Settlement of the Opposing Claims of Persia and Afghanistan to Seistan [‎443r] (33/54)

Enclosure ISTo- 9.
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No. 172, dated Gulahek, the 2oth August 1871
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To-dh Secretary to the Goveru.ueut of India, Foreign Departnrent.
Go,e™r GASS'S “'rot*?/ Jp-JWfacythe W„, „
this day addressed to the Commlstne in Sind T 7 .f letter which * hat
that, pending further proceedin'^ ,, , n •’ " ou < res peotfully sugge:
from the Persian side, either in Se’istan a 1 (P 1 , esSlons, ° r r um on red aggression
beyond the Persian linp nf vo • i 5 x e ^ r . an ’ or ^ ie intervening counti
Majesty’s Minister at TUp ' C( i gnisec1 l P ossessi o n , be at once reported to He
exercise. ^ f ° r SUch mterference as h e can mth propriel
1.
2 .
3.
4,
No. 171, dated Gulahek, the 25th August 1871.
Frora-MAJOR-GENERAL F. J. Goldsmid, c. b, on special duty.
To—The Commissioner in Sind, Kurrachee.
The correspondence with a copy
From Political Superintendent, Upper Sind Frontier
to Commissioner in Sind, of 3rd ultimo, with No!
1058.
Major Harrison’s report No. 37 of 23rd June last
and enclosure. ’
Political Superintendent’s No. 1057 of 3rd ultimo.
Extracts of Major Harrison’s letter No. 88 of 18th
October 1870.
ol which I was favoured under covt
with your memorandum of the 12t
ultimo, and the particulars of whic
are noted in the margin, calls especial!
for remark on my part, because th
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. , Khelat, wishes me t
have early intelligence of the subiec
treated.
/-I • p 2, n S ^ far aS 1 Can » ather frora data now available, Sarfuraz Khan, a Belooch
Chiet of Chaga, a^ place near the Khelat frontier, hut without the Khan’s
jurisdiction, made in the early part of the year a serious and deadly raid
upon Persian territory at Surhud, but eventually suffered a severe defeat with
loss of 40 men at the hands of Shureef Khan, Nhanie, Belooch, in the interests
of Persia.
3. I presume that Major Harrison apprehends and naturally these circum
stances may lead to retaliatory movements against Chaga, in which Ibrahim
Khan, of Bampur, may find occasion to become associated. Such, indeed, mi^ht
well be the case, for I believe that the “ Surhud” referred to is that tract
marked in Keith Johnston’s map as north of Dizzuk and south of Seistan;
and Captain Lovett, on returning from Puujgur to Gwadur in March last, heard
from Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Atta Mahomed that Ibrahim Khan had been prevented from ac
companying the Persian Boundary Commissioner into Deshtyan, owing to the
necessity entailed upon him to watch a force of Nooshkys that threatened
Surhud. However, it is quite clear that in the present case the Persians have
not been the aggressors, and, although I have given the papers received to
Mr. Alison for perusal, it would be difficult to press upon Her Majesty’s
Minister the propriety of referring the matter, in its existing stage, to the
Shah’s Government.
4. Should the Perso-Mekran boundary question be soon settled, as I trust
it will, I purpose, before leaving Teheran, to take np the further question of
Seistan, to have impressed upon the Persian authorities at head quarters that
not only are they bound to check, as much as possible, raids and reprisals over
the line of frontier hitherto discussed and about to be discussed, but also to
keep the peace in the intermediate tracts. The two boundaries must, ere the
question finally close, be supplemented by a line run through the desert, con
necting one with the other.