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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [119r] (242/617)
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.
[ 19 ]
that they ^seemedTo call*none^frmn^lw^Indian poin/of vie^ 8 ° Wati0 ” S >
J.h™ n ° ted ani extra ? ted at leI >gth in the hope that, by rendering frequent refer-
e*°rJ ?>« eooadeKttiott of what should now be said mav be facilitated
ences
It is to British Indian interests', ^nrtner^r^a^ ^iS/t^r^ettl
fotidetd^otetw”^ be « !? c (»f iFbound tWuLy must,' I think
be
Frontier A., November 1897, Nos. 18-23.
See para. 4 of this note.
. i w The Viceroy s telegram of the ‘23rd February 1898 which was concurred
Yh -t T CQ I)e P artni 1 eilt 5 expressed a hope that a full opinion conld be given - a few
months hence when commercial aspects have been fully considered and political situation may
be clearer. The telegram had reference to the question of the value to India of the Kerman
Consulate but that is part and parcel of the general question. I do not know what steps if
any,, the Finance Department have been taking to examine the commercial aspects of the case •
but it is perhaps doubtful whether, under present conditions, they can add much to their
notes at pages 5-8 above. Sir Mortimer Durand has noticed, since he went to Tehran,
the difficulty of obtaining from traders themselves any comprehensive proposals for the
general good of British commerce. We are not likely to get any fresh statistics from the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
for some months yet. The Trade Report for 1896-97 was not received till late in
October last, and Colonel Talbot, who had
local knowledge, noted in 1896 that the figures
of trade were generally not available before May or June. In noting on the Khorassan Trade
Report for 1896-97 (which is the Report re
ferred to in the Revenue despatch* from the
Secretary of State, No. 209, dated the 2nd December 1897) Mr. O’Conor said—“ It would be an
advantage if we could have a complete report on the trade of Persia as a whole each year. At
present we have only fragmentary reports like this one on the trade of Meshed, another
on the trade of Shiraz, and one or two others. But we have no general connected review of
the trade of the whole country. The commercial intercourse between Persia and India is
close and (considering the material condition of that country) not unextensive, and there would
be a distinct advantage in the possession of a general report on the trade of the country, such
as we have of the trade of China and of Java. It would be of importance to English as well
as to Indian merchants having in view the methods by which Russia seeks to thrust out both
British and British Indian goods from the Persian as as well as from the Turkistan markets.
I would venture to suggest that this report could be compiled at Tehran under the orders of
Her Maiesty’s Minister as in European countries, and that the reports of the Consuls might
either be printed as appendices to the report or continue to be published separately. It would
not be out of place for the Government of India to make this suggestion to Her Majesty s
Government, for Indian revenues contribute to the payment of the Diplomatic and Consular
establishment in Persia.” . . , , , , . ,
Sir James Westland agreed that ‘it is a pity we don't get a critical review, but doubted
“ if we ought to interfere in the matter of our own motion. Accordingly nothing was done.
across
or about the same as the
small recovery :
' i - s ist£sn v ”•
trans-Caspian railway •••••••
countries has advanced or decreased thus:—
the United Kingdom
France
China
Germany
the Straits Settlements
Belgium
Italy
Ceylon
J apan
the United States
Russia
, 7 chow that the trade
18^5, IU. 2,587,000 in 1895,
Total Value.
1891-92.
Hx.
82,812,000
12,009,000
16,701,000
5,254),000
7,603,000
6,790,000
3,540,000
3,396,000
1 , 361,000
5,079,000
1,370,000
1895-96.
Rx.
83,304,000
9,657,000
15,755,000
10,413,000
8,285,000
6,682,000
3,561,000
4,214,000
3,237,000
7,053,000
2,269,000
of India (in merchandise) with Persia was
■96, and Rx. 2,022,000 in 1896-97.
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’ [119r] (242/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x00002b> [accessed 3 August 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