![‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎167v] (343/617)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001452.0x0003ba/Mss Eur F111_350_0345.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎167v] (343/617)")
‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [167v] (343/617)
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.
Administration.
The Ministry.
Diplomatic and
Consular Service.
General note.
Sketch of the Council.
, ti T ; n tprested in showing that the receipts are of no
Minister and Ms associates are ™ "'“’h mai ntain that the monopoly is much valued,
account. Those who should be able to J^ g ^ ^ same offic , al may be taken as fa.r
and the retention of the iosts 101 ■
proof of their value. . d b the disturbed state of the interior, insecurity to life
«, %%g;zi 38 S‘ p ” sr ”
No. 10.—Ministry of Telegraphs.
The Telegraph Department is organized on the lines of a private monopoly subsidized
and The“ min?s“ e c n onsists of a Minister with a staff of Persian and European
cffiads. ; p X e,! at 19,000
tomans
10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
per annum, and this sum is theoretically
„ a id htn theTreasurv every year by the Minister. Actually nothing whatever is rea hzed,
For against thilcreditmust be debited the expenses for new lines, new instruments, salaries
of pprMin of the staff, all of which are met by Government. .
The Indo-European and Indian Government telegraphs pay a percentage, being the
international tax on messages passing over their lines. This sum actually reaches the
Treasury, and suffers hut slight shrinkage en loute.. , . #
The system of monopoly acts in a manner detrimental to progress and extension; the
Minister, though one of the most enlightened of Persian officials, works the lines m his
own interests; an enormous staff, especially in the subordinate ranks, is maintained at the
expense of Government; projects for new lines are almost invariably obstructed by the
Minister, who fears that extension might lead to further demands on his private purse; and,
lastly, no check on the accounts can be maintained by Goverment, or any estimate made
as to the working value of the Administration.
No. 11.— The Foreign Ojfiee.
The Foreign Office is presided over by the Kavam-ul-Mulk, an old gentleman in
his dotage, who is privileged to figure in name as Chief of the Department. The actual
Chief is the Prime Minister, the Sadr Azm, who, with his Frist Secretary, the Mushir-
ul-Mulk, personally conducts the affairs of the Ministry.
The staff consists of several Secretaries dealing with English, Russian, Turkish.
Diplomatic business. Consular affairs, ceremonies of Court, records. As a rule all foreign
Representatives communicate directly with the Sadr Azm.
The Diplomatic and Consular Services form part of the Foreign Office, the Ambas
sadors and Ministers receiving their nominations from the Shah, and retaining their
appointments at the pleasure of His Majesty ; similarly, the more important Consuls obtain
their nominations by Royal favour.
Many of the appointments are of pecuniary value owing to the large returns derived
from passports, the sale of patronage and justice, &c. The posts of Constantinople and
liffis are more especially sought after on this account.
The Consulships abroad are usually given to bankers or others to whom the position
may be a matter of consideration* and who pay accordingly.
c?! Fore « n 0ffici ;. suffers in exactly the same manner as every other Department of
dUi„.lilT OVer " 0 S tl ' all ^ t10 ?’ I™”* of conM ence in the subordinates, sale of office, a
servante anlnlL ^ W ° f the au , tho A tie “ to scrutinize too closely the action of its
its administration ^ ° f SyStem and of busuiess management being the main features of
No. 12 .—The Council of State.
Shah lh A C sCrIfctcrontl 1 htriLnt t !m/f 0m of tbe reign of the presen
its constitution is one of great importance. 7 Pr ° Ve ° f mterest ’ as the P n nciple involved ii
MinikeA'HrwLFnLfofmudl^haractCT'ablrr'' 1 ' • T ? iShi Khan beca me Persia,
s s tr&rm d tXr° rity of r d r^r 0 /x d
eharat^ooS pt”’ S TOs^rspos^efator^yen^am rf diSintereSte<
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [167v] (343/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000090> [accessed 24 August 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000090
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000090">‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎167v] (343/617)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000090"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001452.0x0003ba/Mss Eur F111_350_0345.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001452.0x0003ba/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
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