![Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [‎538r] (1078/1301)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0003bf/IOR_L_PS_12_3406_1078.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [‎538r] (1078/1301)")
Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [538r] (1078/1301)
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
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
MC 427 FD— 30 — 31 - 8 - 33 —GIPS
3
Malaria which until a few years ago was
non-existent in Sistan is now so bad that
hundreds of deaths have occurred in the
villages. The Frontier Commissary has
wired requesting that 4 Doctors, 20 com
pounders, and equipment be sent immediate-
J y-
CLIMATE.
8 . East Persia has suffered during July
from a spell of abnormally hot weather.
Even as far north as Meshed a high tempera
ture accompanied by abnormal humidity
has been continual for several weeks.
MISCELLANEOUS.
9. Mahtab Singh of Zahidan who was
charged with attempted smuggling of silver
has been released. Ihe charge was out- *
rageous, in that the silver had been sent
away from the frontier to a place on the
Kerman road tor the purchase of ghee.
I he Amnieh witness for the prosecution
arranged to produce several witnesses whom
he had instructed to state that the man had
been arrested outside the town selling
Krans to Pathans. T his was a complete
fabrication. The court has dismissed the
case and ordered the confiscated silver
to be refunded. The local Governor has
direced that the Amnieh witness be tried
perjury, but it is doubtful if this will occur.
The open-door into India (there being
no land customs, via Zahidan) is becoming
increasingly known and exploited.
On July 1 st 8 boxes of Turkish silver
coin, weighing 10 maunds were sent to
Mok-Kundi through the Zahidan firm of
Ittihadieh. The silver had been declared
at Qasr-i-Shiran by one Muhammad Ismail
Nazim as “ In Transit ” for India and is
consigned to Muhammad Ali Shirazi of
Bombay, original consignor not known.
On July 24th a Persian of Zahidan named
Soheli exported to India 4 cases of Persian
wines, as a trial. On 14th July a Persian
woman was detected in the act of stealing
goods from the shop of Hafiz Ellahi Baksh
of Zahidan. A report was made to a police
man on duty nearby. The latter promptly
released the woman and beat and abused
the complainatft&r A fracas-ensued. The
traders were arrested and released on bail.
Budh Singh, Indian garage owner of
Zahidan had a quarrel with a policeman
at Birjand three years ago. He was sum
moned to Birjand one year ago, but did
not appear. A summons was then publish
ed in a newspaper which he likewise
ignored. He has been sentenced to three
months imprisonment. A party of his
compatriots has proceeded to Meshed to
appeal on his behalf. Although technically
he has poor grounds for defence, a system
which allows of an alleged petty offender,
being summoned two years after the offence,
to attend a court 300 miles distant, can only
be described as a travesty of justice. The
case has not been brought officially to the
notice of any of His Majesty’s Consular
Officers.
TRAVELLERS.
10 . {a) Foreigners. —Gustav Stratil Sauer, 1
German, who has been exploring in the Lut,
and after that paid a visit to Zabul, left
Zahidan for Meshed early in July. He tried
to obtain a police exit visa for India, but was
refused. He called on His Majesty’s Vice-
Consul and enquired about visas for India,
but did not actually apply for one. At
Meshed, he announced everywhere that he
had located gold in the Lut. He said he
intended to return to Germany. His his
tory is such, that one may assume that he
intends to £ ' raise the wind ” on the
strength of the alleged discovery of gold.
Dirk Donald de Yough, Dutch tourist
arrived at Zahidan from India on the 12 th
July and proceeded to Meshed.
(b) British. —Miss Wiggins, Missionary of
Zahidan, having been transferred to Africa
left for India on the 12 th July. Having
neglected to obtain a Persian police exit
visa, she was compelled to return to Zahi
dan fi:om Mirjawa to obtain it.
C. K. DALY, Major C. I. E.,
His Britannic Majesty's Officiating Consul
General in Khorasan, and Consul for
Sistan and Kain.
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’ [538r] (1078/1301), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3406, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100041964367.0x00004e> [accessed 23 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