'South Persian Rifles and Southern Persia Vol II' [267v] (534/810)
The record is made up of 1 file (403 folios). It was created in Dec 1917-Aug 1919. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
mentioned by the Government of India on p. ,2., but they have
forgotten it here. "Solution of situation in Bushire hinterland
Nould be a necessary preliminary". Yt/e must have a definite
projgranme - whether that proposed in the three succeeding
telegrams, or another - and present it to the Persian Government
for their acceptance and co-operation* I oill return to this
later, and merely mention it no* in order to indicate that there
are really 5, not 4, essentials* (4) Bakhtiari support
should expressly include action by the Persian Government to
prevent the Khans at Teheran from interfering *ith the Iljfhani
and Ilbligi. bir 0. Marling has ; told us that the bamsam con
templates going do*n to Bakhtiari to take charge of the tribe.
That *ould be fatal, and should on no account be allowed. li
these 5 essentials are accepted by the Persian Government, 1
agree *ith the Government of India that *e may discuas the *ith-
dra*al of our troops and disbandment,of the S*P,R*
Passing on to the t*o alternatives presented by the .
Government of India, I believe that the first is the one likely
to contribute to the peace of Pars after the *ar: but I recognise
that it is impracticable no*. ' <
Of the arguments by *hich the Government of India -
support-the second alternative, the first-six viz. (a) to (£) may
be adiiitted. (g) is disputable, because the b.P.H* *ere intro
duced *ith the assent of the Persian .Government and *ere recog
nised by them originally* The fact that they have gone back on
their consent and recognition-can hardly be t*isted into meaning
that *e have been guilty of a breach of faith.
(&) involves a false and very dangerous assumption,
viz that it is *& *ho have successfully dealt *ith boulet’s
rising* As Bir C, Marling has pointed out, it is the Ka*am and
the ne* Ilbigi of the Kashgai* *ho have dealt *ith boulet, i.e.,
*e have relapsed into the old policy of employing the tribes uc oo
the
About this item
- Content
This file contains material relating to the South Persia Rifles, southern Persia [Iran], the Bakhtiari [Bakhtiyari] Tribe and the oil fields developed by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC). It includes:
- A table showing the disposition of troops in southern Persia in December 1917
- The capture of an incriminating letter addressed to Mukhbir Us Sulteneh [Mahdi Quli Khan Hidayat Mukhbir al-Saltanah]
- The outbreak of clashes between the nomadic tribes of southern Persia and the South Persia Rifles
- The call by Soulat [Isma’il Khan Sawlat al-Dawlah Qashqa’i], Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. of the Kashgai [Qashqa'i] Tribe, for a jehad [jihad] against foreign forces in Persia [The Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. being the Paramount Chief of the tribe]
- The loss of the post at Khaneh Zinian [Khan-i Zaniyan] to the Kashgais led by Soulat
- The logistics required for extending the right flank of the Allied forces in Mesopotamia [Iraq] to the Caspian Sea
- The reinforcement of the forces under Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes via Bandar Abbas and Bushire [Bushehr]
- The placement of Sykes under the command of General Charles Monro, Commander-in-Chief, India
- The departure of the German agent Wilhelm Wassmuss towards Khaneh Zinian
- The general expression of ‘nationalist resentment’ at the presence of British forces in Central Persia
- The offer of the Persian Admiral, Mirza Ahmad Khan Tangistani Daryabegi, to collaborate against Soulat
- The declaration by Habib Allah Khan Qavam al-Mulk Shirazi of his support for the Governor of Fars, Abd al-Husayn Mirza Farmanfarma, and his readiness to defend Shiraz against Soulat
- The clashes between the Kalantar of Kazerun, Nasir Divan Kazeruni, and British forces outside Shiraz
- An offer of assistance from the Kalantar of the Kashkuli Tribe, Muhammad ‘Ali Khan Kashkuli
- The lack of co-operation between the British Minister at Tehran, Charles Marling, and Sir Percy Sykes
- The placement of all British troops in southern Persia under the command of an officer with the rank of Brigadier-General
- A joint letter from the khans of Borasjun [Borazjan], Tangistan and Chakutah [Chahkootah] to the 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. at Bushire to enquire about the objectives of the recently-arrived British regiments
- The possibility of installing Mirza Hasan Khan Vusugh (Vusugh al-Dawlah) as Prime Minister, following the Italian victory at the Second Battle of Piave River, and the suspension of German operations against France
- The recommendation of Brigadier-General George Younghusband to surround oilfields with ‘barbed wire fence with electric light standards and ring of sentries like prisoners of war camp’
- The willingness of the Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. of the Bakhtiyari to ‘maintain order’ in the oilfields of southern Persia
- The siege of Indian Army troops at Abadeh by the Kashgai and the desertion of all South Persia Rifles
- The mobilisation of Mirza Kuchak Khan's Jangali Movement to seize control of Rasht
- A quarrel between the German agent, Wassmuss and the Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. of the Kashgai, Soulat
- The defection of the Kashgai chiefs ‘Ali Khan Qashqa’i Salar-i Hishmat and Ahmad Khan Qashqa’i Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i Ihtisham
- The order from Khusraw Khan Bakhtiyari Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i Zafar to Yusuf Khan Bakhtiyari Amir Mujahid to relieve the siege of Abadeh, and prevent Murtaza Quli Khan Samsam from joining the Kashgais
- The pursuit by Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i Ihtisham, Muhammad ‘Ali Khan Kashkuli, and Qavam al-Mulk Shirazi of Soulat and his band of followers and the retreat of Nasir Divan Kazeruni to Kazerun
- A request from Soulat to Ayoz Kika [Haj Iyaz Khan Shakiri Qashqa’i] for reinforcements
- The arrest of Baha Us Sultan [Baha’ al-Sultan Shirazi], a leading democrat [i.e. of the Hizb-i Democrat-i Fars]
- The deployment of Sultan Kazem Khan [Sultan Kazim Khan Shamlu’s] Darrahshuri tribal forces to Abadeh
- The preference of Vusugh al-Dawlah for Swedish officers to lead the national police in Persia
- A rumour about the presence of the German agent Oskar von Niedermeyer in Bakhtiyari Country
- The encirclement, by Soulat, of Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i Ihtisham and the South Persia Rifles at Firuzabad
- The relief of Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i Ihtisham and the South Persia Rifles by Colonel Ernest Frederick Orton
- The death of Muhammad ‘Ali Khan Kashkuli at Shiraz on 20 October 1918
- The handover of the South Persia Rifles by Sir Percy Sykes to Colonel Orton and the former's arrival at Delhi
- The refusal by Wassmuss to surrender to British forces, and his rejection of an offer of repatriation
- The readiness of the Persian Government to co-operate in the arrest and deportation of Wassmuss
- A proposal by Colonel Orton of the South Persia Rifles for the organisation of a national Persian Army.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (403 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
The foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 405; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-389.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'South Persian Rifles and Southern Persia Vol II' [267v] (534/810), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/805, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100110039432.0x000087> [accessed 8 June 2026]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/805
- Title
- 'South Persian Rifles and Southern Persia Vol II'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:404v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence
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