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File 3360/1916 Pt 1 'Persian correspondence (1916-17)' [‎323r] (650/804)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (398 folios). It was created in 1916-1917. 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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30
Dated the 3rd (received 26th) May 1916.
From —The Officer Commanding^ Troops, Sistan, Kacha,
To—The Chief of the General Staff, Simla.
I have the honour to forward herewith the original of the Agreement
signed by the Sarhadi Sardars on 30th April 1916.
(Translation.)
AGREEMENT.
We the Sardars whose seals and signatures are given below hereby agree
to accept the allowances fixed by General Dyer, commanding the British
forces on the frontier for our Sardars and notables and we agree in return to
fulfil all the following conditions which we now write down :—
(1) We will always remain faithful and loyal to the British Government.
(2) Erom to-day neither we ourselves nor our tribe will give any trouble
in British territory or to British employes, subjects or inhabitants and we will
not harbour any intention of giving trouble either. If by any chance our
tribe should fail to carry out this promise, we will arrest the man responsible
and hand him over to General Dyer, his representative, or the officers in
charge at the place where the act contrary to this promise has been com
mitted. If any man should be the cause of spreading revolt, the officers in
authority at the time shall be fully entitled to punish him as they think fit
and no objection will be made to their action and no sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. or notable shall
have any right to put forward any recommendation for mercy. In short the
British Government shall punish the guilty man in accordance with the
criminal law.
(3) All the sardars of the district will regard that man who is an enemy
to the British Government as their own enemy. If any German or other
person should wage war or create a disturbance against the British Govern
ment then it will be the duty of us, sardars, to oppose him. If we are not
strong enough to oppose him successfully by ourselves, we will at once inform
the frontier officers in authority at the time and with our own lashkars assist
ing those of Government wall do our best to destroy the enemy utterly.
(4) If we hear in our district or elsewhere that any German or other spy
belonging to a hostile state or parties of them have been trying to spread any
form of trouble or discontent we will arrest the same and hand them over to
the officers in authority.
(5) We promise to bring before the General the 500 young men required
by the British Government for frontier work with the levies within 10 or 15
da\s at the latest, and we will appoint one man as an officer with each tribe
represented among this number. Besides this we will be ready to provide
more men, if the formation of further levies is required and will make no
objection. The sardars of each tribe will be responsible for the behaviour of
the men of their tribe in the levies. They will, moreover, deposit a security
for their good behaviour, as is done throughout Baluchistan.
(6) We will supply labour and every other kind of help to Government
for buildino* operations connected with posts, wherever required, thanas,
brickmaking, &c., and labourers will be paid by the British Government at
the recognised rates.
(7) We wall return all property stolen from British territory. If any
person or persons in our territory refuse to comply with the above conditions,
we "will arrest the same or their leaders, as the case may be, and hand them
over to the British Government.
(fe) If Government should require wood, grass, &c., accommodation, fat
tailed sheep, goats, fowls, eggs, &c., then we sardars will help to provide them
as far as we can, and as regards payment we will hold a committee with a
British officer as President to fix the correct rates.

About this item

Content

The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, and memoranda, comprising miscellaneous correspondence on British involvement in Persia in the period 1916-17.

Topics discussed include:

  • the activities of the German Vice-Consul, Bushire, Wilhelm Wassmuss, including reports of an attack on him (folio 312)
  • an account of the escape of German and Austrian prisoners (folio 281)
  • translations of letters from German prisoners transferred from Shiraz to Russia (ff 43-48) including a translation of Dr Zugmeyer's diary
  • discussion of German and Russian activities in Persia
  • tables, statistics and reports on troop numbers and weaponry, deployments, military engagements and casualties
  • British relations with local chiefs and their dealings with the Germans and Russians
  • transcripts of local newspaper articles on various topics including the Russian Revolution (folio 136v)
  • discussion of money required to pay to tribes
  • miscellaneous Army Department memoranda
  • general reports on the political and military situation in Persia including the 'Bakhtiari country' (ff 320-321)

The file is mainly divided into sections on events by weekly date period. Correspondents include: the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Department; HBM Minister, Tehran (Sir Charles Marling); HBM Consul, Bundar Abbas [Bandar Abbas]; HBM Consul, Shiraz; HM Consul-General, Meshed; HM Consul for Kerman and Persian Baluchistan, (David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer); HBM Vice-Consul, Ahwaz (Captain Edward Noel); HM Consul-General, Isfahan; General Officer Commanding, Sistan Field Force; The General Staff, South Persia Rifles, Shiraz; the Inspector-General, South Persia Rifles (Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes); Chief of the General Staff, Simla; Chief of the Imperial General Staff, London; the 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 the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire; and the Deputy 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. , Bushire.

Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (398 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file. The subject 3360 (Persian Correspondence) consists of three volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/612-614. The volumes are divided into three parts, with each part comprising 1 volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 400; 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
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File 3360/1916 Pt 1 'Persian correspondence (1916-17)' [‎323r] (650/804), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/612, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100044323284.0x000033> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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