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File 2626/1905 ‘Persia:- Military Attaché at Meshed’ [‎208v] (421/532)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (259 folios). It was created in 1 Dec 1904-16 Nov 1911. 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. .

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Inclosure in No. 1.
Major Sykes to Government of India.
(Secret.)
gi rj Meshed, May 31, 1907.
WITH reference to the information contained in the Memorandum for Mard
1907 re zones of influence in Persia, I have the honour to make the followr
observations in the hope that, owing to my local knowledge, they may be oKsr
use
2. The spheres referred to in the Memorandum have evidently been drawn up
the two Powers from entirely different points of view. Pussia frankly takes tp
whole of Central and Northern Persia as her zone, and assigns herself less op
eastern boundary of Iran only because of British susceptibilities. A.s it is, practical.^
the whole of Persia which is worth having falls into the zone of the northern Powe^
Her ultimate progress to the Persian Grulf is also not arrested definitely in any way^-
so far as is apparent. Moreover, Germany will, presumably, learn the result of these
negotiations, and may consider that South-Wbst Persia has been left free for the
nf hp.v “Weltnolitik.” However, this has no doubt been foreseen and
exercise of her fc Weltpolitik.
guarded against.
With the exception of the inclusion of the Province of Ispahan and its
dependencies (e.g., the Bakhtiari tribes), which question has been raised by the
Government of India, there is only the question of Pezd, on which I propose to
remark.
Yezd is undoubtedly, from, one point of view, situated in the centre of Persia,
and consequently it may be argued that we have no business there. On the other
hand, it is south of the Lut, the great desert of Persia, and but 220 miles to the west-
north-west of the city of Kerman, the only important town in the British zone of
influence. Consequently, if the line could be drawn from Ispahan to Kakh, or some
other point, so as to leave Yezd in the neutral zone, I anticipate that there would be
less trouble in the future, in case of certain possible eventualities. Indeed, unless this
be done, there will be little or no neutral zone in Central Persia, the Yezd Province
marching with Kerman. I do not refer to trade considerations, which are, after all,
of minor importance, although the fact that they have had to yield to more important
considerations is not likely to be appreciated by Messrs. Lynch Brothers and other
British firms.
To conclude this side of the question, Kakh, one of the places mentioned, will be
referred to in connection with the sphere of influence claimed by His Majesty’s
Government.
3. To turn to the British sphere, it is evidently based on the irreducible minimum
or our strategical requirements, and, with an Empire as enormous as ours is to-day,
and the only one in Europe not supported by a nation trained to arms, a more
ambitious share is clearly undesirable from the widest aspect of the problem,
however regrettable when viewed from the standpoint of local .advantage and
commerce.
In this connection, I have the honour to attach a copy of my letter dated the
29th June, 1900.* In it, seven years ago, I ventured to point out that Eastern
Persia was vitally necessary to India, whereas Western Persia was of less importance.
In short, I have accurately foretold what is actually being done at the present time.
I also venture to inclose an extract from my letter of the 29th September, 1899,*
in which I described the immense strength of the Kain position. The plan I have not
sent, as it is printed in Captain Napier’s “Military Beports on Southern Persia,”
published in 1900. My maps, too, have been printed, and include almost the whole
of the north of the Kain Province, on the scale of 4 miles to the inch.
Finally, I give an extract from my letter of the 18th December, 1899, in which
the strategical importance of Eastern and South-Eastern Persia is detailed.* In this
connection I would again earnestly venture to point out that I am still impressed by
the immense value to India of the Kain Province, which is bounded to the north by
the very range of hills on which Kakh is situated. If possible, I would urge that, if
Kakh must be retained by the Bussians, Kain should be declared to be in our zone.
Otherwise, future developments may bring about a boundary, meeting at the city of
Net printed.
ritaomi]
J, II CO!
w serve as
A copy

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Content

The volume contains correspondence and notes by British officials about government expenditure on the Government of India post of Military Attaché at the British Consulate General at Meshed in Persia. The main correspondents are senior officials in London at the Foreign Office, 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. , War Office and Treasury. They discuss the joint funding of this post by the Government of India and the Home Government in London (also referred to as the Imperial Government), the continuance of the existing financial contribution to the salary for this post by the Foreign Office and an additional contribution by the War Department out of Army funds, 1910-1911. The correspondence includes representations in 1905 from Arthur Hardinge the Consul General at Tehran, Lieutenant Colonel C F Minchin the Consul General for the province of Khorasan at Meshed and his successor Major P Molesworth Sykes, to the Government of India and the Home Government in London, advocating the retention of Meshed as a centre of military intelligence about Russian Central Asia and the appointment there of a military intelligence officer, given the absence of a British Consular presence in Russian Turkestan and the value of such intelligence gathering to Government of India military authorities in particular.

Extent and format
1 volume (259 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 2626 (Persia – Military Attaché at Meshed) consists of one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 264; 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.

Written in
English in Latin script
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File 2626/1905 ‘Persia:- Military Attaché at Meshed’ [‎208v] (421/532), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/85, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100027041204.0x000016> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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