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'Memorandum on Persian Railways' [106v] (24/84)
The record is made up of 1 file (42 folios). It was created in 20 Jun 1911. 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.
“ railway era in Persia. Different views will, no
“ doubt, be taken of this question, according as we
“ assign the chief importance to commercial or to
“ military considerations. • The opening of Persia
“ to railways would undoubtedly be most advan-
“ tageous to our trade, and might enable us to
“ recapture many markets in the northern and
“ central parts of the country, from which we have
“ been driven by Russia, or in which we are feebly
“ struggling to compete with her. On the other
“ hand, it would mean sooner or later the linking
up of the Russian and Indian railway systems,
“ and, even without that, it would give Russia a
“ very great advantage in any offensive operations
“ which she might undertake against us or against
“ Afghanistan, through Persia.”
21. With the signature, on the .‘list August 1907,
of the Anglo-Russian Convention embodying an
“Arrangement concerning Persia” (Appendix 111.),
the question oi railways in Persia entered upon
a new phase. \\ ith regard to Article 111 ot the
Arrangement, enquiry was made by the Government
of India as to its effect on the pledges concerning
railways in Southern Persia given by former Shahs
on the 16th September 1888 (paragraph 5), and the
11th April 1900 (paragraph 16) The reply elicited
from the Foreign Otlice was to the following effect:—
“ The Arrangement would clearly prevent His
“ Majesty’s Covernment from constructing a rail-
“ way line as far as Tehran, but, in Sir P. Greys
“ opinion, the wording of the pledge given by
“ Nasr-ed-Din Shah in 1888 would justify them in
“ asking to be allowed to construct a line in
“ Southern Persia, should they desire to do so,
“ in the event of the Russian Government obtaining
“ a concession to construct one in the north.
“ The Government of India will doubtless not
“ overlook the fact that the Russian Government
“ have undertaken, by the new Arrangement, not
“ to oppose concessions supported by His Majesty s
“ Government in the British sphere, nor, without
“previous discussion with His Majesty’s Govern-
“ ment, in the neutral zone either, and that the
“ position of Great Britain is therefore stronger in
“ this respect at present than it was before the
“ signature of the Convention.”
This letter was followed by another, dated the
25th September, in which the Foreign Otlioe laid
stress, in connection with the Anglo-Russian Con
vention, on the desirability of considering the
question of railway construction in Persia, and, in
particular, whether a British concession would be
advantageous for a railway from Bunder Abbas to
Shiraz, with possible continuation to Ahwaz, and a
junction with the Bagdad Railway.
22. In the year following the Convention
Mr. Rees, M.P., forwarded to the Foreign Office a
memorandum urging the advancement of British
interests in Southern Persia, and mentioning,
Anglo-Russian Convention of 31st
August 1907. Its effect on fimner
Shah s pledges, and on British railway
policy in Persia.
Viceroy’s Telegram, 2nd September
1907.
Letter from Foreign Office, 19th Sep
tember 1907.
(P. 315.)
Pol. 3663/07.
Letter from Foreign Office, 25th Sep
tember 1907.
Pol. 3694/07.
Memorandum of Mr. Rees, M.P.,
11th April 1908.
(P. 65).
About this item
- Content
The memorandum outlines the development of proposals for railways in Persia between 1872 and 1911. This includes discussion of the potential advantages/disadvantages (both commercial and political) for the British in the construction of railways in Southern Persia, and the potential threat posed by the expansion of Russian railways in Northern Persia towards British India, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Proposals for various schemes are included, from those limited to internal routes within Persia, to schemes designed to link the rail networks of India and Russia via a Trans-Persian link. Consideration is also given to British and Russian efforts to maintain their spheres of influence in Persia, and their joint desire to resist any encroachment by Germany.
The memorandum is signed by John Edward Ferard, 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. .
The appendix (folios 123-132) contains supporting extracts from various papers (aide-mémoires, correspondence, memoranda, minutes, and published writings). This includes the following:
- an extract from a minute by George Nathaniel Curzon, Viceroy of India, dated 4 September 1899, respecting the importance of Seistan [Sīstān] to the maintenance of British influence in Southern Persia (ff 123-124);
- an extract from a minute by the Viceroy of India, dated 28 October 1901, respecting the potential threat of increasing Russian influence in Persia to Britain's strategic and commercial interests in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (ff 124-125v);
- an extract from the Anglo-Persian Agreement (31 August 1907) respecting Persia (ff 125v-126);
- various communications between British, Persian, and Russian authorities on the topic of railway construction in Persia (ff 126-130);
- extracts from various published sources on the subject of railways in Persia (ff 130-132).
An index to the memorandum can be found on folios 134-136. Some extracts in the main body of the memorandum, and some papers included in the appendix are in French.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (42 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 95, and terminates at f 136, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, 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. Pagination: the file 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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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/18/C122
- Title
- 'Memorandum on Persian Railways'
- Pages
- 95r:125v, 127r:129r, 132r:136v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence