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Printed copies of letters from Sir Henry Willock to successive British Foreign Secretaries discussing the situation in Persia. [6r] (11/14)
The record is made up of 1 file (7 folios). It was created in 01 Dec 1838-04 Sep 1841. 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.
( 11 )
must inevitably cross. She has had a wholesome check to offensive enterprize in the difficulty
of raising funds, a point to which we are fast approaching, and perhaps with advantage, for
had there been a paucity of pecuniary supply the ruinous wars in Burma and Afghanistan
might never have been undertaken. We however take no pains to check our onward progress,
but al.nitting the necessity, (which forms the apology of our aggressions) blindly rush forward
in a system of extension, which must hasten the annihilation of our Empire in India.
The late President of the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India,* at the dinner
given by the East India Company to Lord Keane, expatiated on the advantages of forward
movement, and declared that any secession from our recently acquired prominent position in
Central Asia would be fatal to the interests of the British Empire in India. I think this
notion should be resisted in every possible way, and that in the present unhappy state of the
business we should seek with eagerness the earliest possible opportunity of retreat. We have
never ple lged ourselves to maintain a permanent footing in Afghanistan ; on the contrary, we
have professed the intention of rendering the Afghans an independent nation, and therefore
when opportunity offers we may leave them to their own machinations, without incurring the
imputation of being thrown back.
I have had a great deal of conversation with that eminent statesman Mr. Elphinstone
on this subject, and he quite inclines to the notion of safety in retreat; and he says there
is a certain strength in our Indian Empire, which so much counterbalances our supposed
weakness in disparity of numbers, that it will be found to sustain many more shocks than
it is supposed to be capable of, and he thinks that secession should not be regarded as an evil
of that magnitude generally represented.
The extent of our financial difficulties seems suddenly to have forced itself on the
notice of the Supreme Government of India; it was anticipated nearly two years ago by
my honoured Colleague Mr. Tucker, who foreseeing that neither the treasure in hand,
nor the current revenue, would meet the extraordinary expences of the war in Afghanistan,
which has occasioned a Million and a half annual expenditure in excess of the revenue,
recommended that a loan should be opened before our Treasury became too low, and before
the Public were apprized of the pressing exigencies of the State. Unhappily this was not
attended to. Money was plentiful at that period; it has since been embarked in different
channels, and the recent attempt at Calcutta to raise a loan at 5 per cent, interest has failed.
The pressure for money is two fold. The one arises from the temporary inconvenience
of the Company acting as Bankers to Her Majesty's Government to meet the charges of the
war in China; the other is a still recurring evil, and has no remedy except our withdrawal
from Afghanistan.
I find many who will not open their eyes to the depth of our embarrassments. They say
" the difficulties are not unprecedented, we have had as expensive wars, and have recovered
" from them." But they lose sight of the altered circumstances, former wars have terminated
in accession of territory, which afforded the prospect of repayment of the sums we had
disbursed. In crossing the Indus we have left fertile plains, and rich products, such as sugar,
silk, indigo, opium, cotton, spices, drugs, &c. In Afghanistan we act as Auxiliaries, and what
little revenue can be raised in the hilly and thinly populated country which produces wheat,
barley, rye, millet, and smaller grains, is taken up to defray in part the expences of Shah
Shuja, the residue being furnished from our Treasury. But the whole of the revenue of
Afghanistan would not cover a fiftieth part of our current disbursements in that country.
• Sir John Hobhouse—his words were to this effect: " We have itill great destiniei to fulfil in Central Asia. Our
" motto tauit be ' Forward*—collapse is death."
About this item
- Content
The printed copies of the letters have been brought together as a booklet giving Sir Henry Willock's thoughts on the situation in Persia from December 1838 to September 1841. Sir Henry Willock had spent 23 years in Persia, 11 of which had been spent superintending British relations with the Court of Persia. The letters that comprise the booklet are as follows:
- Letter to The Right Honorable The Lord Viscount Palmerston, 01 December 1838, outlining the background politics in Persia and in particular with regards to the Kings Of Persias ambitions over the last 30 years to conquer Herat, the view the British Government had taken to such attempts and amibitions in the past and the views of the Sovereign who had mostly recently attempted to annex it. The letter goes on to discuss the line of policy which should now be applied to Persia, particularly in light of the British Government's occupation of the island of Karrack, and Sir Henry Willock's belief that the British now needed to regain the confidence of Persia and should unconditionally retreat from the island. The letter also discusses Russia current aims and intentions with regards to Afghanistan, its own empire, trade with India and the need for the British to check its progress. There is also speculation by Sir Henry as to the British Government's intentions of removing Dost Mohammad Khan from power owing to his decision to ally with the Persians in order to remove a rival from power; thoughts on the difficulties of marching Indian troops through Afghanistan and his opinions on the Shah's rival Runjeet Singh and his conclusions that the safest move for Great Britain is to adhere to its alliance with Persia.
- Memorandum to The Right Honourable Viscount Palmerston, Secretary of State, 4 Feburary 1839 offering his opinions on the effects that the British Mission leaving the Court of Persia would have. The memorandum focuses on the disadvantages of this action including leaving Persia open to occupation by Russia; enabling the Shah to occupy Herat; damaging commercial relations between the two countries; the likelihood of Persia discovering Britain does not have the means to cause injury and cautioning that invasion of Persia would be impractical owing to the difficulty in traversing the passes into the country.
- Memorandum to The Right Honourable The Earl of Aberdeen, Secretary of State, 04 September 1841 regarding his recommendations from 1838 to Viscount Palmerston of maintaining the Persian alliance and abandoning the subjection of Aghanistan and his letter of 1839 following the withdrawal of the British Mission from the Court of Persia and other private remarks since which he has made to the Right Honorable Henry Ellis. The memorandum outlines Willock's opposition to the opinions of Lord Auckland and the intention to place Shah Shuja on the throne at Cabul; his dislike of the news that a secret committee Pre-1784, the Committee responsible for protecting East India Company shipping. Post-1784, its main role was to transmit communications between the Board of Control and the Company's Indian governments on matters requiring secrecy. had taken this decision without consulting the East India Company Board of Directors and his belief that the British's best approach in Persia is to avoid collision and to avoid recommendations eminating from the Court of St. Petersburgh. Willock goes on to consider the benefits of a neutral Afghanistan permitted to remain independent which he views as having been the best solution that the British Government threw out; comparing the British position in Afghanistan to the French position in Algeria; considering the potential threats to Punjab of viewing Herat as an enemy; the risk of war with Russia; the need to ensure secession is not regarded as an evil of great magnitude; financial difficulties in India; the cost of war in Afghanistan and the need to retreat from the island of Karrack if friendly relations with Persia are to be restored. Towards the end of the memorandum Willock diverges from Persia to discuss the port of Aden which he believes is only useful as a coal depot and that it should be given up as a way of saving money.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (7 folios)
- Arrangement
The copies of letters have been printed in the booklet in date order.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The file has been foliated in the front top right hand corner of each folio with a pencil number enclosed with a circle.
The file also contains original pagination 2-13 which starts on the verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. of the first folio and concludes on the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of the final folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Printed copies of letters from Sir Henry Willock to successive British Foreign Secretaries discussing the situation in Persia. [6r] (11/14), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/18, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023190383.0x00000c> [accessed 16 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F126/18
- Title
- Printed copies of letters from Sir Henry Willock to successive British Foreign Secretaries discussing the situation in Persia.
- Pages
- 1r:7v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence