'Report on the Nushki, Chagai and Western Sinjerani Districts for the year 1897-98 and on the Development of The Quetta-Seistan [Sistan] Trade Route' [‎16r] (31/148)

APPENDIX III.
Regarding the question of appointing Native Agents Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. and News-
Writers in South-Eastern Persia and the effect which such
appointments would be likely to have on the present
position in that country.
1. I desire respectfully to ur^e on Government the importance of recon
sidering the question of appointing Native Agents Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. to Seistan and South-
Eastern Khorasan, as I consider the appointment of these Agents to be un
essential feature in the further successful development of the caravan
route. I cannot refrain from expressing my belief that, without the aid which
these Agents w-mld afford to our commercial interests, in enabling them to
overcome such active hostility as was lately displayed by Russia to Indian
trade, ultimate success cannot attend ®ur efforts.
2. My reasons for advocating the appointment of Native Agents Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. , so strongly,
are based on the following considerations. Russia is making everv effort
she can to cut off Indian trade from Persia, and particularly from Meshed,
which is the centre from which, for centuries past, Indian goods have been
distributed throughout Persia and Central Asia.
. r ^° describe the means Russia is employing to effect her purpose and the
objective at which she aims, it is necessary to go hack a few years and sketch
briefly -the methods which Russia has employed in the past to attain to her
*plosent dominant position in Khorasan, and to show how destructive of British
inteieats would be the further unopposed spread of her influence.
4. Up to the year 1889, Russia’s sphere of activitv lav outside South-
Eastern .Persia, but with the appointment of a Consul-Generafat Meshed, in the
year noted, all this changed. Russian Agents were pushed down to Birjind,*
thence on te Tabas and Chain, and eventually to Neh f and on to Nasirabad,
tthe capital of Seistan, while their surveyors and Russian Armenians at that,'
4rained in the Tiflis Topographical School, were hurried oft to survev the
Perso-B duch frontier, and particularly that portion lying alon" the Persian
Gulf littoral.
5. I imagine that the Indian Government at first attached little importance
to these evidences of Russian activity, but that they subsequently realised
that Russia was bent on acquiring a port on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. littoralj, and
that her system of Agents formed part of an organised scheme for obtaining
and working up political influence and intrigue on our frontier. This was
the cause, I take it, which led to a special officer being deputed to Seistan to
advance British interests by every means in Ids power. The officer selected
for this duty was Lieut. Napier, of the Central India Horse. It is noteworthy
that Lieut. Napier’s instructions contained injunctions to point out to the
Chiefs of Ghain and Seistan that nothing would be more simple than for
England to extend the hold she had acquired in Baluchistan, and that it was
not to be supposed that the time would not come when the Indian Gorernment
would not assert itself. It was added that, in the event of England extending
her influence, it behoved these Chiefs to reflect seriously in what direction
their interests lay. At the initiative of Mr. Ney Elias, then Consul-General
at Meshed, Lieut. Napier was instructed to take advantage of his visit to
Seistan to enquire into and report on the feasibility of connecting Birjind
with Quetta by a direct d&k service. Great stress was laid on the desirability of
molding this enquiry for the following reasons :—
* A Russian Agent was appointed to Birjind in the year 1891.
t Vide Surgeon-Major Brazier Creagh’s diaries for the year 1897.
timAitW l0D ?u 8inCe R «8sian Ambataador at Teheran pressed for the concession of a man
Strtd Aaia tCh hbar0nth * COMt0fPer8 °' B,k UChi8Un ’ aadior P ermi8aion to ^ port by rail with