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'PRINCIPAL DESPATCHES AND CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO PERSIA CONNECTED WITH THE SUMMARY OF EVENTS AND MEASURES OF VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDDLESTON IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. JANUARY 1899 TO NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV-PART IV. PERSIA.' [‎14v] (33/136)

The record is made up of 1 volume (64 folios). It was created in 1908. 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. .

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cases • but speaking generally it seems desirable to spend some trouble and
money, if necessary, in getting tbe Persian telegraph system into our hands as
much as possible. * We should try to construct the proposed land line from
Kuhsan to the Kalat frontier, and should connect it or get the Persian Govern-.
ment to connect it through Seistan with ]\deshed. Eventually it should also
be connected with the coast. I think we ought also. to pay our Director
better than we do. De ranks here next to the IVfinistei, and he cannot
maintain his position on a salary of £950 a year. r lhe. Manager of the
Imperial Bank gets more than three times this sum. It is important that
the Director should be on good terms with the Persian Ministers and notables,
and be able to entertain them to some extent, and he should also be able
to move about the country decently equipped. I will go into this matter
separately and in detail, if Her Majesty’s Government or the Government of
India are prepared to accept the principle that the Telegraph Department should
be regarded in some sense as a political organisation, and that some expense may
legitimately be incurred to make it more efficient in that respect. I have now
stated the main proposal which I have to make for improving our position in
Persia. It is briefly that we should increase the numbers and efficiency of our
Consular staff by the addition of certain Consulates and Vice-Consulates, and
by improving the position of our representatives in Tabriz and Ispahan; that we
should open out roads in the Karun district and elsewhere, and possibly
prospect for a railway; and that we should organise the Telegraph Department
for political purposes.
But, as I said before, this despatch should be regarded as supplementary
to my memorandum of 1895, which went fully into the question of our position
in Persia. I would again request that reference may be made to that memo
randum, and that the proposals therein made may be considered. There are
one or two to which I should like to refer again. In the penultimate paragraph
I wrote :—“ The Persian Government should be made to understand that they
must not trifle with us in the future, as they have occasionally done in the past,
but we should try to gain their good-will and help them in any way we can.”
In a former paragraph I had explained how the Persians relying on our for
bearance were inclined at times to treat us with disregard, and I suggested that
we should take certain measures to correct their attitude in this respect. I
recommended that, on the other hand, a loan should be granted to Persia upon
easy terms. I think we should adhere to the principle of these recommend
ations. As present the Persians think we have lost interest in things Persian ;
that we will do nothing for them, and that we wall not take the trouble to resent
anything they do against us. I should like to disabuse their minds of both
of these ideas.
I may perhaps with advantage give one or two instances of what I mean.
I noticed in my memorandum of 1895 the case of the island of Siri, which the
Persians occupied some years ago, and have since retained in spite of our
protest. I noticed also the case of the Perso-Baluch border, where the Persians
were constantly encroaching : and I explained the necessity for exercising
some check upon the selection of Governors in the south of Persia. In these
two latter cases we have succeeded in changing the attitude of the Persian
Government. The border has been delimited, and in a recent instance an
obnoxious Governor was recalled from Bushire on our demand. This has done
much good. But cases still occur in which our interests and our represent
ations are treated with small respect. Eor example, tbe Persian Government,
during my absence on leave, asked the Military Attache in this Legation, to
arbitrate m an important dispute between our native Agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. in Kermanshah
and some Persian subjects. The Persian Eoreign Minister undertook in writing
to execute the award whatever it might be. The award was given in Decern^
ber of 1897, and in spite of continuous pressure from the Legation execu
tion has been evaded up till now, every sort of frivolous pretext being
advanced to put us otf. In another arbitration case, which occurred during my
absence on leave, Mr. Hardinge agreed to abide by the award of the Prime
Minister. The award provided for the transfer of certain mines from the
16

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Content

Published by Superintendent Government Printing, India, Calcutta.

The volume consists of a draft Part IV to the Summary of the Principal Events and Measures of the Viceroyalty of His Excellency Lord Curzon of Keddleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India in the Foreign Department. I. January 1899-April 1904. II. December 1904-November 1905. Volume IV. Persia and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Parts I-III), published by GC [Government Central] Press, Simla, 1907 [Mss Eur F111/531-534].

The volume includes a letter from the Foreign Department, Government of India, to Lord Curzon, dated 27 August 1908, stating that an examination of their records had shown that these were the essential despatches, and hoping that the volume would answer Lord Curzon's purpose.

The despatches and correspondence cover the period 1899-1905, and include correspondence from the Secretary of State for India, and HBM's Minister at Tehran, and cover the question of the appointment of an additional consular officer in Persia, 1899 (with map); relations between Britain and Persia; the protection of British interests in Persia; British policy on Persia; the political and financial situation in Persia; and the threat of Russian encroachment.

Extent and format
1 volume (64 folios)
Arrangement

The despatches and correspondence are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume. There is a list of contents on folio 6, giving details of name and date of paper, subject, and page number.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 66; 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. Pagination: the volume also contains an original manuscript pagination sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'PRINCIPAL DESPATCHES AND CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO PERSIA CONNECTED WITH THE SUMMARY OF EVENTS AND MEASURES OF VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDDLESTON IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. JANUARY 1899 TO NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV-PART IV. PERSIA.' [‎14v] (33/136), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/535, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100083163671.0x000022> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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