![File 795/1913 'Persia Situation in Fars' [‎140v] (285/390)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000fc/IOR_L_PS_10_357_0285.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "File 795/1913 'Persia Situation in Fars' [‎140v] (285/390)")
File 795/1913 'Persia Situation in Fars' [140v] (285/390)
The record is made up of 1 volume (191 folios). It was created in 30 Oct 1912-18 Jun 1913. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
The following are Colonel Douglas’ views
“ I should of course greatly prefer to move independently of the gendarmerie
or other Persian assistance, and in the case of serious fighting the latter would
not be of much use. Personally I am not of the opinion that the regiment would
be attacked, but the possibility is one which we must take into account, and
many places exist on the road where a cavalry regiment, encumbered by a large
convoy would have to fight at a great disadvantage. t
I am for this reason of opinion that it would be better that we should have
some support, and the despatch of a small force of infantry from Bushire to
Kamarij might afford this : from Kamarij they might hold the Tang-i-Turkan
and afterwards assist in guarding the defiles there and at Dalaki. If however
the Political Officers here and at Bushire are of opinion that the risk of our being
attacked is so small as to justify our making the journey, I am prepare to move
without such support. Orders to return to India would be welcomed by the
regiment provided that no likelihood exists of military operations on a larger scale
in the near future, but if any chance of themselves exacting retribution for the
attacks made on them exists, they would be sorry to miss it. Ends.
Telegram P., No. 53-182, dated the 29th January 1913.
p rom _Xhe
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
,
To His Majesty's Minister, Tehran. (Repeated to Foreign Department;
No. 182).
Minister’s telegram No. 31 to Foreign Office, dated 26th January, which I
repeated to you under my telegram No. 168, January 27th.
Up to a certain point the deduction which His Excellency makes regarding
my views and anticipations is correct, but in explanation or amplification thereof,
1 beg to offer the following observations.
The present position, I understand, is as follows :—
In considering the pros, and cons, of the two alternative courses, consisting
respectively of (1) action by ourselves to control the Bushire-Shiraz road, and
(2) the grant of a further respite to the Persian Government after the spring in
the forlorn hope that within a reasonable period they may be able to achieve
sufficient effective measures to afford us reparation for outrages and to satisfy the
requirements of our commerce, His Majesty’s Government incline to the view
that the last named is the less far-reaching evil of the two, and this is the course
of which the adoption is now contemplated by them.
It would seem from recent telegrams from His Majesty’s Minister that the
adoption of this course means that we shall assist in financing both the gendar
merie and the Administration of Ears simultaneously. We are asked to provide
^350,000 for the former purpose, for three years’ maintenance, and it is recom
mended by Sir W. Townley that a sum of ;£ 100,000 be provided now to meet
their requirements during the next ten months.
For the Governor-General, it is estimated by Major O’Connor that from
£40,000 to 50,000 will be needed to enable him to maintain security and collect
revenue for the next three or four months, while His Majesty’s Minister thinks
that it should be sufficient if £30,000 was given for the present. I do not gather
however, that the cost of a punitive expedition against the tribes responsible for
the attacks on Smart and Eckford is specifically provided for in either of the
above estimates, yet the decided conviction has been expressed by gendarmerie
officers here (and I concur with them) that action in this direction is a sine qud
non to the success of their schemes.
The machinery however will, in any case come to a stop, when the contri
butions mentioned above are expended, for from Major O’Connor’s recent
telegrams it would seem that even if the revenue of the province be recovered m
full, it will not meet both the cost of the gendarmerie and that of the civil
About this item
- Content
The volume is concerned with the Persian Province of Fars; in particular the maintenance of the order and the authority of the Governor-General. The main focus of discussion is the Gendarmerie (under the command of Swedish officers) and a new local Persian force proposed by the Governor-General. It contains much discussion between British officials over the effectiveness of the Gendarmerie, and the suitability of employing Swedish officers in Persia. There is also discussion over the extent that British support should be provided to the Governor-General's new force, which includes the following: a proposal for the Government of India to supply arms and ammunition, and proposals to appoint a British officer to inspect and advise the new force. There is also consideration over the potential for conflict between the Governor-General's force and the Gendarmerie, and the potential for a negative impact on the latter should a British officer be appointed to the Governor's force.
There is also a great deal of discussion related to the position of the 39 Central India Horse (commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Archibald Douglas) at Shiraz and additional infantry supplied to guard the British Consulate there; the discussion centres on whether or not these forces should be withdrawn from Persia. Some limited consideration of 'outrages' committed by Persians against British troops is factored into this discussion. It also includes proposals for withdrawing these forces from Persia via Bushire.
The principal correspondents are as follows: Sir Walter Beaupre Townley, HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary A diplomatic representative who ranks below an ambassador. The term can be shortened to 'envoy'. to Persia; Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Sir Walter Alexander Smart, HM Consul, Shiraz; and Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
The following can also be found within:
- two copies (on folios 84-87 and 185-188) of a review of the general situation in Fars by Sir W A Smart;
- a note (folios 190-191) from Henry George Chick, Commercial Adviser to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , on a possible split between two sections of the Kashkuli Kashgais;
- a proposed answer (folios 132-139) for the Secretary of State for India to a proposed question to be asked by Sir John David Rees in the House of Commons on 13 March 1913;
- a report from Major Kettlewell (folios 109v-111) on the movements of a survey party of the 39th Central India Horse on 11 December 1913, which provides an account of the death of Captain A B Eckford;
- a commendation for Mr J C Smith, Assistant Superintendent of the Indo-European Telegraph, and staff in Fars (folios 182-191).
The French content consists of two programmes for the development of the Gendarmerie submitted by Colonel Hjalmar O Hjalmarson (folios 152-153 and 50-51) dated 29 December 1912 and 13 February 1913 respectively.
Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (191 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers within are arranged loosely in reverse chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 193; 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 View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
File 795/1913 'Persia Situation in Fars' [140v] (285/390), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/357, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100028276990.0x000056> [accessed 5 May 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100028276990.0x000056
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100028276990.0x000056">File 795/1913 'Persia Situation in Fars' [‎140v] (285/390)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100028276990.0x000056"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000fc/IOR_L_PS_10_357_0285.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000fc/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/357
- Title
- File 795/1913 'Persia Situation in Fars'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:49v, 52r:151v, 154r:192v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence