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'Seistan arbitration case' [‎95r] (5/12)

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The record is made up of 6 folios. It was created in 19 Nov 1872. 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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14751.
B
Section II. —Geographical and Political Value of Seistan, &c.
- Ancient Seistan was of much greater extent than the modern province. It was
^ the country of Jumsheed and Rustoom the heroes of the Persian Nama, as also
of Jacob bin Seth the conqueror of the Caliph of Bagdad ; and although now
reduced to an almost deplorable condition it once rivalled the most flourishing
provinces of Persia.
The River Helmund, the ancient Etymander, rising in the mountains of
Affghanistan, flows through the centre of Seistan into the so-called lake,—the
ancient Aria Palus.
The province is described as flat and traversible throughout by wheeled car
riage. From it can be reached Herat by a practicable road through Furrah,
whilst Candahar is accessible by two easy routes. Meshed and other places in
Persia can be reached by equally good tracts, whilst from Sikoha is a road over
the mountains into Kerman, as traversed by Meer Mahomed in his invasion of
Persia. There are also said to be practicable routes to the Mekran Coast, to
Nooshky in Khelat, and to the Bolan Pass. Sir John Malcolm tells us that Nadir
Shah in his invasion of Aflghanistan moved an army of 80,000 men through
Seistan with the greatest ease.
It will be thus seen, without attempting to go into further details, that the road
communications are good, and that the province can be made with the assistance
of the River Helmund a valuable base of operations for offensive purposes.
A careful study of the map, combined with modern gazetteers and the detailed
information contained in General Goldsmid’s and Colonel Pollock’s Reports, will
be sufficient to show the extreme political importance of any decision affecting
Seistan not only to Persia and Affghanistan but to ourselves.
A few recent opinions on this subject may not be uninteresting or out
of place.
Colonel Taylor to Lord Canning, In 1858 our Commissioner at Herat, Colonel
2nd February 1858. Taylor, wrote,—
“ Should Persia be permitted to continue the exercise of her influence in
“ Seistan, she may have it in her power to propagate falsehoods to the pre
judice of India, and being so near the frontiers of India they will be freely
“ circulated.”
Mr. Murray to Lord Malmsbury, April Our Minister at Teheran wrote in the same
1858. year,—
“ Seistan, hitherto considered mapped and described as an integral part of
“ Affghanistan, occasionally independent at other times a dependency of Can-
“ dahar, is nearer to Candahar than Herat by *200 miles, and is also very consider-
“ ably nearer the British frontier of Scinde. In fact, if Persia be allowed a per-
“ manent footing there, our respective frontiers will be separated from each other
“ by only a distance of 400 miles.
Colonel Phayre to Bombay Govern
ment, 14th January 1869, written on
receiving a letter from Ibraham Khan,
saying, that the Persians had driven him
from left to right bank of the Helmund,
had even taken Jehanabad and Nad
Ali on the right bank, and were gradually
pressing on to Rudbar, &c.
The Political Superintendent of the Scinde
Frontier, Colonel Phayre, wrote in 1869 that
the position acquired by the Persians in Seistan
was,—
“ Well selected, both for defence against the
“ Seistan Beloochees on the opposite bank, and
“ for commanding the several lines of route
that radiate from Seistan eastward, viz., that
by Shorawuk and the valley of the Lora to the Pisheen Valley and Quetta, and
the kafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. route to Nooshky. The former of these routes is well watered and
supplied; the latter is desert although traversed by caravans, and a route
whereby a force can reach Kutchee and turn the Bolan Pass.”
“ In a strategical sense,” adds Colonel Phayre, “ and with reference to the well-
known ambition of Persia towards Affghanistan, her occupation of Hosseinabad
(Nasirabad) is a flank movement of incalculable importance. By it she com
pletely turns Herat, Furrah, and Lash Jowain, neutralizes them in fact without
endangering her rear communications. Politically speaking she lays the axe at
the root of Afghan independance and neutrality; because in Seistan she holds a

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Content

This document was written by Sir Owen Tudor Burne on 19 November 1872, and is divided into the following sections:

Section 1 - Brief abstract of Persia and Afghanistan History as connected with Seistan [Sīstān], including our policy in reference to the district

Section 2 - Geographical and Political Value of Seistan

Section 3 - Progress of Arbitration in 1871-72, including a short account of Sir F Goldsmid's journey

Section 4 - Abstract of General Goldsmid's Arbitral Opinion

The document concludes with 'General Remarks' from O T Burne about the situation.

Extent and format
6 folios
Written in
English in Latin script
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'Seistan arbitration case' [‎95r] (5/12), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/C66, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100030277668.0x000006> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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