'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.' [‎25v] (55/386)

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Ble<J ,, 0 was one whicli had to he redeemed, and Lord Curzon at once urged
Fw tJ sinh should he informed that we could not permit the supersess.on
of the tereditary Governor, and that, if our advice were not accepted strong
measures woulJ be required to secure our interests in Se.stan. In August
In November! the Musliir-ed-Dowleh intimated that the Shall proposed to remove
the Hashmat as soon as Colonel McMahon’s Mission was completed. Mr Grant
Muff then held charge of the British Legation. He was again directed to
spare no effort to save the Hasbmat. Under instructions from Lord
Lansdowne he informed the Persian Government of the regret with
which His’ Majesty’s Government had heard of the proposal to remove the
Amir; of the deep interest which they felt in the maintenance of peace and Older
in Seistan • and of the grave dissatisfaction which the removal of the
Governor ’would cause. The Shah protested. The note, His Majesty declared
was discourteous and the interference unwarranted. Lord Lansdowne rejoined
that the Shah’s reply would make it necessary for His Majesty s Government
to consider carefully the steps which would be required for the protection of
British interests in Seistan. For the moment nothing more was heard of the
proposed deposal. But early in 1904, a summons issued to all provincial Gov-
emors to attend a conference at Tehran. The Hashmat was commanded to be
present. He pleaded excuses; but the orders were peremptory ; and m March
a start was made for the capital. It soon was evident that there was no
intention of permitting the Amir to return ; it was rumoured that the 1 amin-i-
Nizam would take his place. Remonstrances were addressed to the Persian
Government, and it was pointed out that the Governor’s removal would
make it difficult to withdraw the British Mission from the Seistan border.
Still the Hashmat was detained at Tehran. But the Persian Govern
ment now turned from protest to entreaty. The Foreign Minister begged
that the point might not be pressed. The Amir, he urged, was inefficient,
and an opium-smoker, was suspected as a murderer, and ignorant ot the
political importance of Seistan. The Persian Government, he promised,
would do all in their power to further British interests in Seistan, if they
were but given a chance, for they regarded British and Persian interests in
that region as identical. There was much truth in the Mushir-ed-Dowleh’s
comments on our protegd. Bven if the Hashmat were restored, it was easy for
the Persian Government to render him powerless. Moreover, relations in Seistan
between the British Representative and the Hashmat’s old opponents had lately
grown more cordial. Lord Curzon therefore suggested a compromise. The
Hashmat might be provided for elsewhere, and another Governor, to be approved
by His Majesty’s Government, might be posted to Seistan. But continued pres
sure had already effected its object. In April 1905, Sir Arthur Hardinge re
ported that the Hashmat had been granted permission to return to Seistan as
Governor; and the pledge of 1903 was thus redeemed.
The weakness of the Governor gave peculiar opportunities for the prosecu
tion of Russian designs In the spring of 1901 rumours reached the Government
of India from more than one quarter that Russia contemplated either the
purchase of Seistan or the farming of the Seistan revenues. It w r as obvious that
such action would be fatal to our trade,
Russian attempts to purchase Seistan. and would constitute a grave ulterior
menace to Baluchistan. Lord Curzon at once pointed out this risk to the
Secretary of State, and suggested that a clear intimation should be made to the
Persian Government regarding British interests in Seistan. Enquiry was
made, and in July 1901 Sir Arthur Hardinge was instructed to bring the
reports to the notice of the Persian Government, and to explain clearly that
His Majesty’s Government would regard in the most serious light any proposal
to change the existing situation in Seistan, that they deemed it a matter
of the utmost importance that Seistan should remain under the exclusive
control of Persia, and that they could not tolerate or acquiesce in any
project w'hich would result in the alienation of its revenues to any other
Power or the intrusion of any foreign authority in the district. A copy
of Lord Lansdowne’s despatch was left with the Grand Vizier as a memo-