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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [170r] (348/617)
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.
the
the
vouchers to the T)nffr tt „ ^ ^ • . .
is nominated, and as a rnlp lo 0 ^ 1,68 f P°^ 10n second only to the Governor, by whom he
the even tenour of business am ] 8 ^ as , hls P atron - constant change upsets
should form part of tre'^a" atoythT^rr ^ P~
traditions, and ^reate^continuity^/purpose. 8 ^ 1, t0UCh With the P rovince ’ Preserve
CnstomsrMi““ e n d%reLrv' St E n ach f and nt r li7 ' ing Und f er , tIle . M ™ster of Finance
interests of the Sadr Azm. ^ ^ \e 1} one of these is controlled by or in
The 6 S°by S a an L r iTfi™ e o? d clst:, t , ered W" Hi, brother,
contract for a term of years,"the Sadr Azm bein^a sTeepWpJCr 0 To^h 1 ^^ taken ?
from 160,000 to 200 000
tomans
10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
, ^ 'ose who are best able to make the estimate,
notwithstanding the < ^‘°r^ 1 ° 4 \ 000 \ a " d
14,0001. last year after paying a royal^ S to s' 24 000 °) to toe^hlf ‘ * ^
TheTscheme 6 S^Zf^u ^ 6 ^ of '
Perstans, and would not give the absolute control to Europeans LZst 1 whllm th, ’“^V ° f
oflieers should have the titles of Directors-General, and rank as MinlsteS 6
It might l^e possible to extend European supervision to the norts and Innrl +•
as there the contact would be with tlfe merchant class not wfth lhe peol but S
extension would require tact, and should proceed gradually! P P ’ SUch
Some difficulties lie in the way of such a scheme, the chief of which are the certain
op position of the Sadr Azm, and the covert hostility of Russia. ^ t
1 000 000/ S wifK Sp v n n -f 1895 the ^ ttoman Eank offei ’ ed His Majesty a loan of
?m°nn 0 n 0 7 0/ ‘' i Vlth ' vhlck ’t was suggested the Regie debt should he paid off, the other
500,000/. replenishing the Imperial coffers. Four per cent, interest was demanded on the
guarantee of the Customs. His Majesty was excited by the proposal, and his relations
with the Sadr Azm were for some time much strained. 1 P 0
A ym T nn f!! nt 0f p th f ?, ttoman Bank > seein § where Hie opposition lay, offered to the Sadr
Azm, on the part of the promoters, an annual payment of 120,000
tomans
10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
. This was
refused. The sequel proved interesting, for the Prime Minister enlisted the sympat^S
the Russian Legation, and His Majesty the Shah was made aware of the stron^objection o
the Russian Government to a scheme which would give administrative control of the
the 8 same guarantee ^ alS ° hmted that Russia could find tke ™oney on
There seems little doubt that sooner or later the bait held out by adventurous hanks
or foreign Governments will be too strong for the cupidity of the Shah, who will finally
compel the Sadr Azm to relinquish his monopoly. ^
For this reason I venture to think any support given to the Sadr Azm to enable him
to retain the Customs is thrown away, and that a reform under Persian administration
assisted by European experts, has many advantages, and would cause the least possible
objection to Russia. 1
Concurrent with changes m the Customs, reform could be introduced in the Mint*
but till money .is obtained through the Customs, I see no hope for special treatment of the
currency question.
As regards the Treasury, no personal interest should be allowed to stand in the way, Proro S .ls
and 1 would insist on the Treasury taking its place as one of the Departments of the control ol
Minister ot Imanee. Its accounts would, like all other accounts, be audited by the Daftr Tl ’ easul 7*
and finally scrutinized by the Board of Accounts of the Council of State. ' '
Whatever conclusions might be arrived nt. ns VP O'Q’PrlC?
should be no hesitation about the Treasury.
Proposals for the
better control of the
Customs, Mint, and
Treasury by the
Ministry of Finance.
The Customs and
Mint.
Proposals for better
administration of
Customs.
The Mint.
Proposals for better
' ’ of the
.•.a wj. wnv. v-'UUliOU Ui OiaLO.
at as regards the Customs or Mint, there
Ho. 5. —Ministry of Commerce.
Indexing with the subject of commerce, attention has already been drawn, in Part I, Present view of the
Paper No. 8, to the defects in the commercial administration due to— Ministry.
^ ^ ^ H absence of authority on the part of the Minister, and consequent irresponsi-
2. Want of supervision in the provinces.
3. Shortcomings in the law ox commercial procedure of giving and regulating
justice. & o a e
4. The interference of the Moolahs and Governors with commercial affairs.
[ 668 ]
I
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’ [170r] (348/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000095> [accessed 25 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