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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [116r] (236/617)
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.
[ 13 ]
^TperS :- y ‘ 0 “ S ° me ieM the ^ »f our position, interests and
as t; I think, those recorded
s: p f :tw^- gthen Britk influence - p - s - thVx p tZ°wri p i r
Persia or Russia, the strongest footing from a political point of view, which the
peculiar circumstances of the country render possible to us. To this end
^ n J ea 1 sures which Colonel Murdoch Smith advocates seem to me entirely desirable.
What he proposes is in effect that we should restore the state of affairs
formerly existing by which we had capable military officers scattered about Persia
in connection with the Telegraph Department, and that we should utilise the
services of these officers as Political Agents, letting them move freely about
the country and make friends with the people and Chiefs. The pay of
the officers appointed would be little higher in the aggregate than the pay of the
existing telegraph establishment, and their appointment would create no apprehen
sion, as they would be simply telegraph officers—with no ostensible consular of
diplomatic powers;”
Lord Roberts :—“ By reviving the military organisation of the Persian Telegraph Depart
ment, we should increase our influence in Persia; we should provide an admirable
school at a trifling cost for the stamp of men whose services would be most useful in
the event of troubles with Russia; we should obtain better information of what is
going on and we should know more of the military resources of the country
“ Every means should be taken to strengthen our influence in Persia, and nothing
can do this more effectually than locating selected British officers at certain places
and bringing British produce and British money into the country.”
Sir Theodore Hope “ I fear that the real truth is that we can now do very little
to strengthen our influence in Persia, and that if war came, we do not possess the
means of operating there on the Russian flank in addition to what we should be
forced to do in other quarters. There is in my opinion no real basis for influence
except strength, and that we do not and cannot possess in this quarter
« As to the telegraph officers becoming semi-politicals, I do not see any objection to this
or any difficulty in the arrangement being made compatible with the contemplated
reorganisation of the Indo-European Telegraph Department (if that measure be
determined on).”
Sir Auckland Colvin :—I think Persia lies outside our ring fence : and that as we
cannot hope to maintain any position which we may assume there, we should mos
carefully avoid the discredit of compulsory retreat from any position which we may
be led into assuming. I think it should be our aim to be on the most friendly
terms Irith the Persian Court; and to aim at opening up, so far as any eneourage-
-nt which can be given to private r Perl*
country. But I would not tend tte interest We have my
needs; or an | ^h^dely in Indian opinion, from the policy pursued
gsMSSjaS- xrssss;
to work back on ^ se ^ ; n favour of con tinuing to employ military
S ‘ r ^officers^in^the^Persian Telegraph Department after the manner suggested
, , -fK ■Rnoci'a Persia might, under certain conditions,
“ In the event of the coming struggle w agatast her . those conditions being
valuable base tor olte P (water vu
form a
aluable base for offensive ^ and force in that
that we found ourselves in a position o a t, on the other hand, as is
11 1 against us > - - -■ • 1
Sir
quarter than Russia could bring against us ...^ ^ wnr should find Russia much
perhaps more likely to !• f p e rsia ....then any entanglement which
Longer than ourselves in the t<) c0 „ ntry) or „f retiring with
loss of credit, would be a most unfortunate source ColoDe i M . Smith's
Andre* Scoble “ I am in charge of the Telegraph Department
proposal to replace ^Tseltr/of State in the sense indicated by
Mr. Durand.” ^ be brought witein theof what - have
^tTffnt buTl- ^ 0 * opinio11 tbat
establishing influence.
we
might
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
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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [116r] (236/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000025> [accessed 25 July 2026]
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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