!['Seistan' [‎98r] (195/782)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001452.0x0003bc/Mss Eur F111_352_0213.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'Seistan' [‎98r] (195/782)")
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.
/jM July .—I heard from Ghulam Jilani, the Hospital Assistant at Birjand,
that Sartip Mir Maasum Khan had particularly requested that he Ghulam Jilan 1
should be allowed to come to Seistan with him in the event of the Sartip coming,
as Ghulam Jilani was attending to his eyes and a continuation of the attendance
was desirable.
I also received a letter from the Sartip hoping I would allow Ghulam Jilani
to accompany him.
It could very easily be arranged to exchange the Hospital Assistants at
Birjand and Seistan for a month or so and I would be glad to do so, first to
please the Sartip and to bring him thus under my influence on his arrival here,
second to make the personal acquaintance of Ghulam Jilani, third to have reports
from Abbas Ali, Hospital Assistant here, from Birjand written from our standard
here, fourth as in the event of the Sartip coming here the Amir Hashmatul Mulk,
his father, will pay a visit to the Shaukatul Mulk. I would be glad to have Abbas
Ali at Birjand to keep the Amir up to his pledges of friendship.
I wrote to Ghulam Jilani saying that if the Sartip did come to Seistan,
which I very much doubted his doing, I sanctioned his accompanying him, and
said Abbas Ali should take his place at Birjand for a time. I wrote to
Colonel Temple on the subject asking that my orders might be confirmed.
14th July. —Mqnshi Ahmad Din visited the Mustophi Abdul Khalik, who
again repeated the usual opinions expressed here, which were that the English
were near neighbours and had interests here while the Russians had none. Mus-
tophi Khalik Khan is spoken of by Colonel Temple as a man with wide powers.
It is therefore well that he understands the situation and is confirmed in his
opinion that our interests here are paramount.
17th July .—Seth Suleiman who had been given sanction to build a shop
asked whether he might build within the fort. The Amir said this was different
to building outside but that he would consider the request and that probably there
would be no objection.
t8th July .—Seth Suleiman said he had come to an agreement with the
Amir to build a shop in the fort, on the condition that he should not lay any
claim to the land on which it was built. I concurred in this agreement.
In the evening I received a visit from the Amir. I had intended visiting him
myself and had sent to inform him of my intention. The message, however, was
wrongly conveyed to him and he understood I wished to see him. The Amir
therefore came at once. I apologized for the mistake which did not seem in any
way to have put him out.
igth July .—In the afternoon we had our weekly Gymkhana which has now
become a weekly institution. I find that it is a very popular move having these
weekly gatherings. They are, too, very good for the camp, as they create a
weekly event. The sowars turn out in their best and are very keen in showing
off their tent pegging and other accomplishments to the benefit of their horse
manship and their horses. I have several tents pitched and flags flown and the
small race course has quite an attractive and even gay appearance. The Russian
Consul always attends with his party. The Seistanis come in numbers and have
now learnt orderly behaviour and even discrimination in applause. Many Kat-
khudas and officials attend and are provided with carpets, etc. Tea and Kalian
are of course handed round. The Amir himself has not yet come to the gather
ing nor do I quite expect him to at once. The gathering I give out is entirely
one for our own amusement, no invitations are issued, though anyone is welcome.
To invite the Amir and other big Sardars would make difficulties besides greatly
adding to the at present modest expense of the entertainment as their army of
retainers would all require to be entertained.
1
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