‘A collection of treaties, engagements and sanads relating to India and neighbouring countries’ [‎35] (52/578)

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PliRSIA—PERSIAN BALUCHISTAN AND KERMAN
ment for arbitration under Article VI of tbe Treaty of 1857, and Colonel
McMabon was appointed His Majesty’s arbitrator. His award as
regards tbe boundary was accepted by botb Governments in 1905. Tbe
water award was not accepted in its entirety by tbe Afghan Govern
ment, and was altogether rejected by tbe Persians on tbe ground that
they were more favourably treated under tbe Goldsmid award of 1873.
This latter award still governs tbe distribution of tbe water of tbe Hel
mand river.
No events of any particular importance occurred in Sistan between
1905 and 1915; but in tbe latter year British forces operating from
Baluchistan entered Persian territory in order to intercept armed parties
of Germans, Austrians and Turks from crossing into Afghanistan: and
a cordon of troops was established from Nusbki to tbe llussian frontier
near Askbabad. In connection with these operations tbe Sarbad district
of Persian Baluchistan was temporarily occupied in 1916 by a British
force, and its turbulent tribal chiefs reduced to order.
In 1918 tbe Spezand-Nusbki branch of the North Western Railway,
which bad been pushed westwards across tbe desert as part of tbe line
of communications of tbe East Persia Cordon Field Force, entered Persian
territory at Mirjawa and in 1919 was carried to Duzdap, 54 miles on tbe
Persian side of tbe frontier. Tbe Persian section of the line was closed
down in July 1931 and it is no longer operated beyond Nok Fundi.
With tbe exception of small detachments for the safety of tbe rail
way, which were removed in 1924 when tbe Sarbad was vacated, all
British troops in Persia were withdrawn in 1921.
Peesian Baluchistan and Keeman.
A British Consul was first sent to Kerman in 1894, but tbe Consulate
was not formally established till 1902.
In 1896 and 1897 Persian Baluchistan remained in a very disturbed
condition. Robbery and murder were rife and tbe unrest culminated
in tbe murder of Mr. Graves, a Superintendent of tbe Indo-European
Telegraph line, at bis camp on tbe Rapcb river. Enquiry proved that
tbe murder was committed by Kerwani tribesmen, and tbe Darya Begi,
Governor-General of Busbire, with tbe co-operation of the Resident,
eventually succeeded in bringing to justice several of tbe gang responsible
for tbe outrage.
In 1897 tbe quantity of arms being smuggled into Afghanistan via
tbe Makran coast attracted tbe serious attention of tbe Government of
India. A Naval blockade was eventually established, and by tbe end
of 1909 tbe traffic bad been considerably reduced. A small Field Force,
sent to Makran in 1911 to deal with tbe arms traffic on land, attacked
and defeated Mir Barkat who bad established himself as Chief of tbe
Biyaban district in 1908.