Coll 28/28 ‘Persia. Perso-Baluchistan Frontier. Demarcation near Mirjawa.’ [‎113v] (237/658)

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Appen-dix to letter No. 240 of 7th June 1932, from Captain G. Bomford EE
to the Surveyor General of India.
The Perso—Baluch Boundary from Pillar 11 to the Koh-i-Malih Siah
(1) I understand it to be accepted that the basis of the present boundary
is the line agreed on by Colonel T. H. Holdich, R.E. and Mirza Ali Ashraf in
1896. The section now referred to is described in the last three sub-paras of
their agreement, and is illustrated in the map which they attached to it. In
the agreement certain topographical features, (e.g., the Tahlab river) are
rferred to by name, and in interpreting the agreement two courses are possible
viz. :— '
(a) To try to determine which topographical features are known to the
Baluchis by the names given in the agreement : i.e., to try to follow the a™
ment literally. 8
or (b) To try to determine to which actual topographical features the
Commissioners were intending to refer.
In view of the difficulty of correctly determining place names in an almost
uninhabited country, the above two courses do not necessarily lead to the
same result. In the present case course (b) can be followed with very little
doubt, and it leads to a reasonable and satisfactory boundary, while "course
(a) leads to contradictions and difficulties.
The points which have to be decided are :—
(a) Where is the junctions of the Tahlab and Mirjawa rivers 1
(b) 'Which point on the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. of the Mirjawa range is nearest to
this junction.
(c) Which is the main watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. between the Mirjawa range and the
Kacha Koh 1
(2) Naming of Topographical Features. —It must be understood that the
European and Indian system* of naming topographical features is not the same
as that used in Western . Baluchistan. The European practice is to give a
river a single name from its mouth to the source of its principal tributary, or
alternatively to some junction where it splits into two principal tributaries.
In this area, on the other hand, rivers are seldom given one name throughout
any considerable length of their course. Every small hill-valley has its own
name, but m flat ground a separate name is given to every point where there is
water or grazing or any other prominent feature, and intermediate stretches of
dry river-bed are left unnamed.
• v G t! ^ , junction.—In the case of the Mirjawa and Tahk
10u ^ sa T (although this point of view may not be generally accep
Tflhlnh Tv?- re * is no . river ytnch the Baluchis name Mirjawa, and no river name
inn o']p a n r '^ awa f ls an m ^a^ 1 ted place, and Tahlab is a salt swamp an
>± y J^ rC °r, e fl °n 8 t . hrou ? h these places, but I think it is local]
it from Bnv ^ Persian river). If it is necessary to distinguis
these heino- well i.,™'" ' ma 1 T,] )e described as the Mirjawa rud or Tahlab rui
regard the words M- loeahtl f ^0^ which it _ passes, but I would he.
a a names ind T thirdf'^^tn fln< ^ as descriptive adjectives rather tha
the whole' length of the ^iver •^Even^'f ^tl pe, ; fectly a PP ro P ria t e tlir(ra ? ho '
admitfprl if ic • f r ‘i. , ven ^ the above point of view cannot t
might be'known as^firiq 0 ™^ a °rr S ^i r^ ia ^ limi ts of the sections whic
case there is a localitv ^oiwi are - ex t rem ely indefinite, and in an
between Mirjawa and TahlnV. w tiich includes part of the river be
anrTahlab/do noTmeef ’ S ° ttat the Sections < if as Mir i aw
sidered to meet, the nearest annrZh f Wa a ?- d Tahlab rivers mnst 1,6
map 2, latitude 28° 45*) This is an abs “ f lea , tlng ? lace is R ^-1-Mahk
boundary leave the river bed for the b ur . d P 1 ^ 06 f J om W'hich to make
watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. runs close to the ’river . e , stra *Sht line from it to the Mirj,
boundary. Also the man wHcI d ’ W ^ ch wo " ld form a much cle.
boundary following the river almosH^to Mirjawa 1896 agreement showS
view that the agreemehTu’seb driver ,ltei i al Interpretation, one accepts
culty largely disappear The map shows “ ? Ur °P ean sense ’ the c
l ha i map shows which river the boundary is
of the river to avoid the inconvenience of ’harino^rilr * Tahlab to different sect
u ° ri vers with no names.