'Report and Proceedings of the Standing Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence on the Persian Gulf' [‎28v] (61/94)

Sir S. Canning,
No. 110,
March 30;
No. 140, May 4 ;
No. 262,
August 26, 1850.
Colonel Sheil,
No. 35,
March 25 ;
No. 50, April 22 ;
No. 60, May 24 :
No. 86, July 22,
1850.
Mohammerah.
Sir S. Canning,
No. 172, May 30 ;
No. 210, July 5 ;
No. 224, July 19 ;
No. 262,
August 26, 1850.
Sir S. Canning,
No. 374,
December 18;
No. 391,
December 31,
1851.
•Colonel Sheil,
No. 21,
February 23,1852.
Sir S. Canning,
No. 47,
February 26, 1852.
Zohab-
his visit to Van, the Turkish frontier beyond the district of Kotur, then m the actual
possession of Persia, and in marking the line so advanced with pyramids and other
structures. This proceeding, which constituted a flagrant violation of the status quo, is
reverted to in a subsequent part of this Memorandum.
The Commissioners were at length united at Mohammerah, to commence operations
in Januarv 1850. The Russian Commissioner was Colonel Tchiiikofl:, the Ottoman,
Dervish Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. ; and the Persian, Mirza Jaffer Khan.
The Ottoman Commissioner at the outset proceeded to allege proofs of ancient
Ottoman suzerainty over the tribes in possession near Mohammerah, and recorded his
claim to all the country included within the yellow line, marked on the map in Appen
dix (B), with the exception only of the walled town of Mohammerah, and the Island of
El Khizr, exclusive of the Island of Mohulleh.
As an offset to these exorbitant demands, the Persian Commissioner put in his
claim, as indicated by a green line on the map, on the ground that the country so
defined was actually occupied, and had been occupied for untold years, by Persian
tribes. He too, he said, could adduce rebutting evidence of ancient Persian suzer ainty
of a weight and character altogether superior to the proofs alleged by the rival Com
missioner ; but all such arguments, he maintained, had been finally disposed of at
Erzeroum. He relied solely upon the plain wording of the Treaty to justify his claims,
and, appealing to the mediating Commissioners, insisted upon actual possession as
the principle which should rule generally the division of co-limitary lands.
The mediating Commissioners pointed to the terms of the Treaty as being
obviously opposed to the isolation of strips of territory belonging to either State within
the limits of the other, involving, as it would, the absurdity of a triple boundary to
each ; and, for reasons which were acknowledged to be conclusive by the mediating
Governments, they finally defined the common frontier, from the Gulf of Howeizeh, as
shown on the map (Appendix B).
By this decision the debatable lands were pretty evenly divided between the
litigants, and the security of Bussorah and Mohammerah was insured, both politically
and commercially, to the respective States.
The Persian Government, though it protested against the separation of a portion
of the Chaab tribe, its subjects, who were located in the lands situated to the west of
the mediating Commissioners’ line of frontier, eventually accepted their decision, which
had been made somewhat favourable to Turkey in order secure the river approach to
Bussorah.
The Ottoman Commissioner not only rejected their decision and declined to abate
one iota of his pretentions, but he further complicated the issue by demands of an
exorbitant character, involving immediate satisfaction and a chapge in the status quo,
and by intrigues among the tribes, which led, in due course, to serious disturbances.
At Constantinople the efforts of the Ambassadors to induce the Porte to accept the
line recommended by the mediating Commissioners, as constituting, in conformity with
the true intent and wording of Article II of the Treaty, the fairest demarcation for
Mohammerah and its district, remained without effect. The Porte persisted in its
interpretation of the “Explanatory Note” as justifying the adoption of the line laid
down by its Commissioner.
The actual status quo at Mohammerah was ultimately provisionally accepted by
the Ottoman and Persian Commissioners, under assurances in writing, conveyed by
each to the mediating Commissioners, to leave aside past reclamations, and to renounce
any change or innovation in respect to the troops or employes in the territories in
dispute, or in respect to the condition of the inhabitants. When this understanding
was reached, in November 1851, it was mutually agreed that the Commission should
resume its work at the north point of the Province of Zohab, and make the necessary
surveys and investigations from that point as far down as Howeizeh.
In its operation this understanding had the effect merely of transferring to
Zohab the scenes which had been enacted at Mohammerah, and of raising there
difficulties attended with similar incidents and intrigues on the part of the Ottoman
Commissioner.
In Conferences held at Mendali in December 1851 the rival Commissioners each
submitted, in writing, their proposals for carrying out the provision of the Treaty
relating to Zohab, which is as follows : —
“ The Persian Government agrees to abandon to the Ottoman Government all the level
lands, that is to say, the lands of the western part of the Province of Zohab ; and the Ottoman