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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [159v] (327/617)
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.
Weakness of
Tali AM.
His good qualities.
Advisability of being
on good terms -with
Hm.
- ^ 5 '
%* t
The establishment at
Tabriz.
Should be placed on
better footing.
death, the territories of Persia remaining undiminished and Iter pohucal rights
imimpared. -n- 0 . come to terms with us about this
Eussia would probably be wiUmg^to - and he ; s ti 1
matter, as the Z,1 -^- S " ltan it seeI ” g desirable to try her. We must not
suspicious of him. At ail even >, , f ac ti on and uncertain what
when the Shah dies, find ourselves tnthout a her lead)
vviie.ii euo urr 7 v^cnit that we shall nave to iono\v nci IU<XU 3
aiid^perlmps 1 have ^to "acquiesce' ^n some very unsatisfactory proceedings on
byt &milv i of incomiSt and" untrustworthy officials, who belong to
AzerbeTan and are too much under Russian influence. Sfall the Vah Ahd is
not honeiessly in Russian hands. He has been to some extent strengthened of
late by 1 the
Firman
A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
Firma, his kinsman, and our most open adherent in Peisia.
He has also taken into his seryice an English doctor, and has stuck to him in
spite of all the efforts of the Russian Consulate; and some ofihe most
important of his Azerbaijan officials haye of late incurred the severe displeasure
of the Russians, so that there is hope even of them. I saw something of His
Royal Highness when he was here a few months ago, and I found that, though
not prepossessing, he had his good qualities. He is less dishonest and less
cruel than his brothers, and more open-handed than the Shah. He is also on
the best of terms with the Sadr-i-Azam. If he lives to succeed he will
probably make a better Shah than his father, and I see no reason why he
should he more in Russian hands, unless he has already entangled, himself m
some secret engagement, of which I can find no indication.
In these circumstances, it seems to me desirable to get on goon terms with
the Yali Ahd, and to increase our influence over him as much as possible. He
has been sore at our decorating his brother, and the Sadr-i-Azam thinks we
should do well to give him the Grand Cross of the Bath. In spite of the
evident objections to so doing, I should be inclined to recommend this if it
were not for the recent riots at Tabriz, which are due to the misgovernment of his
officials and his own weakness. This would be a bad time to decorate him/but
there are two things which I think we ought to do. The English doctor is very
anxious to he made Surgeon to the Consulate-General, and to get an allowance
of 150/. a-year for the appointment. His pay is low, and the Yali Ahd is poor,
and, unless we give the allowance, I fear Dr. Adcock may he forced to leave him.
This would be a great pity, for Dr. Adcock is a well-meaning man, and it
is important to us to have an Englishman always at the Yali Ahd’s elbow. If
the Yali Ahd dies before his father, which is not unlikely, the allowance will not
have cost us much, if he lives to succeed the money will have been well spent.
Secondly, I think the allowances of the Consul-General at Tabriz should
be increased by at least 200/. a-year. At present they are not sufficient
to enable our Consul-General to keep up his position. The statement appended
to this Memorandum will show how unfavourably they compare with those of
his Russian, French, and Turkish colleagues. We ought, I think, to give our
Consul-General as much as the French give their Representative. ^ If the
inciease cannot he managed in any other way, I would recommend the
reduction of the pay at Resht, where there is comparatively little to do. It is
really important that at the head-quarters of the Heir-Apparent to the Persian
footing 6 the ° ffiCial Wh ° haS Chaige ° f 0111 interests should be on a proper
i 11 ^ , t ? ie 1 ll ^ ve su gg e sted we shall do something to strengthen our
hold on the A all Ahd, and to prepare for the future. Our action will be noted
by the Shah s other sons, and will help to convince them, if they have anv
doubts, that we mean to give the Yali Ahd our support. It will have a
quieting effect m Azerbaijan and throughout the country. We need not fear
that ve shall alienate the other sons. If the Yali Ahd should die, the next heir
will turn to us the more read! y for the knowlpdo-A +W i \ ^ ??
we shall back him actively knowledge that if we acknowledge him
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’ [159v] (327/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000080> [accessed 18 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