'Seistan and Mekran arbitration' [‎101r] (5/10)

Letter to Foreign
Office, dated 23rd
Dec. 1869.
Letter from India,
No. 4, dated 26th
August, and No. 8.,
dated 2nd Sept.
1869.
Letter from
Foreign Office,
dated 30th Dec.
1869.
Letter to Foreign
Office, dated 6th
Jan. 1870.
Letter from
Foreign Office,
12th Feb. 1870.
Letter to Foreign Office, 21st Feb. 1870.
* “ In case of differences arising between the Go-
<( vernment of Persia and the countries of Herat and
“ Affghanistan, the Persian Government engages to
‘ £ refer them for adjustment to the friendly offices of the
“ British Government, and not to take up arms unless
“ these friendly offices fail of effect.
u The British Government, on their part, engage at
“ all times to exert their influence with the States of
“ Affghanistan, to prevent any cause of umbrage being
“ given by them, or by any of them, to the Persian
“ Government; and the British Government, when
“ appealed to by the Persian Government, in the event
“ of difficulties arising, will use their best endeavours
“ to compose such differences in a manner just and
“ honourable to Persia.”
Letter from Foreign Office, 21st April 1870.
Copy of this Despatch, and of three others on the
same subject, was forwarded to the Foreign Office
on 23rd December 1869, with an expression of
opinion, on the part of the Duke of Argyll, that
the time had arrived when Her Majesty’s Govern
ment could no longer delay adopting a definite line
of policy in respect to the pretensions of Persia
eastwards.
Meanwhile two intermediate Despatches had been
received from the Government of India reiterating
the necessity for the delineation of the eastern
frontier of Persia, in order to avoid the inevitable
complications that would otherwise arise.
These were duly forwarded to the Foreign Office
on the 5th and 8th of October respectively, with an
intimation that the Duke of Argyll, while concurring
with the Government of India, would be glad to
have an exposition of Lord Clarendon’s views on
the course to be pursued.
To these several communications the Foreign
Office did not send any formal reply. They ap
pear, however, with the consent of the 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. ,
to have informed their representative at Teheran
that the British Government would be always ready,
in a friendly spirit, to assist in the arrangement
of difficulties which might have arisen in regard to
Mekran between the Shah and the Khan of Khelat.
Such was the position of affairs at the commence
ment of 1870, when the question of Seistan again
came up. Lord Clarendon, then Secretary of
State for Foreign Aftairs, caused a letter to be
sent to the 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. , stating that the Persian
Minister at this Court had informed him that in
structions had been received from the Shah’s Govern
ment to represent their apprehension that Shere Ali,
of Cabul, was about to re-assert Affghan claims over
Seistan, whereas a Persian Government was already
established in that province. The Minister accord
ingly requested that the Indian Government might
be desired to use its influence with Shere Ali to
prevent him carrying his supposed intentions into
effect. The Foreign Office letter proceeds thus,—
“ The Duke of Argyll will judge what should be
“ said to the Indian Government with reference to
“ Mohsin Khan’s communication, and Lord Claren-
“ don would be glad to receive any observations
“ that may occur to His Grace to make upon it.”
The Duke of Argyll replied, under date 21st
February 1870, expressing his opinion as follows,—
“ If the Government of the Shah of Persia is
“ willing to submit the question referred to the
“ arbitration of the British Government, in accord-
“ ance with the terms of Article VI. of the Treaty
“ of Paris, March 1857,* his Grace will place him-
“ self in communication with Lord Mayo, with
“ reference to the expediency of obtaining from the
“ Amir Shere Ali Khan his acquiesence in the
“ proposed arrangement.”
On receipt of this letter, the Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs instructed Mr. Thompson, Her
Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires at Teheran, to submit
the proposal for arbitration to the Persian Govern-
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