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File 3516/1914 Pt 17 'German War: Persia; general' [‎60v] (125/370)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (181 folios). It was created in 26 Oct 1915-06 Jan 1916. 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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12
Balance of advantage in favour of alliance seems to me therefore to be
enormous on our side and I venture to urge that great concessions can be made
to Persia to secure her alliance.
I suggest Bussian Minister and I be authorised to open negotiations at
once for this purpose while Persian Government is well disposed. If Persian
Government demands are too exorbitant, negotiations can be dropped; we at
all events gain time meanwhile,
I hear first rate authority that inducements which Germans are holding
out to Persia are being daily increased and they produce certain effect on
credulous Persian mind impossible of realization as they are.
Sent to India, Petrograd ; addressed Poreign Office.
108
No. 2S0-C., dated Sistan, the 4th November 1915.
From —Major F. B. Prideaux, C.I.E., His Britannic Majesty's Consul for Sistan
and Kain,
To—The Foreign Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political
Department.
I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of a report No. 152, dated
the 17th October 1915, submitted by Mr. R H. New, His Majesty’s Vice-
Consul at Birjand, regarding his tour in the north-east border division of the
Kainat district after the visit of the German Paschen from Herat.
2. I had desired Mr. New to make a more extensive tour down the boun
dary to Duroh and other villages as it appeared improbable that he would ever
again have so favourable an opportunity for touring this winter after my own
departure from Birjand, but the suggestion was found impracticable for ihe
reasons given by the Vice-Consul.
3. Mr. New Las acquired some useful information, but I am not entirely
prepared to accept all the inferences which he puts forward.
I submit the following observations of my own—
(a) Ali Akbar Beg is undoubtedly a rogue wliose sentiments in the
main are hostile to us on account of the pressure we put upon
the late Hisam-ud-Howleh and his son Hashmat-ul-Mulk to pay
compensation for the Neh raid. His claim to be Shaukat-ul-
Mulk s servant has been denied by the latter, but in my opinion
be would not dare now-a-days to act in any serious matter con
trary to the present Governor’s views. It is a fact that he
had sent me two belated and stale news reports before Mr. New
went out; this was done probably out of fear that our troops
would pay him a special visit. I have promised him a good
reward if he betrays any Germans into our hands, but I have
little hope of any valuable result.
(b) The story about the Mirza’s two telegrams is scarcely worthy of
credence. I think I should certainly have heard if they had ever
reached the N eh, Birjand or Rain telegraph offices, and it is not
apparent why Ali Akbar Beg did not himself undertake to get
+w e !i Sent awa y- tlle telegrams really were written I presume
an, '^t they must have held some hidden meaning.
(<?) The story about Asghar Zadeh leaving Herat for Meshed has been
corroborated m Meshed Confidential Diary No. 4 L for the week
en mg t e 9th October 1915, but it has not been ascertained that
eVer - succeeded in passing through Khurasan.
{d) I am not inclined to accept the view that the villagers of Sunni
Khana are well disposed towards the Germans and Turks because
ey are mostly on bad terms with the Governor’s family. I
believe that since the late Shaukat-ul-Mulk’s death these Sunnis
lave no bpem badly treated, and they have little desire to be
annexed to Afghanistan from which country they are not infre
quently harassed by raiders even now-a-days.

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Content

The volume concerns the situation in Persia during the First World War. The main focus is the British and Russian attempt to influence the Shah and the Majlis deputies during the events that happened in November 1915.

The volume covers:

  • German funding to Swedish Gendarmerie.
  • Terms of proposed alliance between Persia and Germany.
  • German occupation of Yazd.
  • Occupation of Hamadan [Hamadān, Iran].
  • Situation at Suj-Bulak and Maragha, newspaper article from Kavkazskoe Slovo.
  • German activity.
  • Proposed despatch of Bakhtiari Khans to Ispahan and Kerman.
  • Protection of British consuls.
  • Suggested cabinet of Farman Farma (Prince Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma).
  • Proposed Council of Regency.
  • Russian victories in the North.
  • Persian Government's protests against advance of Russian troops in Tehran.
  • Relations of Darya Begi with the Khans of the hinterland.
  • Attitude of Turkish Minister.

The volume’s principal correspondents are: Esme Howard, British Ambassador in Sweden; George Buchanan, British Ambassador in Russia; Charles Marling, British Minister at Tehran; Charles Hardinge, Viceroy of India; Alfred Hamilton Grant, Foreign Secretary to the Government of India; British Consuls at Sistan and Kain (Francis Beville Pridaux), Kerman (C T Ducat), Khorasan (Thomas Wolseley Haig), Batoum (P Stevens), Shiraz (William Frederick Travers O'Connor); John Nixon, General Officer Commanding, Force 'D'; Foreign Office; 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. ; Arthur Prescott Trevor, 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. in Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Extent and format
1 volume (181 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 183; 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 17 'German War: Persia; general' [‎60v] (125/370), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/492, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100044356236.0x00007e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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