Page:Historyofpersiaf00watsrich.djvu/476

 456 A HISTORY OF PERSIA. represents the Indian Government at the courts of the Arab chiefs of the gulf, and who resides at Bushire. But whatever might have been the decision of her Majesty's Government with regard to the retention or otherwise of the territory conquered from Persia, had that decision been mainly influenced by considerations affecting only the future, the course actually adopted was based chiefly upon the urgent demands of the moment. The expe- dition to Persia had not been looked upon with favour by the English Parliament, or by the English press, and therefore a peace had been concluded at Paris before Mohamra had been taken. The expedition to Ahwaz formed the concluding act of the war. Ferrukh Khan, the Persian ambassador to the court of France, had concluded a treaty in the name of his master, which had been signed on the part of England by Lord Cowley at Paris on the 4th of March, 1857. Intimation of this event was given to Sir James Outram at Mohamra, by despatches which reached him on the 4th of April, and the ratifications of the Treaty were exchanged at Baghdad in the following month. By this treaty it was agreed that the forces of her Majesty the Queen should evacuate the Persian territory, subject to certain conditions being fulfilled. The principal one of these was that the Shah of Persia should take immediate measures for withdrawing from the territory, and city, of Herat, and from every other part of Affghanistan, the Persian troops and authorities then stationed therein ; such withdrawal to be effected within three months from the date of the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty. His Majesty the Shah further agreed to relin- quish all claims to sovereignty over the territory and city