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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [145v] (295/617)
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.
cases; but speaking generally it seems desirable to spend some trouble and
money, if necessary, in getting the Persian telegraph system into our hands as
much as possible. We should try to construct the proposed land line from
Kuhsan to the Kalat frontier, and should connect it or get the Persian Govern
ment to connect it through Seistan with Meshed. Eventually it should also
be connected with the coast. I think we ought also to pay our Director
better than we do. He ranks here next to the Minister, and he cannot
maintain his position on a salary of £950 a year. The Manager of the
Imperial Bank gets more than three times this sum. It is important that
the Director should be on good terms with the Persian Ministers and notables,
and be able to entertain them to some extent, and he should also be able
to move about the country decently equipped. I will go into this matter
separately and in detail, if Her Majesty’s Government or the Government of
India are prepared to accept the principle that the Telegraph Department should
be regarded in some sense as a political organisation, and that some expense may
legitimately be incurred to make it more efficient in that respect. I have now
stated the main proposal which I have to make for improving our position in
Persia. It is briefly that we should increase the numbers and efficiency of our
Consular staff by the addition of certain Consulates and Vice-Consulates, and
by improving the position of our representatives in Tabriz and Ispahan ; that we
should open out roads in the Karun district and elseivhere, and possibly
prospect for a railway; and that we should organise the Telegraph Department
for political purposes.
But, as I said before, this despatch should be regarded as supplementary
to my memorandum of 1895, which went fully into the question of our position
in Persia. I would again request that reference may be made to that memo
randum, and that the proposals therein made may be considered. There are
one or two to which I should like to refer again. In the penultimate paragraph
I wrote :—“ The Persian Government should be made to understand that they
must not trifle with us in the future, as they have occasionally done in the past,
but we should try to gain their good-will and help them in any way we can.”
In a former paragraph I had explained how the Persians relying on our for
bearance were inclined at times to treat us with disregard, and I suggested that
we should take certain measures to correct their attitude in this respect. I
recommended that, on the other hand, a loan should be granted to Persia upon
easy terms. I think we should adhere to the principle of these recommend
ations. As present the Persians think we have lost interest in things Persian ;
that we will do nothing for them, and that we will not take the trouble to resent
anything they do against us. I should like to disabuse their minds of both
of these ideas.
I may perhaps with advantage give one or two instances of what I mean.
I noticed in my memorandum of 1895 the case of the island of Siri, which the
Persians occupied some years ago, and have since retained iu spite of our
protest. I noticed also the case of the Perso-Baluch border, where the Persians
were constantly encroaching: and I explained the necessity for exercising
some check upon the selection of Governors in the south of Persia. In these
two latter cases we have succeeded in changing the attitude of the Persian
Government. The border has been delimited, and in a recent instance an
obnoxious Governor was recalled from Bushire on our demand. This has done
much good. But cases still occur in wdiich our interests and our represent
ations are treated with small respect. Eor example, the Persian Government,
during my absence on leave, asked the Military Attache in this Eegation, to
arbitrate in an important dispute between our
native Agent
Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government.
in Kermanshah
and some Persian subjects. The Persian Eoreign Minister undertook in writing
to execute the award whatever it might be. The award was given in Decern^
her of 1897, and in spite of continuous pressure from the Legation execu
tion has been evaded up till now, every sort of frivolous pretext being
advanced to put us off. In another arbitration case, which occurred durino- my
absence on leave, Mr. Hardinge agreed to abide by the award of the Prime
Minister. The award provided for the transfer of certain mines from the
16
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’ [145v] (295/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000060> [accessed 30 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