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Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [537r] (1076/1301)
The record is made up of 1 file (649 folios). It was created in 6 Apr 1931-13 Jul 1940. 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. .
Transcription
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CONFIDENTIAL.
IVZ.
p I Q 5
w
] Q 3 f
His Britannic Majesty’s Consulate General, Meshad (including Sistan and Kain and the
Sarhad), Political Diary for the month of July 1933.
r r> ?
PERSIAN BALUCHISTAN AND THE
SARHAD.
1 . Idu Khan is still detained in Tehran.
His relatives with difficulty collected 300
Tomans
10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
to remit to him. Sartip Abbas
Khan, Brigade Commander, left Kwash for
Tehran presumably in connection with the
case of Idu Khan. Before leaving he re
covered 300 rifles from the Gendarmerie
who had been enlisted by Idu on instruc
tions of his predecessor. Idu’s relations
removed to British territory his flocks and
camel.
In July his house was occupied by troops
and his three wives were turned out to live
in tents. One died and the others tele
graphed a petition tg the Shah, without
result.
SISTAN AND KAIN.
2 . In the matter of the development of
Sistan the Persians appear to have put
‘ the cart before the horse ’ in that no real
development is possible until reliable com
munications are established.
The Zalbul-Zahidan road construction
proceeds slowly, but insufficient money is
provided and this state of affairs is likely to
continue as long as H. I. M. the Shah con
tinues to acquire private property in the
North, for the Road Funds are mostly re
quired for new roads opening up such pro
perties.
Smuggling continues on a large scale
from Afghanistan along the whole length
of the Afghan-Sistan and Kain border.
KHORASAN.
3 . There have been no developments in
the trade situation with Russia, but the trade
of the province improved slightly owing
mainly to the favourable prices ruling a
, abroad for cotton. This enabled mer-
( chants to export stocks via oZahidan and
even via the South Persian Railway to gulf
ports.
The continued immigration of Refugees,
details of which are given elsewhere, in this
report, is a constant source of anxiety to the
authorities, who can obtain no definite
orders from Tehran as to how to deal with
them. The police continue very active in
hunting out all persons suspected of acting
as informers to the Russians or as propa
gandists.
PERSIAN OFFICIALS.
4 . The Governor of Zahidan has been
relieved of his post and the Telegraph Mas
ter is acting pro tern.
Agha Farid, Public Prosecutor, who has
been examining the books of the firm of
N. A. Mullick, Zahidan, in connection witii
a report that he had bribed Persian Officials,
has reported that he found nothing incri
minating in the accounts. He has pro
ceeded to Zabul to examine the accounts
of certain Indian traders there. An amus
ing sequel to this is that several merchants
of Zahidan have received telegraphic advice
from Tehran to the effect that Agha Farid
has himself now been accused of accepting
bribes and that now the Chief Public Pro
secutor in Persia is to proceed to Zahidan,
to once more check account books. Thus
merchants at Zahidan will have had their
books checked no less than three times
within the last year.
M. Delissee, Customs Director at Zahi
dan is to be transferred to Muhamerah. He
will be relieved by a Persian from Bushire.
We may therefore confidently anticipate
for 1934 a revival of the customs scandals
of 1931-32. Nevertheless M. Delissee's
transfer is welcomed by all, as although his
integrity was in no way suspect, the fact
that he was flung into prison shortly after
his arrival at Zahidan, apparently so shook
his nerve, that he has ever since interpreted
all Customs Regulations in so narrow
minded a spirit, that he has given rise to
much unnecessary and unwarrantable diffi
culty to traders and harmless travellers.
Dr. Jawan, Mayor of Meshed, has pro
ceeded on leave and it is to be hoped will
not return. His place has been tempo
rarily filled by Nuri Khan, Assistant to the
Governor-General. As the latter was on
bad terms with Jawan, it may be anticipat
ed that sufficient irregularities will be
brought to light, to ensure that Jawan (an
irresponsible and crooked youth) will not
return.
ENCLOSURE IN
INuiA FOREIGN
Ltior M-
f. 7'SEP. 1933
r*
About this item
- Content
Confidential political diaries submitted on a fortnightly basis throughout 1931, on a monthly basis from May 1932, returning to a fortnightly basis in September 1939, by the British Consul General at Khorassan [Khorāsān] (Lieutenant-Colonel Cyril Charles Johnson Barrett; Major Clive Kirkpatrick Daly; Lieutenant-Colonel Everard Huddleston Gastrell; Giles Frederick Squire). The diaries describe affairs in the Khorassan region, and are arranged under a series of headings that expand and evolve over time:
- Activities of the Persian [Iranian] Government and Persian authorities, including the programme of modernisation carried out at the orders of the Shah during the 1930s, activities of the Persian military and police.
- Events at Sistan, Kain [Ka’īn], and Birjand, and in the district of Sarhad.
- Activities of the municipal government in Khorassan, including public works and urban development programmes.
- Foreign interests and affairs in the region, including British, Russian, Afghan and Turkish affairs, and the movements of foreign visitors.
- Soviet propaganda, and British and Persian counter-propaganda measures.
- Agricultural production, food supplies and food shortages.
- Trade, commerce and smuggling.
- Security, including reports of robberies, and raids on transport routes.
- Weather reports.
- Diseases and epidemics.
- Reports of locust observations and movements.
The diaries include some reports reflecting topical events: military activity on the Persia-Turkmenistan border, and reports of Russian refugees crossing into Persia from Turkmenistan; the start of the Second World War, with a focus on the activities of German subjects in Khorassan, speculation over Russian involvement in the War, and the impact upon public opinion in Iran of German radio propaganda, describing Germany’s military successes in Europe throughout 1940.
Minute papers are enclosed with reports dated up till late 1935, which frequently contain handwritten or typed notes made by 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. staff, commenting on the contents of the report.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (649 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 650; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [537r] (1076/1301), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3406, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100041964367.0x00004c> [accessed 13 July 2026]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3406
- Title
- Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’
- Pages
- front, 2r, back-i, back, 2v:136v, 139r:650r
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence