![‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎115r] (234/617)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001452.0x0003ba/Mss Eur F111_350_0236.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎115r] (234/617)")
‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [115r] (234/617)
The record is made up of 2 volumes (301 folios). It was created in 22 Jun 1896-3 Mar 1900. 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.
- x
ts
t 11 ]
Seceetary.
mouthof^the Rapth riveria PerskrTalucliister^Thf was “ Uldete l near the
Persian authority, and the Tehran Legation recommendprl fW r / ^ We f e ^ re T 0 ^ against
should be sent to Jask and Charbar for the protection of the EnglishWegmph Sff™
On the 27th December, the Secretary of State, telegraphing as to this suggestion, said,
“Ha_ve you any observations to make on the policy which, having regard to British
Indian interests, commercial, telegraph and political, it is desirable that we should
consider or follow if matters in Persian Baluchistan come to a crisis ?”
f ^ cero y’ an swered on the 4th January that the Government of India were prepared
to send 100 men to Charbar and 50 to Jask, for defensive purposes; but added,
“ I cannot reply without further consideration regarding extent of British Indian
interests in Persian Baluchistan, but effective military intervention or occupation
could not be attempted by the Government of India with the forces now at our
disposal.^
2. Shortly before this, in Secret despatch No. 37, dated the 29th October 1897, the Secre
tary of State for India, on the motion of the Foreign Office, had re-opened the question of a
contribution from Indian revenues towards the cost of a Consulate at Kerman. The Foreign
Office observed—“ A British Consular post was established at Kerman in October 1894
in consequence of the earnest and repeated representations of Her Majesty's
Diplomatic and Consular Representatives in Persia as to the necessity of affording
protection to the numerous British Indian subjects trading in Persian Baluchistan,
and as to the important political and commercial interests involved."
Lord George Hamilton said—“ I shall be obliged if Your Excellency’s Government will
give your careful consideration to the matter, having regard not only to the
arguments contained in the Foreign Office letter, but also to the importance, in the
interest of India, of securing the means of observing political and commercial
movements in this part of Persia, and on the lines of transit to Afghanistan.
“ Xt further appears to me that the maintenance of a Consular Agent in Kerman may
be useful in counteracting any adverse influences which may be brought to bear
against the development of British and British Indian trade in this region.
3. On the 18th February 1898, the Secretary of State, referring to this despatch of the
29th October 1897, telegraphed—
■ "-sr
Consulate."
The Viceroy replied o D the 23 rd February that f^iefeuTmo^dS
1898-99 half the cost of sending Captain Sykes back to K , P
not exceed Rs. 6,000; but said , , •
“ We are not prepared at present to give , final opinion - ^ h
h."
4. Meanwhile we had received, through the Fmance p^ber °1897, forwarding a
despatch from the Secretary of State fo. 209 da ted “ U ^ ^ ^
letter from the Foreign Office which tonsmdted the^ ^
Commerce and Agriculture of K ora ... . ” severely from Russian
“ It will be seen that British trade m these reg 10 ^ ^ ^ Government, but that the
rompetition and the measures taken by the Russian ^ Ind
opening of the new route _ from Quetta ^ ^ extent, provided Consular
“rotection and XrfadlSes C “afforded to them ^“g/Sonsnlar Agent*
between Seistan and Meshed At present a ' b e „£ su eh Agents at those
cither at .Nasirabad or a* Brgnd the ^ (see ^7 of tba
points, British merchants are liKeiy
Report)."
\W
About this item
- Content
The volumes contain papers relating to Persia [Iran], including Seistan, and the tract of land south of the Baluch-Afghan boundary between Nushki and Persia, which had become British territory following the demarcation of the Afghan-Baluch border.
The papers largely consist of printed copies of correspondence between the Governor General of India in Council (Government of India Foreign Department) and the Secretary of State for India (Lord George Francis Hamilton), and enclosed correspondence and papers.
Letters from the Governor General of India in Council to the Secretary of State for India include:
- Number 170, 16 September 1896, relating to the opening up of a trade route between Nushki and the Persian frontier, crossing the tract of British territory south of the Baluch-Afghan boundary, and the protection of the newly-demarcated frontier, with enclosed memorandum by Captain Arthur Henry McMahon, British Commissioner, Baluch-Afghan Boundary Commission, containing his proposals for the management and administration of the tract and for the protection of the trade route
- Number 58, 31 March 1898, concerning the trade route between Baluchistan and Persia, including the suggestion that Consular Agents should be appointed at central points along it between Seistan and Meshed, with enclosures including a report by Lieutenant Frank Webb-Ware, Political Assistant at Chagai, on his visit to Seistan at the beginning of 1896, and the measures introduced for the development of trade between Baluchistan and Persia (which includes a blueprint map, Mss Eur F111/350, f 33)
- Number 163, 15 September 1898, forwarding copies of papers regarding the situation in Makran and Panjgur, following recent ‘disturbances’ in Makran.
The file also includes:
- Copies of Government of India Foreign Department papers numbered 40-58 relating to the Kerman Consulate and British interests in Southern Persia, including correspondence between the Government of India Foreign Department and the Secretary of State for India
- A letter from the Secretary of State for India to the Governor General of India in Council, with enclosed despatch from Sir (Henry) Mortimer Durand, HM Minister at Tehran, to the Foreign Office, dated 12 February 1899, in which he gives his opinion on suggestions for the appointment of additional consular officers in Persia (this includes a map titled ‘Skeleton Map of Telegraph Lines in Persia.’ Mss Eur F111/350, f 187)
- A letter from Durand to the Secretary to the Foreign Department of the Government of India, 24 February 1899, enclosing a copy of his memorandum (with appendices) drawn up in 1895 on the situation in Persia, and the steps he proposed should be taken to improve the British position there
- Copies of a draft despatch from the Governor General of India in Council, 2 September 1899, regarding relations between Great Britain and Persia, including improving the British Political and Consular service in Persia, and the extent of the share of responsibility for Persia that should be devolved upon the Government of India, followed by printed comments upon the draft
- Copies of a minute by George Nathaniel Curzon, Viceroy of India, on Seistan, dated 4 September 1899, including the question of a railway connection between India and Seistan
- Handwritten pencil notes by Curzon relating to Persia and the ‘Seistan Question’.
In addition to the two maps noted above, the file also includes the following maps: map of the area south of the border between Afghanistan and Baluchistan (Mss Eur F111/350, f 300); map of the area west of the border between Persia and Afghanistan (Mss Eur F111/350, f 301); and ‘Route Plan of Robat Nala’ (Mss Eur F111/350, f 302).
- Extent and format
- 2 volumes (301 folios)
- Arrangement
Most of volume A is arranged in reverse chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume (from folios 6 to 76); volume B is arranged is rough chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: this file consists of two physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover of volume one (ff 1-150) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume two (ff 151-304); 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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [115r] (234/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000023> [accessed 10 August 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000023
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000023">‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎115r] (234/617)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000023"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001452.0x0003ba/Mss Eur F111_350_0236.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001452.0x0003ba/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F111/350
- Title
- ‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’
- Pages
- front , back , spine, edge , head , tail, front-i, 2r:32v, 34r:62v, 64r:84r, 86r, 89r:93v, 96r:96v, 99v:100v, 101v:128v, 129v:149v, back-i, front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 152r:186v, 188r:189r, 190r:299v, 303r:304v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence