Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [21r] (41/442)
The record is made up of 1 file (221 folios). It was created in Nov 1911-Mar 1917. 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.
gfco
Baghdad finds its way through a narrow gap, the ancient
ft) tola
Gates of Zagros, to the plain at Khanikin, and close Vuj is
another route through Mendali more suitable for railway
construct ion.
In all the long line of the Turco-Persian frontier
North of this, there is not a single practicable route for a
railway except one along the valley of the Lesser Zab River
to 3uj Bulak in Persia.
At other points the frontier hills rise very steeply
and form an impassable barrier.
Several projects of Russian railway construction in
Persia have been put forward, one general scheme being called
a Russian Trans-Persian Railway proposed to join up with the
Indian railways at Nusilki.
Such a project may be at once ruled out of
consideration as in time of war it would certainly prove most
dangerous to the security of our Indian defensive line and
afford a ready gateway by which the Russians might enter.
It may indeed be taken for granted that any
connection between Persia and India must be towards Karachi
running within striking distance of the sea coast.
The following Russian lines are proposed in North
Persia, given roughly in their order of precedence
(l) Prom a point on present line near Baku along the shore
of the Caspian to Resht then up to the plateau at Kazvin and
so to Teheran. Such a line would form the most direct
connection between Russia and the Persian capital.
(2)
2.0
About this item
- Content
The file contains correspondence, memoranda, and other papers relating to railway projects in Persia [Iran] and the surrounding region. The papers deal with the proposals for, planning, and progress of, several railway lines, including one from the Mediterranean to India, the Trans-Persian Railway, the Baghdad Railway, and the Nushki and Dalbandin extension from Quetta. The documents discuss the merits and flaws of the proposals, technical issues such as gauge sizes, and the impact of such projects on Britain's relations with Russia, Germany, France, and Turkey.
At the back of the file are a number of official reports on Parliamentary debates within the House of Commons, dating from 10 July 1912 to 25 May 1914, all of which feature railways (folios 128-218). Also at the rear of the file are three maps:
- General Map of Asia with proposed British, German, and Russian rail lines added by hand
- War Office map of the Middle East, showing railways and railway projects
- As above with further rail lines added and details of gauges given.
Correspondents include: Arthur Campbell Yate, army Officer; Henry McNiel; Francis Richard Maunsell, army officer; George Lloyd, politician; Lieutenant-Colonel Charles à Court Repington, army officer and war correspondent; Lord Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, Leader of the House of Lords; Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice (Lord Lansdowne), statesman; Lucien Wolf, journalist and historian; Charles Staniforth, businessman and railway investor; Charles Prestwich Scott, Editor of the Manchester Guardian; Hugh Shakespear Barnes, Director, Imperial Bank of Persia; and Colonel Frank Cooke Webb Ware, former Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Chagai.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (221 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 221; 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
Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [21r] (41/442), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/252, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100075113115.0x00002a> [accessed 17 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100075113115.0x00002a
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_100075113115.0x00002a">Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎21r] (41/442)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100075113115.0x00002a"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x0001bd/Mss Eur F112_252_0041.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_100000001491.0x0001bd/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F112/252
- Title
- Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia
- Pages
- 20r:34v
- Author
- Maunsell, Francis Richard
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.
![Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎21r] (41/442) Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎21r] (41/442)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x0001bd/Mss Eur F112_252_0041.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg)