‘A collection of treaties, engagements and sanads relating to India and neighbouring countries’ [‎33] (50/578)

PERSIA—SISTAN.
33
the dissensions among the Barakzai family led to the diminution of
Afghan influence and, after the death of Kohandil Khan in 1855, Ali
Khan Sarbandi, who had been installed by him some years previously
as ruler of south-western Sistan, made overtures to Persia in the hope of
enjoying a greater amount of independence under a power which, from
its distance, would be less able to enforce obedience. Ali Khan was
received with honour at Tehran, married a princess of the royal family,
and returned to Sistan with an allowance of 4,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a year: a
sum of 3,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. a year was also bestowed on Ibrahim Khan of
Chakansur, the principal Chief of northern Sistan, and the other Chiefs.
In return for these subsidies the Chiefs undertook to prevent Baluch
raiders from entering Persian territory. In 1858 Ali Khan was assas
sinated by his nephew, Taj Muhammad, who eventually expressed his
willingness to continue his predecessor’s engagements with Persia.
The sovereignty of Persia over Sistan was, however, never recognized
by the British Government: and an intimation to that effect was con
veyed to the Persian Government when, in 1862, the Shah claimed the
execution of the Tth article of the Treaty of 1857 (No. XVIII) on the
ground of the alleged intention of Dost Muhammad Khan to require the
submission of Sistan. In 1863 Persia, again apprehensive of an invasion
of Sistan by Dost Muhammad Khan, who was then engaged in the ex
pedition against Herat, was anxious to obtain an assurance that the
British Government would not permit any such invasion of Persian
territory; but the British Government declined to interfere in the matter,
and left it to both parties to make good their possession by force of arms.
Towards the end of 1865 an armed advance was made into Sistan by
Persia, with the alleged object of enabling Taj Muhammad to keep in
check Baluch raiders who had committed depredations on Persian
territory. In 1867 the dominion of Persia over the part of Sistan, south
west of the Helmand, was completed by the removal of Taj Muhammad,
his brother and his uncle to Tehran. Thenceforward it was the aim of
Persia to obtain possession of the territory of Ibrahim Khan of Chakan
sur, north of the Helmand; and Mir Alam Khan, the Persian Governoi
of Kain, succeeded in occupying the whole of Sistan proper; i.e., the
country lying between the Hamun on the north and west, and the
Helmand, below the Kohak dam, on the east. During the civil wars,
which after the death of Dost Muhammad Khan distracted Afghanistan,
the progress of the Persians met with little opposition; but on the estab
lishment of Amir Sher Ali Khan’s power the Afghans found themselves
in a position to retaliate, and raids on both sides of the border became oi
constant occurrence.
The Persian Government having expressed a wish for the good offices
of the British Government in placing the relations of Persia with
Afghanistan with regard to Sistan on a more satisfactory footing, the