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The record is made up of 1 file (388 folios). It was created in 17 Jan 1899-4 Apr 1904. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
Early in May, the Acting Consul-General at Meshed informed me that
M. de Stroeff, the Dragoman of the Eussian Consulate, was about to start for
Birjand with presents to the value of fourteen hundred pounds for the Amir of
Kain and his young brother, not the Hashmat-ul-Mulk, and, as it was expected
that Cossacks would accompany him, I was advised to leave Birjand before his
arrival, in order to avoid friction between the escorts.
The Amir was much perturbed at learning that valuable presents were be
ing sent him in so ostentatious a manner, as he feared a trap. He considered that
if “ the poor Russians,” to use his own expression, sent him such gifts, they must
want something big in return. In fact his frame of mind at once suggested
the well-known line—“ Tuneo Danaosbt dona ferentes”. In the meanwhile, I h
had fully explained to the Amir’s Vizier the objects of my visit and apparently
I had gained his confidence, as my advice on the subject was asked for. I
pointed out that Great Britain was setting a limit to Eussian aggression in
China, and hinted that, in all probability, this w r as the reason of their renewed
activity in Eastern Persia.
The Vizier told me that the Amir, at first, had intended not to receive the
presents, as he keenly resented the obvious attempt to buy him, but that he
had finally decided to accept them and show by his manner that they were
unwelcome. As may be imagined, I quite agreed with this course of action.
•
I was, most fortunately, unable to engage transport until the Passion
plays were terminated, no Persian being willing to start on a journey during
this period ; and my advance camp actually started the same daythatM.de
Stroeff arrived. As he had only a single Eussian Cossack with him and had
altogether a party less than half the size of mine, his arrival produced but
little effect, although, like myself, lie was meet by the Amir’s brother.
In my last despatch, I laid great emphasis on the fact that the Amir had
called first on me as, in the East, that question is of premier importance so I
imagined that the same procedure would be adopted in the case of Russia’s
representative, especially as I had heard that the Eussian Consul-General had
particularly asked that this should be done. However, no such honour was
shown to M. de Stroetf who, two days after bis arrival, called on the Amir to
present the Emperor’s gifts. " ’
. Pai t of them consisting of an electro-plated samovar, with travs etc wp™
inspected, when M de Stroeff handed a hey to the Shaukat-ul'-Mulk;’ with
which to open a leather case, containing a silver samovar, I understand • l ot
it was not opened at the time, nor indeed for two or three days. 4 d ’ “ 4
When the gifts were presented, M. de Stroeff informed the Amir that the
Emperor ot Russia had sen them in appreciation of kindness shown to the
Russian plague doctor, who had spent the summer at Birjand, two years pre-
Throughout the Shaukat-ul-Mulk’s attitude was described as chillimr and
upon be Envoy's departure he said that, although he quite saw whl the
British Government wished a Consul to visit Bin a ml hmt, ™ V \ m
grims and of the opening of the Quetta road Safa^Bu L oSs‘adS
could only he xu connection with some sinister design. “ '
From what I have narrated, it is evident that the Amir of Kain who ha.
been generally considered Russophil, has not been won over by the’ Wrial
gifts but, on the contrary, is less favourably inclined to Bu^ia tha,?i r P 1
that, as far as Kain is concerned, the influence of that power hi?
severe check, as, what the Amir thinks, the whole province echoes d “
resulfonTlfe 1 H S ashmal e i^-Mfilk^k t overnor'"of l l'abas 0 a 1 rid's' r ' T * 134 the
so openly ignored. 01 01 Iabas and Seistan, who has been
Can it be doubted that he will feel the slight and, if possible, resent it ?
About this item
- Content
The file contains papers relating to Seistan [Sistan] and Persia [Iran].
The file includes printed copies of despatches from the Agent to the Governor-General of India and HM Consul-General for Khorasan and Seistan (Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Martindale Temple), to the Secretary to the Government of India Foreign Department, with enclosed despatches from Captain Percy Molesworth Sykes to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (the Marquis of Salisbury). Skyes’s despatches regard matters including: Seistan; trade routes into South-East Persia; the boundary between Persia and Afghanistan, in relation to the River Helmund [Helmand] changing its course (in despatch No. 5, which includes four sketch maps, folios 12, 13, 14 and 15); Sykes’s journey to Birjand (in despatch No. 7, which includes a sketch map on folio 20); the ruling family of Kain, which also governed Seistan, Tabbas and Tun; Sykes’s journey from Seistan to Kerman [Kirman] (in despatch No. 11, which includes a sketch map); and the direct Kerman-Quetta caravan trade that Sykes was trying to establish.
The file also includes copies of the following papers:
- A despatch from Temple to the Secretary to the Government of India Foreign Department, enclosing a letter from Temple to Sir Henry Mortimer Durand (HM Minister, Tehran), with copies of enclosures, regarding the establishment of a Seistan and Kain consulate
- A letter from Charles Edward Pitman, Director General of Telegraphs, to the Secretary to the Government of India Public Works Department, enclosing a copy of a ‘Report on the Preliminary Survey of the Route for a Telegraph Line from Quetta to the Persian Frontier’ by H A Armstrong, Assistant Superintendent, Indian Telegraph Department, which includes six photographs of views along the route [Mss Eur F111/352, f 52; Mss Eur F111/352, f 53; Mss Eur F111/352, f 54; Mss Eur F111/352, f 55; Mss Eur F111/352, f 56; and Mss Eur F111/352, f 57], and a map showing the proposed route of the telegraph line [Mss Eur F111/352, f 59]
- Letters from Hugh Shakespear Barnes, Agent to the Governor-General in Baluchistan, to the Secretary to the Government of India Foreign Department, enclosing copies of the diary of the Political Assistant, Chagai, for the weeks ending 16 February, 28 February, and 8 March 1900
- Diary No. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 of Major-General George Frederick Chenevix-Trench, HM Consul for Seistan (Diary No. 6 includes a sketch map, folio 86)
- A copy of a ‘Report on Reconnaissances Made while Attached to the Seistan Arbitration Commission’ by W A Johns, Deputy Consulting Engineer for Railways, Bombay
- A copy of the report ‘Notes on Persian Seistan’, compiled by Captain Edward Abadie Plunkett, and issued by the Government of India Intelligence Branch, Quarter-Master General’s Department
- Two copies of map signed by Plunkett titled ‘Persian Seistan-Cultivated Area’ [Mss Eur F111/352, f 270]
- A booklet entitled ‘Notes on the Leading Notables, Officials, Merchants, and Clergy of Khorasan, Seistan, Kain, and Kerman.’
- Printed copies of letters from the Government of India Foreign Department to the Secretary of State for India (Lord George Francis Hamilton), relating to the maintenance of British interests in Persia, dated 4 September 1899 and 7 November 1901 (the former with an enclosure of a minute by the Viceroy on Seistan).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (388 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 390; 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 301A
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F111/352
- Title
- 'Seistan'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:51v, 58r:58v, 60r:112r, 113r:125v, 147r:218r, 218r, 219r:269v, 271r:301v, 301Ar, 301Av, 302r:388v, 389v:390r, 389r, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence