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File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎112v] (229/258)

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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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26
by repute have been visited. It is hoped, however, that it will be possible at an early
date to proceed with a commercial survey of all southern Fars, as to the utility of which
there can be no doubt. j
The foreign trade of Southern Persia has for many years now converged on fou?
ports—towns of no particular prominence except as forwarding centres—and it i s
interesting to note their relative importance in terms of the weight of goods imported
and exported. An average of four to five years has been taken :—
Number of|
Inhabitants.
Export.
Import.
Tons.
Tons.
1.
Bunder Abbas.,
{
5,000 (summer)
10,000 (winter)
}
4,968
9,042
2.
Lingah
• (
12,000 (winter)
8,000 (summer)
i
/
2,813
5,260
O
O.
Bushire
• • •
18,000
11,233
16.236
4.
Mohammerah ..
15,000
18,276
10,870
Therefore from the points of view, both of merchandise handled and population,
Bushire and Mohammerah are to-day the most important of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports.
Any estimates of the amount of merchandise in Southern Persia, which is or could
be annually available for transport by a railway system, can be divided as under :—
(a.) Produce and goods at present exported from South Persia, and possible
development.
(b.) Goods at present imported by the Gulf ports, and possible development.
(c.) Goods and produce in the country restricted to local transport.
(d.) Mineral produce, at present for the most part unexplored and quite
undeveloped, remains merely a potential possibility, and no estimates can be given.
^a.j export irade.
. Taking first the export trade, averaging a total of about 37,000 tons, the area from
which it is derived is in the case of—
t\t ^ 0 ^ lamillcva ^ 1 '' ^ ie Arabistan plain country between Dizful, Bam Hormus,
Mohammerah, and Hindian chiefly, and during the last few years, owing to the
insecun y o tie Bushire route, up to 700 tons from the Ispahan province by the
Ahwaz road. r 1 J
Busline. From the coast plain, from towns and villages between Shiraz and
Bushire, from Shiraz, and Ispahan (in small qualities).
Bunder A66as.-Nearly all from Kerman, Yezd, and Herat; about 1,000 tons only
Irom the immediate vicinity and the islands.
_ o P n ^- N0t ra ° re than eOO-J'OO tons from the interior; the rest from the
exnni^-^Jhi YJ appended show in detail the various sources and quantities of
Mohammerah <1 ’ + * as regards the last three ports. The railway proposals for
of trade to nnrl Yi’ ant ^ estern Persia have so little bearing on the present flow
is foreio-n to the nYY - ^ 0 J^ er P ort:s that the commerce of that part of the country
by the” Lvnch ? , l . on . lm ^ e ^ ^ ls c us sion. A partial diversion of the trade of Ispahan
c^nectin^ link'^nv f? 11 T ’ " haS n « ver exc ^ed 700 tons, is the^nly
and Southern Persia a eF ° coni P etltlon between the fields of trade of South-Western
an ao-oreo-ate of ovYr^Yoim^ 8 ^ us J ) * re ’ eac ^ h° s had during the recent bad years
diskrichT^^orip-in^re^'^f Yr 8 n ^ brou 8 ht d ^n from up-country; but the
The produce exported viYVf T ^ViY 16 ° n ^ y l >0 ^ n ^ contact being perhaps, Yezd.
vHBChirfSehhrn T Ab ^ S “ fr0m Kerman, Yezd, and Herat; that
BetweeX ar t o? nr f e l Un ’ Fl ™ z , abad - Shiraz, and from Ispahan.
respectively there lies T ' P 0 ^ uc T t ' 01 !’ w h>ch at present export by Bushire and Kerman
0^3 Tin™ h o'" 8 K r Lun \ tan ’ and tlle ^11 hinterland dependent on it
forthe Sor. The eL! r" 3 CUSt ° ms tariff of 1903-was not a great mart
centres on the Lar road whichTs^ 'V ' nat 1 re of tb e country behind, and the lack of
the operations of Lbgah mer hunt toT” 1 - Persia ’ haVe C ° nfined
gan merchants to Lunstan and the Shibkuh and other porta

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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' [‎112v] (229/258), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/316, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045943905.0x00001e> [accessed 19 March 2024]

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