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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [160v] (329/617)
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.
Reform of currency.
v4 r ;' : :
0
Unsatisfactory attitude
of Persian Govern
ment.
10
too
tribesmen. We need not ® x< ^® tnt’iftinkwodwuU spend some money
frequent journejs along then' borde^, b 1 Agencie8 at important
encouraging travei ekm here an ^ whether the Government of India
1 teel very ^ p British officer m Seistan; and,
> have a man in Sh
and Bakhtiari country,
m
Sf&t'cssa; ™ •—»•—
under certain n t1 r/ 1 / t h e Lur and Bakhtiari country,
n °t sve could fain the good-will of the
cou^l e '^»iir^^cr^W > 'of* > rostoring^the r Sato'ofsnvy.p^ Ae
poorer “classes from the suffering caused to b 7 l ^ e
we should undo almost all, perhaps more than a , m - f ^ ^
tobacco troubles. Copper is now at a discount of ’ sllch
all wages are paid in the depreciated com) but, as i bare explained, sucti
reforms are difficult to bring about. i i • xi. p -
20. As to the Persian Government, I feel sure we aheady enjoy then
confidence in so far that they believe we mean them no harm, but they think
we are selfish, and not inclined to do much for them Iheir respect 1 do
not think we enjoy as fully as we ought to do; at least they have peculiar nays
of showing it. I have been much surprised at the peremptory tone in which the
Persian officials have at times permitted themselves to address this Legation,
and at the semi-contemptuous carelessness with which ^in. other cases our
repeated representations have been ignored or evaded. This may have been
due to various causes: to over-centralization and overwork; to Oriental
laziness; to the overweening conceit of the Persians, and their fondness
for showing off’; to the belief in our inexhaustible good nature. But whate\er
the cause, such behaviour should not he passed over. It is a mistake, from a
practical point of view, to stand any want of respect from Asiatic Governments.
I have therefore selected two instances in which it seemed to me that v’e had
not been properly treated by the Persian Government, and have pressed these
somewhat seriously upon their notice. One case, in which the Persian
Government directly refused to abstain from aggression on a disputed frontier
district, and was generally troublesome, I have already reported at length.
In the other instance I found that a number of claims justly advanced by
British merchants and others, and supported by this Legation, had been
allowed to remain for years unsettled, and that some of the Shah’s principal
Ministers, including the Minister of Justice and Commerce, and the President
of the Council, were personally interested in defeating them. This seemed a
very useful case to take up, and the Sadr-i-Azam declaring himself unable to
overcome the resistance of the influential persons concerned, I brought the
matter to the notice of the Shah. The result was that although the Minister
of Justice and Commerce tendered his resignation, the Shah, who can make
himself obeyed when he chooses, insisted upon a proper settlement of each
claim, and they were all cleared off.* I hope that these two eases will have a
good effect in Tehran.
My view is that, while treating the Persian Government with all possible
courtesy, we should not allow them to trifle with us. We should, I think, do
all we can to 'show our interest in Persia, and our desire for her welfare, but the
Government of this country, which may he said to depend for its very existence
upon our support, should he made to understand that any representation we
may make must be treated seriously. A little wholesome fear, mixed with
confidence m our intentions, will tend to make the relations between the
res very much more satisfactory than they are at present.
As to securing the goodwill 1 x xiA
can do for them.
The Shah
For instance,
Persians and ourselves
21 .
is what we
to answer.
Government, w
j Lucm niej' cue at present,
■will of the Persian Government, the question
This question, unfortunately, is only too easy
the Sadr-i-Azam, who constitute the Persian
mt practically nothing from us but money. The Shah
and
no
' imp or tan t'matter o'tci Mm^or disaosa < l bSer H lng ^ ^ iS by n ° meanS a “ Roi faineant.” All
He regards his officials as mere bop, andGaohes^tUe^alue d! 0 ™^ 0 ”'
\
' r
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’ [160v] (329/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000082> [accessed 21 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