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‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [171v] (351/617)
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.
agent of the central authorities.
Revenues, and
proposals with regard
thereto.
Reassessment of
taxation.
tteS remains tat toS Mm astuXandt Hke any
or'ier^m^jbei M ^ whfchaloi^reacbesThe Treasury^
r=et g M, by custom to Ihe
revenue 5 "objecting^only rvltn the “farh” is exacted beyond all reason (I have elsewhere
tPart I Paper NS. ") stated that the “farh” sometimes exceeds three times the amount of
the“asl”tax) Nov the unwritten law is that the “farh” should hear some relative
proportion to the “ asl ” revenue, and I take it, if that law were stnctly enforced, it would be
a matte, of indifference to the people whether the collection were made by Government or
by others. That being so, I would lay it down as a principle that Government a one
• " r ;al with the question of revenue; also, that under no circumstances should a
dividual be allowed any rights over the public revenues of the country. _ .
of this programme are at hand m the provincial
for the execution
private m
The means
permanent staff.
A few words as regards this
agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
.
The permanent staff would consist of—•
The Secretary to the Grovernnient nominated by the Minister of Intel ioi.
The Farrash Bashi, by the same.
The Peshkar, by the Minister of Finance.
The Treasurers, by the Minister of Finance.
The Commander of the local troops, by the Minister of War.
The agents and Magistrates of justice, by the Minister of Justice.
The agents of Posts, Telegraphs, and Charitable Institutions, by their respective
Ministers.
The Peshkar, Treasurers, Sub-Treasurers, &c., would control the actual collection of
the revenue, as also its expenditure, and the accounting for the same.
Khedkhodas, as at present, would he employed as the agents for actual collection in
the villages.
As regards expenditure, each Minister would give authority to his agents for the
provincial disbursements of his Department. The agents would issue orders for
payment, which would he checked by the Peshkars from the Memorandums of the Finance
Minister.
After verification and counter-signature of the Governors the payments would be
valid.
The Peshkar would render his accounts regularly to the Minister of Finance for audit
by the Daftr.
The real difficulty might lie in the reassessment of the taxation of the “asl” and
“ farh ” revenues.
Before Government could take any action or alter in any way the existing procedure,
it would be necessary to have accurate information of the actual amounts now paid by each
community, and then, with due regard to local circumstance, custom, a hundred and one
othei conditions, to fix the actual amounts to which the community were liable.
This information could best be acquired by Special Committees nominated by the
Interior and Finance, which would make the necessary inquiries on the 'snot,
eir statistics and proposals would be considered by the Minister, and thoroughly
dncussed m Council, final orders being issued after due deliberation. All subsidiary orders
specifying the amounts time, and method of collection would he circulated in every district
or village, and the people would at last know for what they were liable. }
exactj'omT'e 5 '™? m^ 0rt Tkf, k" “I" .f° the peaSant ’. and see that additional
i • , -f " ' chain of lesponsibility commencin°' with the n a
d,rect,y 10 the
the proviLe “be cT* 5 / l 1 ”; f-™" 8 M ™ stCTS capital of
would meet eonstanay S *,° t G ;™- The y
questions of common interest as also to ^ppgtp 6 ?! 1 t ^ e members to discuss
to success. J S alS ° t0 Secme that of labour which is so essential
Proposals as regards
the Ministry.
No. 8.-
-The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister.
alone of all the^Mildsters is' M^onstant comnn ^ P p ndent . ? n the Prim e Minister
absorb tbe duties of‘the offic“XistTe.nMninvHmSf^ t ™ e ? od > which «'ables h
lg lllmse l t ln background ; the prir
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’ [171v] (351/617), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/350, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100072740554.0x000098> [accessed 24 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