'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎170r] (344/386)

81
difficulty winch might arise in this connection, we are of opinion that the
withdrawal of Gwadur from Maskat control and its inclusion within the sphere
of our predominant influence is very desirable. Signs have not been wanting
of a tendency on the part of other Powers to take an interest in Gwadur
and its vicinity, and we have authorised Major Cox to inform the Sultan
that the British Government would certainly not permit Gwadur, surrounded
as it is by territory under their control, to be in any way associated with
another Power. This warning may be sufficient to prevent the Sultan from
entertaining any such proposal so long as our relations with him remain
as friendly as they are at present. But it is conceivable that the Sultan or his
successor may hereafter prove unfaithful to his obligations, and, in any case,
should Prance demand to post a representative at Gwadur, the claim might,
under present conditions, be difficult to resist, and an embarrassing situation
might arise.
4. Por these reasons we are disposed to make an attempt, through His
Highness the Khan of Kalat, to obtain the cession of Gwadur on reasonable
terms. The offer might, we think, be ostensibly made by the Khan on his own
behalf; but the price, if the Sultan accepted the offer, would be paid from
Indian revenues. We have ascertained from Major Cox that the annual
revenue which the Sultan derives from Gwadur is about 22,200 dollars, while
the cost of administration is probably little, if at all, in excess of Ks. 1,000 a
year. The net value of G wadur to the Sultan, at 15 years’ purchase, may
* J therefore be taken at about 4i lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of
* 22,200 dollars = Re. 31,080 minus, say US' 1,080 ^ -i XT ,, , i-i •
for expenses of administration = Rs. 30,000 xRs. 15 TUpeCS. We Consider that this SUm, OF,
=4.5e,ooo if ft were arranged to take a lease of the
place instead of purchasing outright, an annual payment of Bs. 30,000 to
Its. 40,000, would not be too high a price to pay as an insurance against any
foreign attempt to obtain a footing on the Baluch-Makran Coast, and we
commend the suggestion to Your Lordship’s favourable consideration.
5. We have, of course, taken no steps at present to sound the Saltan as to
his willingness to part with this portion of his territory, and it is possible that
the offer might meet with a refusal. It is also possible that, if the offer were
accepted, exception might be taken to the transaction by the Prench Govern
ment on the ground that, although the rendition would be made nominally to
the Khan of Kalat, it would practically result in the extension of British
influence over territory which has been in the possession of Maskat, the
independence of the ruler of which was guaranteed by the Anglo-French Declar
ation of 1862. But we can see nothing derogatory to the Sultan’s independ
ence in his selling back to the Khan a piece of land the transfer of which from
Kalat to Maskat was a mere accident, and which consists only of a few miles
of coast-line entirely surrounded, on the land side, by Kalat territory.
Indeed the independence of the Sultan would appear to be vindicated, rather
than impaired, by bis ability to part with such an outlying possession, forming
no part of Maskat proper, and not even belonging to the Arabian peninsula.
We apprehend therefore that an objection based on the Declaration of 1862
could scarcely be sustained.
37
Secret.
No, 47.
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. ,
London, 21st November 190?.
To His Excellency the Eight Hon’blethe Governor-General of India in
Council-
My Lord,
Consequent upon the receipt of your letter No. 159 (secret), of the 4th
September last, suggesting measures for the withdrawal of Gwadur from
Maskat control and its inclusion within the sphere of the predominant influence
of the Government of India, a correspond-
£L Fore So 0 ' Boe ' d.td ence * (of which a copy is enclosed) has
taken place between this Office and the
Foreign Office.