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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.
4
»
1
-v
the Russian Foreign Minister, concerning the ^^^andlevetoSment
played by Great Brit ,in and Russia in the tuture maintenance and devexopmo
of the Persian Kingdom. . ... ,,
9 On the present occasion we address Your Lordship with another
though correlative obiect. The determination of the attitude which is o ie
adopted bv the British Government in view of the conditions which we have
"described 'while to a large extent dependent upon declarations or pledges alreat y
made Ind upon the traditional history of British policy in those regions must
also be creatlv affected by a consideration of the practical effect likely
ptlucecf upon Br ish interests in the future by a continuance of, or an abrup
departure "from those traditions. We take it to have been a commonplace of
British statesmanship throughout the past century that m
the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
British influence should remain supreme ; and that, while at
Bme could the commercial competition of other Powers be resent^
or legitimately opposed, yet the creation of rival political _ interests m that
quarter could* not be permitted, without seriously compromising the interests of
India and therefore of Great Britain. We know of no Indian Administration
and of no responsible British statesmen, who have not subscribed to these views.
More recently we have observed indications of a willingness in some quarters
“ recede from this attitude, and to argue that the political predommauce
which has been acquired by Great Britain in the regions in question, at so great
an expenditure of energy and treasure, may with impunity he challenged by
Others! and can safely be shared with them, and that no menace need ensue to
British interests from the construction, for instance, of a Russian railway to
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
or the acquisition by that Power of a port and naval station upon
its coast-line. Upon this subieot we conceive that no one has so strong a right
to speaTas the Government of India, seeing that it is Indian interests that are
directly involved: and we are confident that in any decision that may be
taken by His Majesty’s Government, due weight will be attached to this plea.
3. We have, therefore, decided to send to Your Lordship, for communi
cation to His M ajesty’s Government, in such manner as you may deem desirable,
a Minute on this aspect of the case which has been written by His Excellency
the Viceroy, and with which we desire to record our complete agreement. We
endorse the view expounded by him that, while there is no objection to the grant
ing; of such commercial access to the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, by Persian railways or other
wise, to Russia or to any other foreign Power, as their own mercantile necessities
or the expanding requirements of Persia may demand, the acquisition ot
political interests or rights by the Russian Government in those quarters would
he fraught with positive danger to the security of the Indian Empire ; and we
hope that any such idea or proposal may continue in the future, as it has done
in the past, to* meet with the strenuous opposition of His Majesty’s Government.
We have the honour to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship’s most obedient, humble servants,
(Signed) CURZON.
„ A. P. PALMER.
„ T. RALEIGH.
„ E. E.-G. LAW.
„ E. R. ELLES.
„ A. T. ARUNDEL.
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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'Seistan' [384v] (770/782), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/352, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100069721606.0x0000ad> [accessed 30 April 2024]
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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