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'Seistan and Mekran arbitration' [‎102r] (7/10)

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The record is made up of 5 folios. It was created in 31 Mar 1875. 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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7
Eaugsnpgsi
Letter from
Foreign Office,
3rd May 1870.
Letter to Foreign
Office, 9th May
1870.
Letter from
Foreign Office,
18 th May 1870.
Page 759, Secret
Home Correspond
ence, Vol. 66.
Page 311, Letters
from India, Octo
ber to December
1871, and p. 1021,
Letters from India,
July to December
1872.
Letters from
Foreign Office,
31st May 1870.
expediency of such an arrangement, His Grace
“ would address Lord Mayo with respect to the
“ selection of an officer to represent the British
“ Government on this occasion” (that is, for
Mekran settlement).
Lord Clarendon assented.
On 3rd May the Foreign Office forwarded copy
of a letter from Mr. Thomson, at Teheran, de
tailing a conversation which had taken place
between himself and the Shah of Persia, when the
latter “ appealed to Her Majesty’s Government to
“ interfere, and use their influence to restrain the
“ Affghan Chief from invading or interfering with
“ Seistan.”
Whereupon the Duke of Argyll caused a letter
to be addressed to the Foreign Office, stating
*# * « that, in His Grace’s opinion, it would
“ be desirable to lose no time in making the neces-
“ sary arrangements for the proposed Seistan arbi-
“ tration, the more especially as it appears, from
“ the enclosures to your letter of 3rd May, and
“ from Mr. Thomson’s, No. 23, of March 8th, that
“ incursions across the Perso-Affghan border have
“ been made from both sides, and it would seem
“ that further hostilities are threatening. It ap-
“ pears to the Duke of Argyll that it would be
“ advisable to despatch an officer of rank and ex-
“ perience from this country, with instructions from
“ Her Majesty’s Government; and, with the con-
“ currence of Lord Clarendon, His Grace would
“ request Colonel Goldsmid, who has a large ex-
“ perience on both sides of the frontier, and
“ possesses a thorough knowledge of the Persian
“ language, and a personal acquaintance with the
“ local authorities of both countries, to under-
“ take this important mission.” * * * Lord
Clarendon, on the part of the Foreign Office, con
curred in these views, but, while approving the
selection of Colonel Goldsmid, presumed that he
would be instructed to communicate unreservedly
with Her Majesty’s Minister in Persia on all matters
connected with the arbitration.
This was done, and Colonel Goldsmid was directed,
while considering himself under the orders of Her
Majesty’s Government, and addressing his commu
nications to the Duke of Argyll, to keep Mr. Alison
acquainted with the progress and proceedings of the
mission. As a matter of fact, the negotiations were
carried on under the joint direction of the Govern
ment of India and the British Minister at Teheran,
the settlement of the various points from time to time
raised during the discussions at tbat capital being
in great measure in the hands of the latter officer,
who was for the most part the medium of com
munication between Colonel Goldsmid and the
Persian Government, and who, after the departure
of the Mission from Teheran, had the entire con
duct of all subsequent diplomatic negotiations.
Turning again to Mekran, we find that, on 31st
of the same month (May), the Foreign Office in
quired “ what answer His Grace would wish to be
16583. C

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Content

This document opens by outlining the history of the boundaries between Persia and Seistan [Sīstān] and Persia and Mekran [Makran]. It goes on to discuss the involvement of the British with the dispute during the middle of the nineteenth century, and particularly focuses on the process of British arbitration. The document is largely compiled using extracts from, or references to, the correspondence of various Foreign Office officials.

It was written by Lieutenant-Colonel Owen Tudor Burne, Secretary, Political and Secret Department, on 31 March 1875.

Extent and format
5 folios
Written in
English in Latin script
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'Seistan and Mekran arbitration' [‎102r] (7/10), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/C67, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100030277673.0x000008> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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