File 3939/1926 Pt 5 'Revision of Aitchison's Treaties: Persia, Seistan, Kerman and Persian Baluchistan' [‎29v] (52/558)

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PF/RSTA.
affair 8 than had been done in the lifetime of Yar Muhammad. Xliij
interference with their ambitious piojefts pieatly iiiifated the Persian
Court, who showed their annoyance by a series of vexatious slights which
eventually led to a rupture. In 1854 Mirza Ilashim Khan, who haij
been discharged from the Shah’s service, was appointed to be agent at
Shiraz for the British mission. The Persian Government objected to the
appointment, and threatened to imprison him it he took up the post
They next seized and imprisoned his wife. As all redress was persistently
refused, the Envoy at Tehran struck his flag on the 20 th November and
withdrew. An official notification was issued by the Persian Govern,
ment justifying their proceedings, and making certain insinuations
against the British Envoy. In the meantime Muhammad Yusuf
grandson of Firoz, one of the brothers of Shah Shuja, had put Saiyid
Muhammad Khan to death, and had applied to the Shah of Persia for
assistance. A force was sent in December 1855, in violation of the
agreement which had been made by the Persian Government. Muham-
mad Yusuf was taken prisoner, and Herat was captured on the 26th
October 1856. Every effort having failed to induce the Persian Govern,
ment to adjust the quarrel and to apologize for the insults to the British
mission, a force was despatched from Bombay to occupy the island of
Karak, and war was formally declared on the 1 st November 1856. After
a brief campaign hostilities were terminated by the Treaty of Paris
(No. XVIII) concluded on the 4th March 1857. This treaty revived
none of the earlier treaties cancelled by the war except the convention of
August 1851 for the suppression of slavery in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , which
by the 13th article was renewed till August 1872.
The Legation at Tehran was under the immediate direction of the
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. from 1823 to 1835, and again for one year from the end of
1858 to the end of 1859.* Since then it has remained under the control
of the British Foreign Office.
Duiing the Crimean War in 1854 Persia remained neutral, although
she was at one time on the point of casting in her lot with Russia, as a
return for which territorial aggrandizement was offered her, as well as
release from the payment of the subsidy which she had to make to Russia
m accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Turkmanchai. She
i • 0 Y ever ’ a l!k° u gh at one time Persian troops were massed
on the Turkish frontier.
commprr^ conc ^ u ^ e< ^ a perpetual ” treaty of friendship and
were F T? railC \ t ’ Under which s P ecial extra-territorial privileges
were granted to French subjects in Persia. f
the Tehran Ivfission^was^transtWrp^t^ 1 ^ a j d i^ USsia in . tlle ® as L” pages 98-99)
to the Foreign Office in I860. t ^ 6 ^ n< ^ ia Office in 1859 and re-transferred
4 Appendix No. XI.