with copies of his other drawings, which can be see on the Collect Britain website at http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/

What is especially poignant, is that this particular drawing probably contains the only image that we have of James himself. We possess a letter dating from the 1870's from his son, retired Major General Charles James Barton, who nearing death, and with a one year old son, realised that this son, would probably also be faced with never being able to remember what his fathers face would look like.

Poor Charles wrote, that thoughout his adult life, that he had been troubled by not knowing what his father had looked like, for he had been an infant when he was left without a father.



James Barton seated with his sketch pad

Charles Barton also served in the Bombay Artillery in much the same area in the 1840's, 1850's, and 1860's.

Unlike his father, as far as we know Charles was not an artists, although his brother was. Charles however embraced the new science of photography. It is not clear whether he took the photos himself, or whether he engaged the services of a professional photographer, but what is clear, is that he collected a series of photographs starting in 1857 at Bulshire in the Persian Gulf, as he returned from taking part in the expedition to Persia.

Along his return journey he appears to have been deliberately visiting and recording the places where his father had served.



Major General Charles J Barton, Bombay Artillery

In attempt to research these events, I first visited the British Library Asia Pacific Collection, but wanting to go beyond the dry words on the page, and wanting like my great great grandfather, to be able to visualise the locations, I started to research the places through the internet.

My starting point was the India Rootsweb, which can be joined by emailing and subscribing to INDIA-request@rootsweb.com

One of the members of that list Arvind Kolhatkar, turned out to come from the Konkan region, and with his help we soon traced many of the locations.

I also widened out the search, and discovered that there is an intrepid group of young Indian's who are increasingly spending their time trekking to these often remote forts, in the Ghats.

Taking my courage in my hands, and to their great surprise, I began to approach these trekkers by email, and they have all been unfailing helpful in return. Kiran Kharade and Ravi Vaidyanathan, have been extremely helpful, and with there very good local knowledge and keen interest, I have been able to piece together a great deal of information on the places my ancestors visited.

My interests have for a lot time extended beyond, just those directly connected with my own family. I have a deep interest in colonial history, which I believe should be called early globalisation.

By learning about the events of what was in many ways a prototype for many of the events in todays complex world.

Central to my research at Bassein as my ancestors, would have called it, or Vasai as it is now called, has been Shridatta Raut.



Shridatta Raut [first on the right] explaining the history of one of these forts,

Shridatta emailed me having seen one of my posts about Bassein. He lives in Vasai and visits the fort every week. He has sent up a group of volunteers dedicated to protecting and preserving the fort.

He was kind enough to go out with copies of the drawings my ancestor had drawn, and to find the locations on the ground.

Each week he has been organising visits for school groups and the general public.



With his volunteers he has removed tonnes of rubbish, and he is working to remove the trees which are growing out of the very walls of the buildings.



The team working out the plan for the following week.



Mapping work in progress.



The scale of the undertaking can be seen from the following aerial photograph.



Vasai Fort

However the quality of the buildings that he and his friends are seeking to protect are such, that I believe he deserves as much support as possible.



Not content with coping with a project of this size, Shridatta Raut has recently started turning his attention to the forts to the north of Vasai, including Mahim and Shirgaon.



Exploring Shigaon Fort

So whether you know Vasai Fort as Vasai, Bassein, Baxay, Baçaim, we would like to hear from you.

We would particularly like to hear from Mahratta or Portuguese people with access to accounts, maps or drawings that can tell us more about these fascinating forts and there history.



Engravings of Chaul [top] and Baçaim [bottom], from a French 17th Century book, courtesy of Gallica.

Sepoys & Griffins.

Madras Presidency Soldiers circa 1812

Many people today have an interest in the campaigns and wars fought on the Indian subcontinent, and it is highly probable if you have found this blog, that you are already aware of many of the 19th century campaigns associated with the Raj.

These battles are well known and are well provided with accounts and resources, however what are not nearly so well covered are the battles and campaigns of the earlier 17th and 18th Centuries, which are far less well documented.

My aim in publishing this blog is to try to bring together some of the material that I have found over the past few years, on these lesser known conflicts, and to try to make it available to a wider audience.

If you aware aware of additional sources for information on any of the battles or campaigns that I have included in my blog, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

My interest in these events arises from having many ancestors who took part in these events. Having had my abiding interest in history sparked by visits to my great aunt, and having been spell bound as a kid by family legends, of places and events from that far away land.

Many of the best stories, concerned my great great grandfather Charles James Barton.



Major Charles James Barton, [front row, left], and his brother offices of the Bombay Artillery, circa 1858.

This blog is dedicated to my great great grandfather, and the very many other people who marched across the dusty plains of India, or who struggled up the rain filled ghats.

It is also dedicated to those many thousands of foe, who played such an important part in their homelands history, doing their very best to keep out of their homes and towns, a difficult and dangerous opponent.

I would particularly welcome input from peoples whose ancestors fought so hard against the armies of the East India Company. For this story is incomplete without their side of the story, for we should not forget, that we were taking over other people's lands, and that these poor people were often the innocent victims of these events. This is the story of one the World's first multinationals, and the effects of globalisation. It is very largely the story of one of the first Company Armies.

However, out of strife grew a great personal respect for these brave Indian's.

If we are to avoid the repeat of these events, it is important for future generations to understand the past, in many ways I believe the events described here, are more relevant towards an understanding of the potential struggles of tomorrow, than the studies are the ism's of Marx, Engels, or the works of the evil dictators of the 20th Century, Hitler, Stalin and Mao, which so many students of history and politics spend there time studying these days.

As an amateur historian, I run the constant risk of offending orthodox historical methods, and am quite likely in error, or hold views that may not suit current thinking. Please be patient with me, or write to me and describe to me the error of my ways.

I would be most interested in hearing from you, if you have any comments or additional information that you would like to share with me. I can be contacted on balmer.nicholas@gmail.com

Nick Balmer December 2007.