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File 3516/1914 Pt 14 'German War: Persia; general situation' [‎180v] (365/532)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (261 folios). It was created in 8 Aug 1915-30 Nov 1915. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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Department who is attached to this Consulate, reporting on his trip to Naihand
in charge of 30 armed sowars for the purpose of gaining information about
Germans’ movements and of seizing a small stock of supplies which was
rumoured to have been carried from Tabas to Naiband by five Persians in
German employ.
2. As regards the second of these objects, Mr. Dormer thinks that the
rumour was untrue, but it is apparent that if the supplies had been in Naiband
he could not have seized them owing to the hostility of the townspeople.
3 . I think that the information which he has brought hack is of great
interest and that the expedition has served a good purpose in showing the
people of this Province that we are ready to take the offensive against the
Germans whenever suitable opportunity occurs in spite of the attendant risks.
In this instance we had heard reports (since apparently found to be untrue)
that the Germans were encamped in considerable force further north
in the same district of Tabas, whence they might have attempted to intercept
our party on the return journey.
4 . Mr. Dormer, in my opinion, led his party with great circumspection
* For ir stance, 140 miles in so hours on the and courage, and the rapidity with which
return journey. they moved* and the cheerfulness with
which they endured the hardships of the journey are entirely the result of his
own good example.
Sub-enclosure.
Dated Birjand, the 12th September 1915.
From—P. E. Dormer, Esq., Indo-European Telegraph Department,
To— Major F. B. Prideaux, C.I.E., His Britannic Majesty's Consul for Sistan and
Kain, Birjand.
I have the honour to report on my journey to Naiband.
I left Birjand, accompanied by S. A. S. Pazal Ilahi, ten Indian Cavalry
including two Dafedars, 12 Afghan and Baluch Levies, five Persian Levies,
one Vice-Consulate Ghulam, one Hospital attendant and two camel drivers, all
mounted on camels at 11 p.h. on the 21st August 1915, and arrived at Khusp
at 7-30 a.m. the following morning. Ten of the Governor’s sowars caught me
up on the road and were subsequently relieved at Khusp by 10 Jambazes.
At Kalata Khan (six miles from Birjand) a camelman bringing in firewood
from Garmab informed me that he had heard that a party numbering about
50 had arrived at Kbur to purchase provisions. No one in Khusp had beard
anything of this party, and I therefore decided to proceed. I however took
the precaution of sending one Persian Levy and four Jambazes to Khur with
orders for three of them to follow straight on to Garmab with confirmation or
otherwise of the report, and for the other two to follow the day after with any
further news.
Me left Khusp at 8 p.m. having been delayed over the purchase of
" Golour ” for the camels, and arrived at Nali-Nau at 9-30 on the morning of
the 23rd. We left again for Garmab at 5 p.m. reaching the latter place° at
midnight. This march, performed after dark, is an extremely difficult one,
the road passing through many river beds where signs of previous caravans
having passed through are difficult to discern. My advance guard, guided by
two pf the Governor’s Jambazes, experienced no difficulty, but the main body
lost its way, the remaining four Jambazes with me asserting that they were
unfamiliar with the route. An Afghan Levy would have been hopelessly lost
had 1 not been able to follow him up with the aid of my glasses.
At 8 a.m. on the 24th, whilst we were preparing to leave Garmab, our
informer stationed at Naiband arrived with a report that five sowars of the
Germans (three Tabrizis and twx) Ispahanis) had arrived from Kerman in
advance of a party of 45—including a German—then said to be at Dehaneh
Chehupai, two stages from Naiband on the Kerman road. I considered this
number was exrggerated. The sowars had also stated that another party of
300 were seven or eight days behind and that both parties would unite at
Naiband and proceed to Birjand.

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Content

The volume concerns the situation in south-western Persia during the First World War. The main focus is the British occupation of Bushire.

The volume covers:

  • Attack on British Consulate at Ispahan, which resulted in the wounding of the Consul and the death of one of the Sowars employed as escorts at the Consulate.
  • German activity in Persia; movements of German agents.
  • Turkish officers in Persia.
  • Possible Russian occupation of north-western Persia.
  • Attitude of Persian Government and situation at Tehran and in the rest of Persia.
  • Information suggesting that maps of Persia, Afghanistan and Mesopotamia were made available by the Germans to the Turks.
  • Rumoured arrest of British Consul at Shiraz.
  • Appointment of Darya Begi as Governor of Gulf Ports.
  • Alarm caused by advance of Russian troops.
  • Evacuation of British Consul from Kermanshah.
  • Arrest of British subjects from Shiraz.
  • Demands of Khans in return for the release of Shiraz prisoners.

The volume’s principal correspondents are: Charles Marling, British Minister at Tehran; British Consuls at Kerman (C T Ducat), Sistan and Kain (Francis Beville Pridaux), Isfahan (G Grahame), Khorasan, Yazd, Lingeh [Bandar Lengeh] (W R Howson); Percy Cox, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Arthur Prescott Trevor, Deputy Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Foreign Secretary to the Government of India; Thomas William Holderness and Arthur Hirtzel, India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ; War Office; Charles Hardinge, Viceroy of India; Walter Langley and Maurice de Bunsen, Foreign Office; War Office; George Buchanan, British Ambassador in Russia; Darya Begi; the American Embassy in London; the Adjutant General in India.

There is a letter in French, from the French Embassy in London; there is a translation of a newspaper article, from Jam-i-Jam.

Extent and format
1 volume (261 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 263; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
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File 3516/1914 Pt 14 'German War: Persia; general situation' [‎180v] (365/532), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/490, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100044312164.0x0000a6> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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