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File 3516/1914 Pt 9 'German War: Persia' [‎103r] (210/618)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (305 folios). It was created in 11 Aug 1915-17 Dec 1915. 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. .

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I t 2 m
[This Document is the ifroperty of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
THE WAR.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Jr f /
[September ^8.]
Section
[140220]
No. 1.
Mr, Marling to Sii' Edward Grey.—(Received September 28.)
(No. 111.)
Sir, Tehran, September 1, 1915.
MUCH as it has been talked of, the definite resignation of Ain-ed-Dowleh’s
Cabinet on the 9th July came as a slight surprise to most people, as he had been
apparently making a stronger stand against the Democratic attacks on Farman Farina
for two or three days previously, Nor am I quite certain even now, a month g.ftey the
event, exactly what his reasons were, but the general opinion is that his Highness,
being one of those who do not believe in the existence of two kings in Brentford,
hoped that by sacrificing Farman Farma he would be brought back to office by the
grateful Democrat. During his short tenure of office Ain-ed-Dowleh seems to have
endeavoured to do what Hussein Hilmi Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and other Grand Viziers failed to do
with the Committee of Union and Progress in Turkey, i.e., bend the Democrats to his
will; but, like the Turkish statesmen, he eventually discovered that if he was to retain
office it must be as servant, not as master. All the time he was professing to the Russian
Minister and myself his earnest desire to serve our iiyterests, which he always admitted
were ideutical with those of Persia, but always failed—out of fear of offending the
pro-German Democrats—to give practical effect to his professions until just before the
fall of his Cabinet, when he permitted the arrest of an obscure German agent
proceeding to Meshed.
M. de Etter and 1 called on his Highness on the morning after his resignation and
give him to understand that if he wished to resume office without Farman Farma he
could no longer count on the financial support which the two Powers were ready to
afford him. Farman Farma had been attacked because, in virtue of his office, he had
been the instrument of such mild measures as the Cabinet had taken to check German
intrigues, and if his Highness now sacrificed him to Democrats— i.e., German clamour
—our Government could only regard it as a German victory and Ain-ed-Dowleh as an
instrument in the hands of the pro-German party.
Having demolished Ain-ed-Dowleh’s Cabinet, the Democrats had to find a
substitute. I need not weary you with the list of their futile efforts, but it will be
enough to say that at his second attempt Mustofi-ul-Mamalek succeeded on the
19th August in presenting to the Medjliss as heterogeneous a Ministry as ever sat at
the same Council table. Mustofi himself represents the Democrats—not that he is one
at heart, but because he cherishes the fantastic belief that if Russia would consent to
remove her troops from Kasyin and elsewhere in Persia, public opinion would pass
from bitter hatred to warm affection for the northern neighbour. He can therefore be
trusted to keep open the sore between Persia and Russia. Vossugh-ed-Dowleh and
Sipahdar, on the other hand, are considered to be nothing but Russian agents, while
Ala-es-Sultaneh represents Great Britain, and the presence of these three is to secure
our tolerance, if not our support, of the combination. With Muin-el-A ezareh as his
“chef de cabinet,” Motesham-es-Sultaneh can be trusted not to compromise the
Government with us, while Assadullah Khan seems to have been thrown in to
streegthen the “ English ” element in virtue solely of his knowledge of the language.
The others scarcely count.
The Russian Minister and I have, of course, been accused of having prolonged the
crisis, but the accusation is unjust, for the simple and obvious reason that our interests
would have been better suited by the installation of any Cabinet except a frankly
democratic and pro-German one, and that, as events showed, the Democrats coiud not
aphieve. On two occasions we made endeavours to induce the Shah to use his influence
and terminate the crisis, but His Majesty was too much under the influence of his
German-paid entourage—it is alleged that he himself has not been a stranger to
inducements of this character— to listen, and I have some reason to think that His
Majesty’s eyes were only opened to the “ German peril” by the insolent behaviour of
the German consul at Kermanshah (see my despatch No. 110). Meantime we have
succeeded, thanks to the influence of the better-informed press, in creating a body of
opinion among the more educated and substantial classes strongly opposed to the
6]
^ ' \
[2474 ee-
Copy to India
5 NOV 1915

About this item

Content

The volume concerns the situation in Persia during the First World War. The main focus is the British occupation of Bushire.

The volume covers:

  • Instructions regarding Bakhtiari.
  • Movements of Wassmuss and German agents in Persia.
  • Situation in Bushire, at Isfahan, at Urumia [Urmia, Iran], and at Tehran.
  • Attitude of Persian Prime Minister.
  • Arrival of Russian troops at Enzeli [Bandar-e Anzali, Iran].
  • Murder of British Vice-Consul at Shiraz.
  • Attacks on British Consuls at Isfahan and Kangavar, and on Consulate officials at Shiraz.
  • Situation at Anglo-Persian Oil Company oilfields.
  • Activities of German Vice-Consul at Sultanabad.
  • German activity at Kermanshah.
  • German sending gold to Persia, to outbid Anglo-Russian financial assistance.
  • Extract of Imperial Bank of Persia's report on German occupation of Kermanshah.

The volume’s principal correspondents are: Charles Marling, British Minister at Tehran; British Consuls at Meshed, Sistan and Kain, Kerman, Isfahan, Khorasan, Kermanshah; Arthur Prescott Trevor, Officer on Special Duty in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Percy Cox, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; John Nixon, General Officer Commanding, India Expeditionary Force 'D', Basrah; Charles Hardinge, Viceroy of India; Alfred Hamilton Grant, Foreign Secretary to the Government of India; Austen Chamberlain, Secretary of State for India; George Buchanan, British Ambassador in Russia; Imperial Bank of Persia; Shaikh Hussein of Chahkutah and Rais Ali of Dilwar [Rais Ali Delvari].

Extent and format
1 volume (305 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 307; 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
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File 3516/1914 Pt 9 'German War: Persia' [‎103r] (210/618), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/486, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100043131465.0x00000b> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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