CALCUTTA (KOLKATA), EASTERN INDIA, 1809-1813

This letter from Lord Minto requests the authorities in Qajar Iran to recognise his choice of General John Malcolm as ambassador to the court of Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar and dispatch Sir Harford Jones Brydges upon Malcolm’s arrival. Although undated the letter refers to previous petitions (niyaz-nama) from Minto dated 3 January and 20 July 1809. The letter was clearly sent in the context of Lord Minto’s attempts to outmanoeuvre London and take control of relations with Iran. Rarely seeing eye-to-eye on matters of foreign policy, both the Bengal Presidency and Whitehall vied to control relations with Iran. Following an embassy to the Qajar court sent by Napoleon, Brydges was sent from London at great haste. Minto sent Malcolm a first time in 1809 to try and replace Brydges but his travel to Tehran was not permitted. Brydges successfully negotiated an alliance between Britain and Iran in March 1809 but Lord Minto refused to recognise this and again sent Malcolm to Iran without any success. It seems likely that the present lot was sent by Lord Minto to accompany Malcolm’s second attempt to oust Brydges.

The Lord Minto, Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (1751-1814), served as the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal from 1807 until 1813. During his tenure, Lord Minto followed a noninterventionist policy and avoided committing to any major war. Minto is perhaps best known for signing the Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh in 1809 which put an end to Anglo-Sikh conflict as well as providing defence against French influence in northwest India.