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File 6/1912 Part 1 'Persia: Shiraz affairs; attack on Mr Smart; Swedish gendarmerie' [361r] (215/472)
The record is made up of 1 item (236 folios). It was created in Jan 1912-Jun 1912. 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.
Memorandum of the Director of
Military Operations, 15th January
1912. J
Pol. 183/12.
Proposal of the Government of India
to despatch a Native infantry regiment
to Bushire, and to subsidise the Chiefs.
Viceroy’s Telegram, 11th January 1912.
Pol. 99/12.
View of the Foreign Office, in
favour of evacuation,” and of Sir G.
Barclay.
Sir Gr. Barclay’s Telegram No. 31, 11th
January 1912.
Sir G. Barclay's Telegram No. 32, 11th
January 1912.
Sir E. Grey’s Telegram No. 34, 16th
January 1912.
Sir E. Grey’s Telegram No. 38, 17th
January 1912.
Sir G. Barclay’s Telegram No. 54
18th January 1912.
Sir G. Barclay’s Telegram No. 55
19th January 1912.
13
tlidt the escort could not again be moved on the
road until punitive measures had been taken. He
(Mr. Knox) computed that there were 50,000 to
00,000 tribesmen m Kars, truculent and free from
restraint.
21. Mention may here be made of a Memo
randum of the Director of Military Operations, dated
10th January 1912, in which he pointed out the
results of abandoning our position in the west of
Southern Persia, and stated that to safeguard
ohiraz, make good the lines of communications,
and carry out such punitive operations as might
be found necessary, we should require —
Two mixed brigades of infantry, each to include
a pioneer regiment.
Two Indian cavalry regiments, including the
regiment in Persia.
1 wo or more batteries of mountain artillery.
One fielo company of sappers and miners.
If military action were to be taken for such
tempoiary occupation it should be taken promptly.
22. On the 11th January the Government of
India again addressed the Secretary of State. They
now thought it possible that the situation might be
met oy sending a regiment of Native infantrv to
Hus hi re and subsidising the tribal chiefs, who
would in return keep up guards on a regular
roster and on regular pay, while a special Assistant
to the Resident, on the analogy of the Political
Ofhcer in the Khyber, would be employed to
supervise the arrangements.
-o On the same day, Sir G. Barclay addressed
two telegrams to the Foreign Office. In one he
communicated the opinions of Colonel Douglas
(commanding the cavalry regiment) and of Mr.
Smart, both pointing to stringent measures. In the
other he expressed his conviction that no course
was open beyond the two alternatives of (1) the
occupation of Shiraz and the road, and (2)
evacuation On the whole he would have favoured
the latter, if so large a force had not been necessary
tor the purpose.
Q* J tqy II loti UOtcCl
bir u. Barclay, m a telegram repeated to India the
same day, that such force as would be necessary
s ould be sent to carry out evacuation from Shiraz
He enquired whether the evacuation of Ispahan and
Yezd would also be required, and how Kerman
would be affected.
On the 17th January Sir E. Grey further
explained that we could not hold permanently by
force Shiraz and the roads, since a very large force
won e required, and we might be committed in
eftect to the occupation of Southern Persia. Bushire
oi Abbas, or both, could be occupied after
the withdrawal from Shiraz, till satisfaction had
been obtained and a return to Shiraz were possible
In subsequent telegrams Sir G. Barclay ex-
piained that, had it not been for the opinion of the
Officer Commanding on the military situation, he
About this item
- Content
Part 1 consists of correspondence relating to insecurity in southern Persia, particularly around Shiraz and along the Shiraz-Bushire roads. The papers tell of the British response to the situation, covering the following matters:
- the decision of whether to arm Shiraz or to evacuate the city;
- concern over Russia filling the gap left by the British were they to evacuate;
- the situation on the ground, conveyed in several reports;
- the proposal to occupy Bushire with a battalion and to subsidize local chiefs to maintain the roads;
- the Persian Government plan to employ Swedish officers to command and train a gendarmerie along some of the roads;
- British claims for reparation from the Persian Government following an attack on the Shiraz Consul, Mr Smart, and his escort;
- the question of providing winter quarters for Indian troops in Shiraz should they have remain there for the season.
The discussion over such matters is mostly between 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, Government of India, and Minister at Tehran. Further correspondence, included as enclosures, is from 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. .
Included is memorandum on the situation in Southern Persia by J E F, Political Department, 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. , 16 February 1912.
- Extent and format
- 1 item (236 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front.
The subject 6 (Persia) consists of this one volume. The volume is divided into two parts.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/197/1
- Title
- File 6/1912 Part 1 'Persia: Shiraz affairs; attack on Mr Smart; Swedish gendarmerie'
- Pages
- 254r:289v, 290v:305v, 306v:446v, 447v:489v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence