'Seistan' [‎364r] (729/782)

on the opposite side of the line. But there would be manifest difficulties in
arriving at any such understanding; since it would be out of the question to
remove the British representatives, either at Tehran, at Tabriz, or at Meshed,
whose functions necessarily involve the exercise of some sort of political
influence, while a corresponding objection would no doubt be felt by the Russian
Government. But even an engagement limited to railway and commercial
exploitation would have this effect, that it would deprive Russia of the means by
which political or territorial ambitions in the rival sphere could most easily be
carried out, and would render it difficult for her to push them to success, as
long as Great Britain remained on the alert.
58. There are, however, difficulties and drawbacks in the case of such an
understanding which it would be impolitic to ignore. We have already hinted
at one of their number. The facts with reference to Seistan which have been
mentioned by the Viceroy in his Minute, by Sir M. Durand, and also in this
despatch, indicate the absolute necessity of including that district within the
British sphere. Nevertheless Seistan is physically and administratively a part
of the province of Khorasan, from which it is severed by no clear line of
division, the Governorship of Seistan being vested in a member of the old
ruling family of Kain, the two existing heads of which are brothers, residing
respectively at Tabbas and Birjand. It also seems exceedingly doubtful to us
whether Russia would, by any such agreement as we are discussing, forego her
designs upon Seistan itself, and still more her chances of reaching the eastern
extremity of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Nor again is it clear that she would be willing
to cancel the engagement with regard to railway construction, which she has
recently renewed with the Persian Government, and to band over the southern
half of Persia to possible railway exploitation by British agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , in return for
a monopoly of similar exploitation (which may be said to be already at her
disposal) in the northern half. These, however, are considerations which could
onlv be decided by the attitude of Russia herself, w T ere she approached on
the" subject by Her Majesty’s Government. We indicate them merely for
the purpose of showing that we are far from confident that the suggestion, if put
forward, will meet with a favourable reception.
59. A more serious drawback, from the point of view of British interests,
is the fact that the capital of Persia would lie in the northern or Russian sphere,
and that Russian influence there, already predominant, could hardly fail to
become supreme. The situation that has recently arisen in China would present
itself with ten-fold gravity and emphasis. A desire w r ould not merely be inti
mated to connect the capital with the Russian railway system : but a line itself
would, we may imagine, at once be made to Tehran, while corresponding lines
would in all probability be constructed from the Russian frontier in Georgia to
Tabriz, and in ’Trans-Caspia to Meshed. With the three great cities of Northern
Persia thus permanently linked with the Russian system, the power of
pressure exercised by the Russian Government, which is already considerable,
would be positively overwhelming. The results would, in all probability, be
felt beyond the limits of Persia. They would aggravate the already formidable
offensive strength of Russia against Northern Afghanistan, and would increase
the weight and influence of her position throughout Central Asia. In Persia
itself, the Shah would tend more and more to become a Kussian puppet, and
Northern Persia a Russian proconsulate. We should look with great anxiety,
in such a case, upon the fate of such institutions as the Imperial Bank of Peisia,
and the Indo-European Telegraph Department, whose head-quarters are in
Tehran. We should fear a marked diminution of influence on the part of Her
Maiesty’s representative at the capital; and we do not conceal our anticipations
that in the long run such a partition might involve the permanent break up
of the Persian kingdom, and, if it did not ultimately lead to rival Russian and
British Protectorates in the north and south, might at any rate result in the
selection of another capital, and in the rule of more than one native prince
in Persia. .
60. Neither will it be overlooked by Her Majesty’s Government that,
while any such arrangement with Russia might preclude that Power from
obtaining^control over Central and Southern Persm and m that reachn,
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , it would not for one moment retard, but mi 0 to e