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'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.' [‎165r] (334/386)

The record is made up of 1 volume (189 folios). It was created in 1907. 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. .

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the use of liis subjects would be productive of no good result, unless His High
ness were assured of the active support of the British Government in asserting
bis authority over those of his subjects who claimed French protection.
In forwarding this report to the Secretary of State, the Government of
0 T „ India asserted* their opinion that “ no
•Sprret despatch to Secretary or State, -& 0 . 59, pp . • i? i .1
dated the sist M« r <-h 1898 . effective measures for the suppression
of the slave trade can be adopted unless arid until the French authorities at
Aden and elsewhere discontinue the practice of supplying French flags and
papers to Mask at subjects "and they urged that steps should be taken to secure
the discontinuance of the practice.
In the year 1898, events occurred which indicited that the uncertain policy
adopted by the British Government towards the Saltan was having an unfor
tunate effect. The French Vice-Consul having gained considerable influence
over the Sultan, induced him to lease the port of Bunder Jisseh to the French
Government as a coaling station, and to adopt other measures inimical to British
interests. It was found necessary to remind the Sultan of his treaty obligations
in a forcible manner, and an ultimatum was presented to him containing,
among other provisions, a demand that, to prevent the infringement of his
rights Jie should order all his subjects to use a distinctive flag, and “ should
explain that, after the issue of such an order, the grant by the oflicer of a
foreign power of a foreign flag and the assertion by such officer of the
rightto protect in the dominions of Your Highness any of your Highness’s own
subjects is an instigation of such subject to disobey the lawful order of his own
Sovereign, and if such instigation is made by a French official, it is an infringe
ment of the declaration which was entered into in the year 1862 by the Govern
ments of England and France to respect the Sultan’s independence”. This
demand was stated to be the outcome of the correspondence which had parsed
between the Government of India and Her Majesty’s Government on the sub
ject of the French flag ; and particular reference was made to the Secretary of
State’s Secret despatch No. 48, dated the 30th December 1S93 This despatch
contained a letter from the Foreign Office, dated the 20:h December 1898, in
which the opinion of Lord Salisbury is given at some length Discussing the
suggestion that the French Government should he asked to desist Irom granting
the'French flag to Maskat-owned vessels, Lord Salisbury considered that f there
mav be difficulties in following this line of procedure. Her Majesty s Govern
ment have no positive authority or unimpeachable Zws slandi entitling them
to represent the matter to the French Government, seeing that Maskat is not a
British Protectorate, and that they have received no request from the Sultan to
do so. It would he possible to found the representation on the ground that the
Sultan had by treaty given to this country power to search and detain Maskat
vessels in connection with tbe suppression of the slave trade, and that Her
Majesty’s Government could not allow the assumption of the French flag by
such vessels to interfere with the exercise of a rignt thus formally delegated to
them The correspondence between the French Vice-Consul and the Sultan
shows that the answer to such a representation would be that the Sultan ana
Ins predecessors had allowed the assumption of the flag for ycais, t la ns
constant practice had created a right which was no. longer open to question ;
that tbe flag was, in fact, granted and accepted with the permission of the
Sultan—an independent Sovereign ; and that Her Majesty s Government must
address their representation to His Highness. This portion would point the
way for the French Vice-Consul to represent to the Saltan that the abandon
ment of the French fbg wmuld put the vessels of the Suns at the mercy ot
everv British cruiser ; that their trade would be practically ruined , an ia ns
Suri* subjects would no doubt rebel sooner than submit. It appears not unlikely
that the Sultan would fall in with this view, and openly announce that the
French flag was granted with his permission.
“ The proposal tliat the Sultan should pres-rihe to his subjects the exelu.
sive use of a distinctive Maskat flag was made with the object of avoiding tins
position. The usefulness of the proposal does not depend on the Sultan being
able to enforce it. On the contrary, if, after the issue ot such orders, any Mas
kat subject accepted the French flag, the French authorities would by its grant
have abetted such subject in disobeying the positive orders of his Sovereign, and

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Content

Printed at the GC [Government Central] Press, Simla.

The volume is divided into three parts: Part I (folios 5-47) containing an introduction; Part II (folios 48-125) containing a detailed account; and Part III (folios 126-188) containing despatches and correspondence connected with Part I Chapter IV ('The Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ', folios 28-47).

Part I gives an overview of policy and events in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. region during Curzon's period as Viceroy [1899-1905], with sections on British policy in Persia; the maintenance and extension of British interests; Seistan [Sīstān]; and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Part II contains more detailed accounts of selected topics, including sections on British policy in Persia, customs and finance, quarantine, administration, communications, and British and Russian activity in Seistan. The despatches and correspondence in Part III include correspondence from the Government of India in the Foreign Department, the Secretary of State for India, and the Viceroy; addresses and speeches by Curzon; and notes of interviews between Curzon and local rulers.

Mss Eur F111/531-534 consist of four identical printed and bound volumes. However, the four volumes each show a small number of different manuscript annotations and corrections.

This volume contains manuscript additions on folios 8, 11-12, 14, 42 (a sixteen word note concerning the use by the Shaikh of Koweit [Kuwait] of a distinctive colour [flag] for Kuwait shipping), and 62-66.

Extent and format
1 volume (189 folios)
Arrangement

The volume contains a list of Parts I-III on folio 4; a table of contents of Part I on folio 6; a table of contents of Part II on folio 49; and a table of contents of Part III on folios 127-129, which gives a reference to the paragraph of Part I Chapter IV that the despatch or correspondence is intended to illustrate.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 191; 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. Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'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.' [‎165r] (334/386), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/534, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100070118030.0x000087> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100070118030.0x000087">'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.' [&lrm;165r] (334/386)</a>
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