![Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [‎565r] (1132/1301)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0003bf/IOR_L_PS_12_3406_1132.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’ [‎565r] (1132/1301)")
Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [565r] (1132/1301)
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.
CONFIDENTIAL
<1
His Britannic Majesty’s Consulate-General, Khorassan, Diary for
the month of July 1932.
iKi'l
1. Persian Affairs.
Military .—A Commission consisting of
Sartip Abdur Reza Khan, Sarhang Hakimi
Commanding the Troops at Astrabad and
an Officer of the Eastern Army, arrived in
Meshed on 28th July. They are to inspect
the Bujnurd frontier and report on the dis
tribution of the water of the Atrak River,
which is in dispute with the Russians.
100 Conscripts from Turbat-i-Haidari
were sent to Bujnurd on 12 th July and
250 from Sabzevar were sent to Tehran on
7 th.
Yawar Ghulam Ali Khan Qadr has been
appointed to command Bujnurd vice Sar
hang Ali Reza Khan, recently recalled for
unsatisfactory behaviour.
Police .-—Elderly members of Meshed
Police Force are being replaced by men who
have completed their Conscription Service.
Of two outlaws who murdered a Road
Guard at Kuchan and were in prison, one
died in Jail and the other has been con
demned to death.
Education .—Mirza Seyed Mohammad
Dawndi, formerly Head of the Religious
Endowments Department, has been ap
pointed Director of Education in Khorassan
in addition.
A supplementary credit of
Tomans
10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
4,500
has been accorded to the Educational bud
get for the current year.
Municipal .—Musa Khan Javan has been
appointed Reis-i-Baladieh (Mayor) of Me
shed vice Hadi appointed Governor in
Sistan. The latter has proceeded to Sistan.
The main Khiabans of Meshed are in a
deplorable condition, and while new streets
are being opened no effort is made to keep
the existing roads in repair.
The Revenue Department has been
charged with the responsibility of collect
ing Municipal Revenue in future.
A Municipal Electric Lighting system
has been opened at Bajgiran.
It is stated that plans are under consi
deration for a Pipe water-supply for Meshed.
Various tenders by British firms have
been forwarded at the request of the Gov
ernor-General.
D r>r
Justice.—'The accumulation of work in
the Courts is So great that the Legal machi
nery may almost be regarded as useless.
Over 4,000 Criminal cases are pending. Of
some 600 prisoners in Jail 300 are reported
to be confined without any sentence. Many
who are charged with crimes for which the
maximum sentence is perhaps six months,
have been in Jail for nearly two years, their
cases Still unheard. A prisoner who had
been in Jail for 20 months while his case
was ‘ under investigation recently died.
Two days after his death the Court issued
the finding ‘ Not Guilty ’.
Suits in the ‘ Sulhieh ’ Court are not
heard for six or more months. In a number
of Small cases British Subjects have pre
ferred to forego claims rather than suffer
the delay and expense involved in taking
the matter to Court.
Although stringent orders were recently
issued by the Minister of Justice for work
to be accelerated it is doubtful if any
serious improvement can take place with
the existing Judicial staff.
2 . Refugees. —25 Baluch families en
tered Persian Sarakhs from Russia early
in the month.
The number of Turkoman Refugees has
greatly decreased.
3. Afghan Affairs.-- —The removal of
Boundary Pillars on the Perso-Afghan
frontier by Afghans said to have been aided
by certain Chiefs of the Bokharz District
has caused strained relations. The Pillars
were replaced by Persian Troops. Both
Governments have increased the frontier
posts. A Commission consisting of two
Military Officers, two Revenue Officials,
two Engineers, a Representative of the
Governor-General and one of the Roads
Department, left Meshed on 8 th to inves
tigate matters and report to the Central
Government.
4. Health. —Dysentery is very prevalent
in Meshed.
The Head of the Health Department and
other Doctors have been sent to Birjand to
deal with the Typhoid epidemic there.
500 suits of clothing have been despatched
to Birjand for destitute persons whose
clothing has been compulsorily destroyed
in connection with Typhoid.
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [565r] (1132/1301), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3406, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100041964367.0x000084> [accessed 28 April 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100041964367.0x000084
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100041964367.0x000084">Coll 28/10 ‘Persia. Diaries; Meshed Consular Jany 1931 – May 1940. Khorassan Political 1934 – May 1940. Khorassan Fortnightly Reports’ [‎565r] (1132/1301)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100041964367.0x000084"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0003bf/IOR_L_PS_12_3406_1132.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000602.0x0003bf/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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