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'The Middle Eastern question or some political problems of Indian defence' [29v] (63/616)
The record is made up of 1 volume (306 folios ). It was created in 1903. It was written in English and French. 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.
32 THE " RUSSIAN " ROAD TO TEHERAN
for the construction of the Resht road to Teheran.
But Russia, none the less, gets value for her money.
Not only does the road serve the ends of Russian
commercial policy, which is almost openly directed to
the acquisition of an absolute monopoly in the trade
of Northern Persia, but it is in itself a splendid and
perfectly legitimate advertisement of Russian influence.
Russian occupies the place of honour in every document
drawn up in connection with transportation on the road.
The names of all the stations figure conspicuously in
Russian characters. The barriers at which the Russian
company levies its tolls are in the hands of Russian
officials. The Russians have the maintenance of the
road, and all the gangs employed on repairs are under
the orders of Russian overseers. Not only, therefore,
is every Persian travelling along the main road from
the north to the capital made to feel that the Russians
hold the right of access to it, but the inhabitants of all
the adjoining districts, who provide the requisite labour,
are taught to look up to the Russians as their employers
and their masters. But though the advantages which
Russia thus reaps from this undertaking deserve to be
noted, it would be unfair as well as futile to cavil at
them. The whole position which Russia has acquired
in the north of Persia deserves, I think, to be studied
in a spirit, not of idle recrimination, but of dis
passionate, and even friendly, consideration.
Whilst the road from Resht to Teheran affords a
perfect illustration of Russian activity, it happened to
afford, whilst I was passing over it, an accidental, but
equally striking, illustration of Persian mediaevalism.
The Shah was on his way back from Europe, and
in accordance with immemorial custom, the whole of
his Court, numbering thousands of retainers, was
About this item
- Content
The volume, written by Valentine Chirol and printed in London by John Murray in 1903, is based on a series of letters written by Chirol during a journey through Persia and the Persian Guf, that appeared in The Times in 1902 and 1903.
The main topics are: the concept of 'Middle East'; the Baghdad Railway; the British role in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the Russian influence over Persia; the border of Afghanistan; the North-East Frontier of India, and Tibet. An appendix at the back of the volume contains copies of international treaties, and documents in French on the Baghdad Railway.
The volume contains numerous illustrations and three maps:
- 'Sketch Map of the Borderlands of India';
- 'Sketch Map of Asia showing railway expansion';
- 'Sketch map of Persia and adjoining countries'.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (306 folios )
- Physical characteristics
The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; 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. The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'The Middle Eastern question or some political problems of Indian defence' [29v] (63/616), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/G43, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023644752.0x000040> [accessed 10 May 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/G43
- Title
- 'The Middle Eastern question or some political problems of Indian defence'
- Pages
- 2r:305v
- Author
- Chirol, Sir (Mary) Ignatius Valentine
- Usage terms
- Public Domain