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File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎124r] (252/258)

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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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■H
49
O. Uepiec at'on and loss of capital would be only less damaging than disturbance
to credit, which not only artect Persians in substantial positions^ but British fims as
wel . One must not lose sight of the fact that the best part oi i 00 0001 worth of
British capital ,s tied up in the trade now carried on between Bushire, Shiraz and
Gieat n am. I know of British firms who have more than 20,0001. out permanently
u, advances to Persian merchants on whom and on which system they rely for a large
business there are o her British firms which are at present saddled, not only with
large outstandings, but also with mortgages on property as security. This system
works very nicely as long as trade flows through, when the Persian merchant wifi pay
off debts airly contentedly ; but there is no doubt that from the time Bushire is cut
off from the carrying trade with Shiraz, and the Bushire merchant unable to carry on
the former extensive operations, all this money now out on loan or tied up as security
would become unrealisable assets. British firms might thus, through the dislocation of
trade, conceivably lose very heavily indeed.
4. Bunder Abbas, with a population reckoned at not more than 5,000 in summer
counts but one or two Persian merchants of any consideration, trade being very largely
m the hands of Hindus, who, in their turn, never have had any establishment in Shiraz,
Bushire, Ispahan, and Oenuiai L ersia. It is inconceivable that the present generation
of moneyed Persian merchants in Bushire would transplant themselves and their
businesses to Bunder Abbas, while for many considerations it is unlikely that Hindus
(whose business is conducted through Indian and not Manchester houses) would be able
to yfiect much in Ears for a long time. Further, the European firms, which have
maintained expensive agencies in Bushire for many vears, are enabled to do so by
supplementing forwarding business by sales for the Bushire district, and often a very
profitable trade in grain. They would hardly be able to do so if the forwarding
business were diverted, nor would forwarding business in Bunder Abbas alone be
sufficient inducement to open there in several cases. I should apprehend the evacuation
of the Bushire field by British firms to foreign interests, particularly those financed
like the German.
5. Unsuitability of climate in Bunder Abbas, though it has been exaggerated in
the past, is a very potent factor in a question involving the transplantation of the
forwarding terminus for Ears and Central Persia. Even Persians of the Gulf regard
the climate of Bunder Abbas with detestation, and its own inhabitants move away to
Minab in the summer. As a climate for Europeans, it is exceptionally trying, those
who live there at present being never long without a change of air. It has practically
no winter season. Unpleasant as is Bushire in tiie heat of summer, climatically it is
infinitely preferable and more bracing in the winter than Bunder Abbas. The rainfall
of Bunder Abbas is poorer than anywhere in the upper Gulf; the soil is sandy and
unsuitable for crops. At present a small squalid town, it would take years to make the
residential settlement necessary for a large trade mart.
6. It is fallacious to suppose that Bushire trade is declining. For the year 1911-12
the value of imports and exports aggregated 1,507,4331., an increase of 576,0001. on the
previous year.
Sufficient has been said to explain the certainty of great local opposition in Ears
and neighbouring districts to Bunder Abbas being made the sole railway terminus for
Shiraz. There are other strong arguments against it.
There is the utility and importance of Bushire to the Persian Government; the
port and town must possess solid advantages over other Gulf ports to have retained for
so long the bulk of trade from the south with Central Persia. It is the head-quarters
of a Persian provincial administration, and has been formerly the principal Persian port.
It is inconceivable that the Persian Government should agree to a railway system
which pointedly ignores Bushire and leaves a stretch of seaboard 400-500 miles long
and a fertile region extending more than 100 miles inland in its present wild and
undeveloped state. Our motive would, in Persian nationalist eyes, appear too sinister ;
to divorce the Ears Government from the Upper Gulf ports and leave them at our
mercy from the sea, it would be serving our own strategic interests to the disadvantage
of Persian consolidation.
A Bunder Abbas-Shiraz line would pass right outside the habitats of the turbulent
nomad tribes of Ears, Kashgai, Mamasenni, Kuhgelus; have no civilising and quieting
effect on them ; neither make them sedentary nor permit of military force being
introduced into their present large sphere, and leave them masters of the situation.
Financially also, it must be noted that Bushire brought in 78,468£. to the customs
nue in duties alone in 1911-12 as against 34,993 for Bunder Abbas.
revenue

About this item

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' [‎124r] (252/258), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/316, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045943905.0x000035> [accessed 19 March 2024]

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