Friendly Agreements between Talpurs and British (1808 to 1839):
In 1808, Captain David Seton came to Hyderabad as British Ambassador and, after negotiations with the Talpur Mirs, reached an agreement stating that the British Government would assist the Mirs in deterring the Afghan chiefs.[2] At that time, Persia and Afghanistan were the two enemies of Britain because both countries had the support of Russia and France. Through Tilsit agreement Persia had become a friend of Britain, now they were only threatened by Afghanistan. The British had a feeling from the beginning that India was always attacked by Afghanistan. Therefore, they adopted the strategy that before anyone attacked them from Afghanistan, they would first attack it taking control over it. The real purpose of this friendly agreement of the Seton with Talpur Mir was to alliance against Afghanistan because it was a buffer state during the Great Game between British India and the Russian Empire. In this way, the British strengthened their defensive line in the subcontinent and planned to use this route to gain access to Afghanistan.
After Seton, a new British agent, Nicholos Hankey Smith, came to Karachi in 1809.[3] The British mission reached Hyderabad Darbar from Karachi via Thatta by both water and land routes. So, in this way, the river routes were surveyed and the objective of mapping the Indus route was achieved. Smith mission had two main objectives. One was to establish a permanent link with Sindh and the other was to use the internal disputes of the Talpur Mir's for the benefit of the company. In this agreement, the British achieved both of their objectives. The first objective was achieved through the mutual exchange of agents and the second one was achieved when Talpur allowed the locals to work as residents of the company in the Hyderabad court.
According to this friendly agreement, the rulers also prevented the French from using the Indus coast. As the British started expelling their rivals in Sindh in the name of friendship, a new friendly treaty was signed in 1821 under which the Americans were also expelled from Sindh.[4] Thus the British could do business here through the port of Karachi but the French and Americans could not.
Under the previous treaties, the British established their influence here and now they wanted complete victory. In 1832, a goodwill agreement was finalized between the company's agent Henry Pottinger and Talpur Mir, in which business concessions were made so that the goods brought to Sindh would be taxed fairly and the merchants would not be disturbed in any way.[5] The British resident would have the option to change his residence or bodyguard. In order to establish its influence as far as Punjab, the British wanted to close the gap between the Mirs and Ranjit Singh, so that an atmosphere of peace and order could be established between the two governments. This agreement was the formal beginning of the complete British occupation of Karachi and especially Sindh. Thus these agreements led to the downfall of the Talpur rulers. Thus the British succeeded in their political and defense intentions.
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