‘A collection of treaties, engagements and sanads relating to India and neighbouring countries’ [‎14] (31/578)

PERSIA.
The proceedings of the Persian authorities on the frontier of Balu
chistan were long a source of anxiety to the Khan of Kalat. Founding
her pretensions to dominion in Baluchistan on the conquests of foimei
dynasties, Persia gradually advanced beyond the frontier which marked
her possessions early in the nineteenth century, and justified her action
by the necessity of repressing the border Baluchis, who were in the
habit of organizing marauding expeditions into the neighbouring
province of Kerman. In this way the district of Bampur fell into the
hands of the Persians in 1841 ; and nine years later, after the unsuccessful
revolt of its Chief, it was permanently occupied by them. Subsequently
the Chiefs of the western divisions of Makran, viz., Dizak, Sarbaz, (xeh
and Kasarkand, paid tribute to Ibrahim Khan, the Persian Governor
of Bampur. No opportunity was lost by Ibrahim Khan of asserting
the claim of Persia, and his proceedings during the construction of the
telegraph from Bushire to Gwattur in 1863, addressing threatening
letters to the neighbouring Chiefs, formed the subject of reference to
Tehran. Five years later he manifested a disposition to interfere with
the construction of the telegraph between Task and Gwattur, and the
threatening attitude adopted by him during that and the following year
towards Kech and other parts of Makran owing allegiance to the Khan
of Kalat was productive of much excitement and disturbance in the border
districts. The ministers of the Shah disclaimed any intention of
assertino 1 the claims of Persia to Kech bv force of arms; but the British
Government, having treaty engagements with the Khan of Kalat, could
not view wfith indifference any intentions on the part of Persia which
caused apprehension to the Khan, and the expediency of forbidding
either open aggression or threats on the part of the frontier authorities
was impressed on the ministers.
A proposal was then made in 1870 by the Shah that, as the boundaries
between Persia and Kalat had not been clearly defined, if the British
Government desired that the line of frontier should be traced, commis
sioners should he sent to the frontier by England, Persia and Kalat for
the purpose of settling the boundary. This proposal was accepted by the
British Government; and in January 1871 the commissioners met on the
frontier and, after collecting all the available information, Major-General
Goldsmid, the British commissioner, proceeded to Tehran for the adjust
ment of the question. The Persian frontier, as defined in a memorandum
by the British commissioner, and comprising Dizak and Bampusht, Sarbaz
and Pishin, Baho and Dashtiyari, was accepted by the Shah in September
1871. A request was subsequently preferred by the Persian Government
that the small district of Kuhak, lying below the Talk and Kalagan
sub-divisions of the Dizak district, which had been included on the map
within the Kalat frontier, might be made over to Persia. This was so
far agreed to bv the British Government that the line forming the