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Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎207v] (414/644)

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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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previous year’s visit to the Shrine, and, of course, no British officials enteied it.
When the acting counsellor to His Majesty’s Legation in Tehran ca ed on the
Governor-General at Meshed in November, M. Pakrevan offered him all aci i ics
for visiting the Shrine, saying that a visit was perfectly simple. Mr. Butiei nu
to plead an already filled programme.
87. Doubts were raised during the year whether the policy of abstention
was still necessary in view of the increasing number of Christian visitois,
including resident diplomats, who entered the enclosure. It was telt however
that the existing policy might wisely be adhered to a little longer, and the head
of the American hospital at Meshed told Mr. Butler that, as far as residents m
Meshed were concerned, and doctors in particular, he was definitely ot t ic
opinion that it was wiser not to enter. Moreover, it appears that local opinion
has not yet realised the Iranian Government’s new policy, for various Bi itish
Moslem subjects spoke to His Majesty’s consul-general in the firm and appiovmg
belief that no Christians set foot in the hallowed enclosure.
Zahidan Railway.
88. At the end of the year the Government of India still had under
consideration the possibility of effecting economy by withdrawing rail-head from
Nok Kundi to Dalbandin without unduly disturbing arrangements for supplying
the Chagai levies, and, it was hoped, without injuring seriously the diminished
Indo-Iranian trade served by the railway.
89. During the year the Iranian Government did not raise the question of
reopening the railway to Zahidan, but in November the Governor-General of
Khorassan told the acting counsellor to His Majesty’s Legation that the decision
in principle had been taken by the Iranian Government to build eventually a
branch line from Meshed to the Trans-Iranian Railway; M. Pakrevan hoped
that the Government of India would reopen their service to Zahidan and that
India would before very long be linked by rail to Europe. It would, in
particular, help him in Khorassan to hold his own commercially against Soviet
Russia if the exports of East Iran possessed an easier and alternative outlet
through India. It was pointed out to M. Pakrevan that the present Iianian
commercial and exchange policies did not contribute to the development of
Indo-Iranian trade.
90. The negotiations for an Indo-Iranian Commercial Agreement, which
seemed imminent in 1936, having fallen through owing to the attitude of the
Iranian Government, the value of the railway as a bargaining counter receded,
though it did not disappear, and His Majesty’s Legation confined themselves to
asking that, if the Government of India should decide to withdraw rail-head to
Nok Kundi, the Iranian Government should be given ample notice of what would
be to them a seriously disappointing decision.
Consulate Doctors.
91. In 1937 the Iranian authorities continued their offensive against doctors
attached to British consulates. At the end of 1936 His Majesty’s Legation
were endeavouring to secure that the doctor attached to His Majesty’s
consulate-general at Meshed should be given an unrestricted licence to practise
there as well as such facilities as could be agreed to when he visited Birjand,
Zabul and Zahidan. Early in the year the head of the Third Political Depart
ment assured His Majesty’s Legation that he understood the point about a doctor
requiring adequate practice, and that the doctor at Meshed would be allowed to
practise unrestrictedly there, but at the other posts to treat only the consular
staffs. The Government of India agreed to these terms, and Dr. O’Connor
assumed charge as medical officer in Khorassan on the 20th February.
92. Unfortunately, in April the Ministry for Foreign Affairs went back on
this arrangement, explaining, with apologies, that the medical officer’s practice
must at Meshed, as elsewhere, be confined to consulate staffs; this decision was
based mainly on the undesirability of permitting a system which would have to
be extended to the Soviet consulate-general. In July it was further explained
orally that the Iranian Government did not wish to give locus standi to
foreigners where they could avoid it in frontier areas, which appeared to include
Meshed as well as Zabul. His Majesty’s Legation, in spite of prolonged efforts,

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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–’ [‎207v] (414/644), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3472A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056661168.0x00000f> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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