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Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎109r] (217/644)

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The record is made up of 1 file (320 folios). It was created in 6 Dec 1933-27 Mar 1947. 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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177. His Majesty’s Minister merely replied that he was not free to with
draw the request for the exequaturs and asked the Foreign Office for instructions.
178. As was to be expected, the Government of India took a most serious
view of this move, which coincided with the visit of the Persian Minister for
Foreign Affairs to London. The Government of India requested that an
immediate protest he addressed to the Persian Government and suggested that
reciprocal action should be taken against Persian consuls in India.
179. An early opportunity was taken of bringing home to the Persian
Minister for Foreign Affairs in London the views of His Majesty’s Government
in the United Kingdom. It was made clear that the action of the Persian Govern
ment was considered discourteous and inopportune, that objections to individual
consuls could only be justified on the strongest possible grounds and that objections
to a whole category of officials could not be admitted. It was explained that
officers from the Indian service were particularly well qualified to look after the
interests of the large Indian colony (amounting to at least 4,000 persons) in East
and South Persia, and emphasis was laid on the fact that all efforts to improve
Anglo-Persian relations were doomed to failure so long as the Persian Govern
ment behaved in such an irresponsible manner.
180. His Majesty’s Minister was instructed to deliver a note to the Acting
Minister for Foreign Affairs, stating that, in the view of His Majesty’s Govern
ment, the undisputed right of any Government to refuse to accept particular
individuals as consuls could only be exercised in very exceptional cases, where
strong and definite reasons for refusal could be given. No adequate reasons were
given in the present instance, and the action of the Persian Government was
rendered even more discourteous by the fact that, in both cases, the requests for
exequaturs had been in their hands for a considerable time. It was therefore
earnestly hoped that the matter would be reconsidered. The views of His
Majesty’s Government were also explained to the Persian Minister in London,
who had been instructed to take up the matter.
181. The strength of these representations had the desired effect, and about
ten days later the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs handed to His Majesty’s
Minister a note in which the Persian Government agreed to the appointments of
Colonel Daly and Major Pyper, while reserving the question of principle. He
added that this step had been taken, first, because His Majesty’s Minister had
complained that no warning had been received by His Majesty’s (Government, and,
secondly, because His Majesty’s Minister had stated that administrative
difficulties would be caused if the appointments were not agreed to. In point of
fact, His Majesty’s Minister had only mentioned the administrative difficulties
incidentally.
182. Ala subsequently stated in London that, while these two exequaturs
had been granted, the Persian Government adhered to their views in principle.
He was informed that the Persian Government’s methods had rendered all
discussion of the subject virtually impossible and had greatly increased the
difficulty of bringing about any change in the present system. Ala begged that
the Persian Government’s views should be kept in mind, but was given no
encouragement.
183. Three points in connexion with this affair are deserving of interest.
184. First, at the Firdausi celebrations at Meshed, when Major Gastrell
(acting consul-general at Meshed) was presented to the Shah, the latter enquired
of the Prime Minister if this was the man of whom he had spoken, to which the
Prime Minister replied that he was only an acting officer. This incident seems
to establish that the whole affair was inspired by the Shah.
185. Secondly, before his departure for London, Ala enquired of Colonel
Loch, who was then in Tehran, how T the Indian Political Service The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. was recruited
and trained. Ala, therefore, probably already knew of the projected note, and
this gives point to the surprise expressed by Suheily, when His Majesty’s Minister
presented his protest, that the matter had not been mentioned by Kazemi before
he left for Geneva.
186. Thirdly, some weeks later the first secretary of the American Legation
was informed by an official of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs that His Majesty’s
[11539]’ ' ^ b 11

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Content

Annual reports for Persia [Iran] produced by staff at the British Legation in Tehran. The reports were sent to the Foreign Office by HM’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary A diplomatic representative who ranks below an ambassador. The term can be shortened to 'envoy'. at Tehran (from 1943, Ambassador to Iran). The reports cover the following years: 1932 (ff 2-50); 1933 (ff 51-98); 1934 (ff 99-128); 1935 (ff 129-165); 1936 (ff 166-195); 1937 (ff 196-227); 1938 (ff 228-249); 1939 (ff 250-251); 1940 (ff 252-257); 1941 (ff 258-266); 1942 (ff 267-277); 1943 (ff 278-289); 1944 (ff 290-306); 1945 (ff 307-317); 1946 (ff 318-320).

The reports for 1932 to 1938 are comprehensive in nature (each containing their own table of contents), and cover: an introductory statement on affairs in Persia, with a focus on the Shah’s programme of modernisation across the country; an overview of foreign relations between Persia and other nations, including with the United Kingdom, British India, and Iraq; Persia’s involvement in international conventions and agreements, for example the League of Nations and the Slave Traffic Convention; British interests in or associated with Persia, including Bahrain and Bahrainis resident in Persia, the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. at Bushire, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Imperial Bank of Persia, and the Imperial and International Communications Company; political affairs in Persia, including court and officials, majlis, tribes and security; economic affairs in Persia (government finances and budgets, trade, industry, agriculture, opium production); communications (aviation, railways, roads); consular matters; military matters (army, navy, air force).

Reports from 1939 to 1946 are briefer in nature, Reports from 1941 onwards focusing on the Anglo-Soviet occupation of Persia, and the role of United States advisors in the Persian Government’s administration.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (320 folios)
Arrangement

The file’s reports are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. Each report for the years 1932-1938 begins with a table of contents referring to that report’s own printed pagination sequence.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 321; 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.

The file contains one foliation anomaly, f 308A

Pagination: Each of the reports included in the file has its own printed pagination system, commencing at 1 on the first page of the report.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎109r] (217/644), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3472A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056661167.0x000012> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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