The English concluded terms with Shah Abbas I in 1619 which compelled the English Company to accept an uneasy military alliance with the Safavīd State against the Portuguese. The alliance was impractical, and it quickly eroded in the late 1620s. English trade in Persia failed, in part, as a consequence of this unusual commercial-military agreement, but it was not the only issue that hurt English trade. The move to Persia was undertaken out of desperation, and despite their efforts the venture was haphazardly organized. The English who resided in Safavīd Persia struggled to cope with their environment, they fought amongst each other, and broadly the English community was wrought with social disorder, confessional disputes, and illicit activity.