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File 3516/1914 Pt 5 'German War: Persia; situation in Arabistan 1915' [‎10r] (24/404)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (196 folios). It was created in 26 Jan 1915-26 Jul 1916. It was written in English and French. 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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IS
subiect who was in a position to know and in whom I have great confidence,
when discussing the matter told me most emphatically, ‘ I know he is doing
80 ’\
(2) The “ Karguzar ”, Mostam-ul-Mulk.
The Karguzar is an official appointed hy the Persian Government to faci
litate business between Persians and Foreign subjects.
This man was strongly anti-Foreign and later became more particularly
anti-English. t .
Instead of facilitating business with foreigners he impeded it by such acts
as instructing Persian debtors how to declare themselves bankrupt with regard
to their British creditors, and sending a Pars! debtor to take “Bast ” (religious
sanctuary) in the house of a Persian Mulla. Finally no European merchant
could deal with him and requests were made by the British and Russian .Con
suls for his dismissal.
But this man had a father-in-law in the Foreign Office at. Tehran, and for
two years or more it proved to be beyond the powers of the British and Russian
Ministers in Tehran to obtain the dismissal of this obnoxious official.
Reference to my weekly and other political reports during the years
1914-15 and 1915-16 will show that I was continually representing the danger
to British interests accruing through this official being allowed to J e mam m
Kerman, and mv reports throughout the summer of 1915 intimated that he
was politically active in the German interests, and was doing our cause much
harm.
(3) Hossein Ali, “Mofatish ” (Inspector) of the Post-office.
This young man, speaking French fluently, was sent on a tour ^ of inspec
tion of the Post Offices throughout Persia by M. Molitor, the Belgian lost-
Master-Geueral of Tehran. Soon after his arrival m Kerman he began to mix
in political matters. He was strongly anti-Foreign. In the first interview
that I had with him, before there was any trouble in Persia he suggested to me
that it would be better for Persia if all Europeans cleared out of the country
and left Persians to manage their own affairs.
This man was a great friend, I believe a relative, of the Karguzar. After
he had succeeded in dismissing the Post Master of Kerman, he himself always
opened the post-bag, took out what letters he liked, and, accompanied by the
Karguzar, took them to the so-called German Consul’s house.
°I reported these matters to the Director, Persian Section, and that this
Inspector was mingling in political matters, and was becoming a source of
danger to us. M. Molitor replied to me through the Directoi, Persian Section,
“ J’ai parfait confiance en lui
The sequel will show that this confidence was not justified.
(4) The Rais-i-Mo’aref, the master of the boys’ school set up in opposition to
the C. M. S. school.
This man was strongly “ Democratic ” and actively anti-British. (The
term “ Democrat ” in Persia implies “ revolutionary or Anarchist. Ihus the
political murders committed in Tehran in connection with the start of the con
stitutional movement were all committed by so-called ‘ Democra s. )
The Rais-i-Mo’aref was close friends with the Karguzar and the Post
Office Inspector, and attended all seditious meetings in Kerman.
(5) The Gendarme native officer.
The Swedish officers with the bulk of the Gendarme force left Kerman in
the snrin 0, of 1915 leaving some 60 or 70 men under the charge of a native
officer. This officer soon displayed anti-British proclivities, and at our
request he was relieved by another native officer sent from bhiraz.
This man was also pro-German. He came to Kerman m charge of an
escort that brought some Germans from Shiraz to Kerman vi& Lake Nens,
with a deviation south of the regular road on a visit to some tribes.
Be regarded himself as the servant of the Germans, sending detachment
of Gendarmes as escort with any German who travelled trom Kerman.

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Content

The volume concerns events that happened in southern Persia and in the territories of the Shatt al-Arab, during the First World War. The main focus is the protection of oilfields.

The volume covers:

  • The Arab movement in Mesopotamia.
  • Possible despatch of troops to the Kārun river and to Ahwaz [Ahvāz, Iran], to protect the oilfields.
  • Spreading of the jihad movement amongst Arab tribes, seceding from Sheikh of Mohammerah [Khorramshahr, Iran].
  • Withdrawal of British subjects from Ahwaz.
  • Pipeline and telegraph line damaged by Bawi tribe near Ahwaz.
  • Sheikh of Mohammerah's defeat of the Bawi tribe, in February 1915.
  • German intrigues, and the arrest and deportation of the former German Consul at Bushire and of German agents.
  • Russian defeat of Turkish forces at Dilman, Azerbaijan, in March 1915.
  • Turkish occupation of Kasr-i-Shirin.
  • Movements of German agents; protest of Persian Government against.
  • Evacuation of British and Russians from Kerman.

The volume’s principal correspondents are: Thomas William Holderness and Arthur Hirtzel, 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. ; Eyre Alexander Barby Wichart Crowe, Foreign Office; Charles Hardinge, Viceroy of India; Walter Beaupre Townley and Charles Marling, British Ministers at Tehran; 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. ; Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Strick, Scott and Co; Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

There is a letter in French within the file, from the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Extent and format
1 volume (196 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 for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 198; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 3516/1914 Pt 5 'German War: Persia; situation in Arabistan 1915' [‎10r] (24/404), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/482, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100055225594.0x000019> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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