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File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎79v] (163/258)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (129 folios). It was created in 1912-1916. 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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Memo.,
Oct. 14, ’08
[33780].
Minute on
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. ,
May 9, ’10.
To Sir G.
Buchanan,
No. 129,
May 10, ’ll
[15143].
To Sir G.
Buchanan,
No. 134,
May 16, T1
[19356].
Mr.O’Beirne,
No. 181,
June 28, ’ll
[25701].
To Sir G.
Buchanan,
No. 192,
July 19, ’ll
[25701].
Majesty’s Government had told them that they had no objection i n principle t 0 a
line and, indeed, regarded it benevolently, i i -r>
(2.) That in 1903 Lord Lansdowne had informed the Persian Transport Comn a
that whenever railway construction was permitted in I eisia, due regard would so/
as His Majesty’s Government were concerned, be had to their claims to prefereJ!
treatment in respect of proposals for the construction of lailways in districts traver^
by the roads of the company.
The syndicate were assured that with this exception His Majesty’s Government
had given no promise of support to any persons or syndicates in connection wit])
railway construction in Persia.
2. With regard to the second question, on the 14th October, 1908, His Majesty's
charge d’affaires at St. Petersburgh handed to M. Tsvolsky a memorandum in whicii
he stated that His Majesty’s Government, besides the southern section of a line which I
might be constructed from Julfa to Mohammerah, would specify, as the concessions
which mostly concerned them, the lines Bunder Abbas to Kerman, and Bunder Abbas
via Shiraz to Ahwaz, with the option to construct a port at Khor Musa.
To this communication no reply appears to have been made by the Russian
Government.
In May 1911 His Majesty’s Ambassador at St. Petersburgh was instructed to
inform the Russian Government of the conditions on which His Majesty’s Government
were willing to assent in principle to the proposed Trans-Persian Railway and toaoree
to the initiation of negotiations between its promoters in St. Petersburgh and London
One of these conditions was that Russia should support the demands made by Great
Britain on the Persian Government for the concession of the following lines :—
(a.) From Mohammerah to Khoremabad, with a branch to a port to be constructed
at Khor Musa;
(b.) From Bunder Abbas or Charbar via Regan and Bam to Kerman;
(c.) From Bushire via Aliabad to some point on a line—
(d.) From Bunder Abbas vi& Shiraz to Ahwaz.
It was proposed that the main-line and those of the above branches which lie in »
the neutral sphere, i.e., (a), (c), and (d), should be internationalised, but that the branch
in the British sphere should be a purely British project.
Sir G. Buchanan reported on the 16th May, 1911, that he had communicated
to the Russian Government the conditions of His Majesty’s Government in this
connection.
A/r aP' 11 ^ ^ ^8th June following, Mr. O’Beirne reported that he had been informed by
, , era . he had not intended to reply to Sir G. Buchanan’s communication,
an ^at it would be time enough to go into the detailed questions raised by the
conditions imposed by His Majesty’s Government when the “ Societe d’Etudes” had
completed its task. When dealing with the conditions laid down by Great Britain,
t le ussian ovemment would probably put forward conditions of their own, and this
would involve lengthy negotiations.
Sir G. Buchanan was told that it would not be necessary to press the Russian
o\ernmen or a reply until the “Societe d’Etudes ” had made their report.
of 1911° m ° re COrreS ^ 0n( ^ enCe a PP ears h ave taken place on the subject to the end
Foreign Office, November 19, 1912.
G. de B.

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Content

The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, notes, and maps relating to the development of railways projects in South Persia and the associated marine surveys of Gulf ports, notably Bandar Abbas and Bushire.

The volume includes the report of Lieutenant Arnold Talbot Wilson on the technical issues concerning development of railway lines between Bushire and Shiraz, and Bandar Abbas and Shiraz. Also included is a report on the commercial possibilities of these two developments, compiled by Commercial Adviser, H G Chick. These reports (folios 101-124) are preceded by an accompanying summary and analysis by 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. , Percy Zachariah Cox.

Also discussed in the correspondence is the question of concessions for railways in the neutral zone and the relative advantages (climate, water supply) of Bushire and Bandar Abbas as railway termini in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The correspondence also features discussion of a rumoured German scheme for a Bushire-Shiraz railway.

Further discussion surrounds the arrangements for marine survey work in the region of Henjam and Bandar Abbas to be undertaken by the RIMS Palinurus. A report by the Captain of the Palinurus, Captain B W Mainprise is included along with three marine survey maps (folios 48-50).

The principal correspondents in the volume include: 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. and Consul General for Fars (Lieutenant Colonel Percy Zachariah Cox); (Lieutenant Colonel Stuart George Knox); First Assistant to 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. , Captain L Birdwood; Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department; Under Secretary of State, 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. ; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey); Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Louis Mallet); Director, Royal Indian Marine, Walter Lumsden; Officer Comanding, RIMS Palinurus ( Captain B W Mainprise); Secretary to the Government of India, Marine Department.

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

Extent and format
1 volume (129 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 4648 (Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports) consists of 1 volume, IOR/L/PS/10/316. The explanation of the cover sheet/divider at the front of each volume (regarding the correspondence series numbers which have been put together to form the volumes) will be given in the Scope and Content.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 127; 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 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎79v] (163/258), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/316, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045943904.0x0000a4> [accessed 19 March 2024]

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