'The Middle Eastern question or some political problems of Indian defence' [‎19v] (43/616)

H THE PERSIAN ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM
of Kharak. Persia was, however, only temporarily over
awed. In 1851 she again attempted to interfere forcibly
in the affairs of Herat, and in spite of a definite engage
ment to abstain from such intervention, which was
signed at Teheran in January, 1853, the attitude of the
Persian Court led to a complete rupture of diplomatic
relations in the following year, and in 1855 another
Persian expedition was despatched to Herat. Again
the British Government was compelled to bring warlike
pressure upon Persia, and when Herat was captured
by the Persians in October, 1856, a force was sent
under Sir James Outram to occupy Bushire and
Muhammerah, at the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The
campaign was short and almost bloodless, the Persian
troops being routed at every point almost without a
struggle ; and in spite of the vain-glorious rhodomon-
tades of the Teheran Government, which kept on
issuing grotesque bulletins of fabled victories, the Shah
deemed it expedient to invoke the good offices of the
emperor of the French, and on March 25th, 1857, a
treaty of peace was signed in Paris, by which Persia
relinquished all claims to sovereignty or to the right of
interference in Afghanistan. This was, indeed, the only
stipulation we imposed upon Persia. We exacted no
guarantees for its fulfilment; we asked for no com
pensation or concessions beyond a ceremonial apology
to our Minister, on his return to Teheran, for the
insults to which he had been subjected before the out
break of hostilities ; we agreed to restore every bit of
Persian territory we had occupied ; we claimed neither
political nor commercial advantages. One knows not
whether to admire more the generosity or the im
providence of such a treaty. It is now sometimes
suggested that there must have been some connexion