Skip to item: of 248
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎37v] (74/248)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (122 folios). It was created in 21 Jun 1942-15 Mar 1946. 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.

Apply page layout

10
Dun; and (4) five at the Delhi Polytechnic (three in engineering and two in ^
textiles). The work drags partly because it is essential that no student should be
sent to India unless his knowledge of English is really sufficient to enable him to
follow the course, and partly because there is much anti-Indian preiudice to be
overcome.
48. The four Indian teachers of English have just reached Meshed (2),
Iverman and Yezd, and are already finding a great demand for their services in •
1 ersian schools, and also in private classes and for individual tuition. On the
success of these four teachers depends the question of obtaining more Indian
trained teachers of English to supplement the excellent work being done by the
British Council.
49. Major Hassan of the Indian Army has been selected to be the first
Indian Irade Commissioner to Persia and is undergoing a course of trainino 1
in India before taking over his post in January or February. Suitable offices
for him have been rented in as central a position as possible.
50. The British Indian Community in Tehran having represented that
they would like to entertain Indian troops stationed there, a combined military
and civil Indian Troops Welfare Association was formed in October with the
object that every week some fifty Indian officers and other ranks should be
entertained by members in turn either in their own houses or in the Indian Young
Men’s Christian Association building. These parties are purposely kept small
in order that the personal aspect should be maintained and have been a great
success. A Fund is contemplated in order to cover large-scale entertainment on
certain Indian religious festivals and holidays.
51. The Government of India continue to interest themselves in post-war
propaganda in Persia as is shown by their generous offer of seventeen scholar
ships varying from two to six years in technical, agricultural, forestry and educa
tion colleges in India, and also by the appointment of an Indian Trade Commis-
* sioner at Tehran. Enquiries are also being made whether an Indian film company
could operate in Persia.
British Military Interests.
52. Thanks partly to better co-operation from the Persian authorities, there
has been a reduction in the stealing of telephone wire which has been the cause
of great inconvenience to the Allied military authorities. It still continues, as
does the pilfering on a considerable scale of Allied military stores, but an improve
ment may result from the application of military government law to offences com
mitted on the railway and on roads used by Allied troops. This will allow of
the more speedy trial of offenders and the award of more severe sentences than
are permissible under the ordinary law.
Persian Forces.
53. The Army .—rThe army remains handicapped by shortage of funds; the
current year’s budget not yet having been passed by the Majlis, it lives from
hand to mouth on monthly credits on the scale of l/12th of the previous year’s
budget. An additional credit of 15 million tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , particularly for the purpose
of increasing the pay of officers, was sanctioned by the Majlis in October but
Dr. Millspaugh has not yet made the funds available. In spite of this, morale
of the lower ranks has slightly improved; the troops are generally a little better
fed, a little less ragged; the condition of animals in Tehran has markedly
improved and there is now sufficient transport for the distribution of supplies
and clothing. Certain operations, to which further reference is made later,
have met with a success which has done something to restore the army’s confidence
in itself. But political intrigues, personal ambitions, dissensions among officers,
favouritism, and the always existing uncertainty that arises from the ambiguous
positions of the Shah and the Ministry of War in relation to the army, all combine
to prevent the consistent execution of a practical policy to reform. Tudeh party
propaganda has recently been directed towards junior officers and non-commis
sioned officers urging them not to allow themselves to be used as tools of the
reactionaries, particularly in the suppression of the legitimate aspirations of
their oppressed brothers, inciting them against the exploitation of their corrupt
seniors and encouraging them to become politically educated and politically
minded. As this propaganda is generally believed to be inspired by the Soviet
Authorities, it is not without effect on those who expect that Soviet favour may
affect their prospects.
54. Ibrahim Zand was re-appointed Minister for War after an interval
of three months and almost immediately came into conflict with the vigorous
personality of General Razmara, the Chief of the Staff. The latter had offended

About this item

Content

This file consists of miscellaneous dispatches relating to internal affairs in Persia [Iran] during the occupation of the country by British and Soviet troops. The file begins with references to an Anglo-Soviet-Persian Treaty of Alliance, signed in January 1942, which followed the Anglo-Soviet invasion of the country in August-September 1941.

Most of the dispatches are addressed by His Majesty's Minister (later Ambassador) at Tehran (Sir Reader William Bullard) to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Anthony Eden). The dispatches discuss political, financial and economic affairs in Persia, as well as issues regarding road and rail transport (for the transportation of foodstuffs), food supplies and press censorship,

Related matters of discussion include the following:

  • British concerns regarding the extent and effect of Axis propaganda in Persia and the Persian Government's response to it.
  • Relations between the Shah [Muhammad Reza Khan] and successive Persian prime ministers, and the power and influence of the Majlis deputies.
  • Anglo-Persian relations, and British concerns regarding Soviet policy in Persia.
  • The Persian press's response to the Allied occupation.
  • The Tehran conference in late November 1943, attended by Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Franklin D Roosevelt, who were also present at a dinner at the British Legation, held in celebration of Churchill's 69th birthday (also discussed is the naming of three streets in Tehran, after Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt respectively).
  • The tribal situation in Persia.
  • The raising of the status of the British Legation in Tehran to that of British Embassy in February 1943.
  • The United States' interests in Persia.
  • The status of Polish evacuees in Persia.
  • The work of the British Council in Persia.
  • The question of the withdrawal of Allied troops from Persia.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 1).

Extent and format
1 file (122 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 for this description commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 124; 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.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎37v] (74/248), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/564, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100042321849.0x00004b> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

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_100042321849.0x00004b">Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [&lrm;37v] (74/248)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100042321849.0x00004b">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000517.0x00011a/IOR_L_PS_12_564_0074.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

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_100000000517.0x00011a/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image