'PRINCIPAL DESPATCHES AND CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO PERSIA CONNECTED WITH THE SUMMARY OF EVENTS AND MEASURES OF VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDDLESTON IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. JANUARY 1899 TO NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV-PART IV. PERSIA.' [‎34r] (72/136)

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MINUTE BY THE VICEROY on SEISTAN, dated September 4th, 1899.
I propose, in this Minute, to examine the present aspect of the Seistan
question in relation to our general policy towards Persia, and to the attitude of
Russia in Persia. In my book on Persia, I wrote a chapter on Seistan (Vol. I,
Chap. IX) which contained as full an account of that district, its history,
inhabitants, features, and commercial and political significance, as was then
(1892) procurable. I also discussed the political ambitions of Russia m con
nection with Seistan (Vol. I, pages 201, 216-218, 285-244; Vol. II, pages 597-
598,605), and the question of a possible Seistan Railway from India m the
future (Vol. I, pages 237-244, 628-629). I ventured further to make certain
recommendations, namely, that we should establish Consular or other represent
ation (a) at Yezd, (5) at Kerman, (<?) in Seistan, (d) at Bunder Abbas; (e) that
the Kerman-Meshed trade route should be improved; (/) that a British trade
route should be opened from Quetta to Seistan; (g) that, the question of
railway extension in the direction of Seistan should be considered. Of these
recommendations, I am glad to say that, during the interval that has since
elapsed, {a), (5), {c), (e) and (/) have already been carried into execution.
In the despatch with which this Minute is enclosed, (d) is recommended by the
Government of India. I propose shortly to discuss the present aspect of (^/).
The references which have been given will dispense me from recapitulating
the elementary facts about Seistan; and I may commence with an account of
what has happened during the past 7 years, leading up to a description of
the status quo.
2. Seistan was in 1892 a beluh or sub-division of the district of Kain
(capital Birjand) which is a part of the province of Khorasan (capital Meshed).
The Government of Kain has for long been in the hereditary possession of. a
powerful family of Arab origin, whose head bears the title of Amir of. Kain,
and who, until the centralising tendencies of recent years, exercised an
authority almost independent of that of the Shah. Mir Alam Khan, who had
filled the post for over a quarter of a century, died in 1891. Eor. reasons
into which it is not necessary to enter, the younger of his two sons, Ismail Khan,
known as the Shaukat-ul-Mulk (now about 50 years of age), succeeded him as
Governor of Kain at Birjand. The elder son, Ali Akbar Khan, known as the
Hashmat-ul-Mulk, became Governor of Tabbas and Seistan,—posts which he only
retains by the process, familiar in Persia, of the annual payment of a large
sum in cash to the Shah. The third son, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, now just
grown up, was made Sartip or Commandant of the Kain forces. . The Shaukat-
ul-Mulk and he have generally, but perhaps erroneously, been believed to incline
towards Russia, whose aim has been to get Seistan, now to some extent, separated
from Kain, re-incorporated in it, and absorbed as an ordinary administrative
district in the province of Khorasan. Such an amalgamation would emphasize
the dependence of Seistan upon Meshed, from which it is now in some measure
separate.
3. Meanwhile the elder brother, or Hashmat-ul-Mulk, has not himself
resided in Seistan, but has deputed one of his sons, Mir Masum Khan, a fat
and lethargic youth of about 18, to act as Deputy Governor at Nasirabad, under
the tutelage of his mother, a lady with considerable powers, of intrigue. This
son is supposed to intrigue with the uncle at Birjand and is not on the best of
terms with his father, who in 1898 sent an elder son, named Muhammad Reza
Khan, to supersede him as Deputy Governor. Upon Mir Masum Khan declin
ing to go, the quarrel was patched up; and he still acts for his father in Seistan.
Thus the local situation is that of Russia endeavouring to increase her hold upon