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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [153v] (305/949)
The record is made up of 1 file (475 folios). It was created in 7 Nov 1901-23 Aug 1905. 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. .
Transcription
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[ 2 ]
The preceding extract from Secretary^ note and a copy of the print, together with a
^ ^ copy of Lieutenant Hopkins’report, may be sent
Secret F., December 1903, No. 37. u >7 _ f . r > J
E. L. N.,—9-1-1904.
to the Intelligence Branch.
Yes, sending two spare copies also. All three can be retained by the Intelligence Branch,
when they return these notes with the map asked for. Lieutenant Hopkins’ report need not
go, as we sent copies to Intelligence Branch with our No. 3016-F. B., dated the 13th October
1903.
E. H. S. Clarke,— 10-1-1904.
Intelligence Branch.
The report on Chahbar by Commanders Kemp and Somerville is put up.
2 . The guard at Chahbar consists of 50 men from one of the Bombay Native Regiments.
„ ^ it,™ xr oor The men were first sent there in January
External B., May 1903, No. 285. lcno xt r .u r j J
Secret E., August 1898, Nos. 11-237, and Proceed- ,L* 98 - Mr. Graves of the Indo-European
ings Nos. 43 and 61. Telegraph Department was murdered in
December 1897 at the Rapclr river half
way between Jask and Chahbar, and it was decided to send a detachment of 150 Native
Infantry to those places for the protection of the telegraph staff and stations. Later in
Secret E, November 1898, Nos. 560-6C0, v-No. 1898, when matters quieted down, 50 men were
561. withdrawn, leaving a detachment of 100* men,
* And two Native Officers. equally distributed between Jask and Chahbar.
The question of the withdrawal of the detachment has from time to time come up. On the
last occasion (1901), His Excellency the Viceroy said “both places are important and are likely
VI 1 13 A -1 ioao xr i ci 1 co to become more so. I would provide proper
External B., April 1902, Nos. 151*152. accommodation for the troops and give an
impression of permanent occupation even if we do not intend to effect it.”
3. The statement on page 28 of the printed paper to the effect that His Britannic
Majesty’s Consulate at Resht has been abolished is not correct. Resht has been reduced to a
Vice-Consulate iu connection with the scheme for the reorganisation of the consular service in
Persia.
E.L. N.,—12-1-1904
I find that, as we have no mapper and the Intelligence Branch also have no one in Calcutta,
r , f f w ho could complete the map as directed in my
age o no e«. note of 4th January 1904, the paper has been
sent to the Intelligence Branch at Simla. I will ask them by telegram to let us have it as soon as
possible and, unless Your Excellency wishes to take immediate action on the case, I think it will
be best to await the map and any remarks which Intelligence Branch may have to offer. I
have placed a spare copy of the Despatch of Mr. Spring Rice in the file in case you wish to
keep it for perusal.
L. W. Dan*,—13-1-1904.
What I fear is that there will be the usual delay that the above references involve: that I
shall not get the file till March, when 1 shall be much too busy to note upon it: and that so
the matter will slip out of memory when I have gone, and be forgotten. I think, if this is to
be avoided, that Secretary had better keep an eye upon it.
The report of Commanders Kemp and Somerville is really not intelligible without their
sketch-plan or chart. Why do we not reproduce these?
They are really indispensable for the understanding of these questions of anchorages.
C[urzon],—23-1-1904.
Extract from the “ Madras Mail,” dated Madras, the 12th January 1904.
New Russo-Persian Road.
The work of constructing a road between Tabri* (Persia) and the Russian frontier
will shortly be carried out. It is hoped that the new road will considerably favour the
development of Ruaso-Persian commercial relations. Russian engineers and technologists, who
have been entrusted with the carrying out of the works, will leave the Russian capital in a
few days. The realisation of this enterprise, which must meet with great technical obstacles,
will not be completed for a long time. The execution of the work will be directed from Tabriz.
About this item
- Content
This part contains papers mostly relating to British interests in Persia [Iran] and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
It includes a copy of the Board of Trade Commercial Intelligence Committee ‘Report received from Mr. H. W. Maclean, the Special Commissioner appointed by the Commercial Intelligence Committee of the Board of Trade, on the conditions and prospects of British trade in Persia.’
A handwritten note at the front of the file, on folio 5, states ‘Spare copy of notes & correspondence of the “Helmand Control” file (with maps)’. Folio 110 consists of handwritten notes, including one dated 27 April 1904, which states ‘The secret Helmand papers have been printed up, and a set, with necessary maps, is submitted for H.E. the Viceroy to take to England.’ Much of the file concerns the question of controlling the water of the Helmand river and irrigating its whole delta, and the work of the Seistan Arbitration Commission to arbitrate between Persia and Afghanistan on the question of rights to the water of the Helmand in Seistan.
The file also includes reports by W A Johns on reconnaissances of potential railway routes made while he was attached to the Seistan Arbitration Commission, and other papers relating to railways and roads in Persia.
In addition, the file includes copies of the following Government of India Foreign Department Proceedings, which reproduce received Foreign Department correspondence on the following subjects: ‘Selection of a British naval base in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .’, November 1901, Nos. 74-83; ‘Visit of His Excellency the Viceroy to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. during November-December 1903.’, February 1904, Nos. 33-127; ‘Establishment of telegraphic communication with Henjam. Question of the selection of a naval base in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Aggressive action of the Persians at Tamb and Abu Musa; their claim to the Islands.’, June 1904, Nos. 300-388; ‘Reports of the Commercial Mission to Persia.’, June 1905, Nos. 45-111; ‘Question of retaining flagstaffs erected in the neighbourhood of the Musandim Promontory’, August 1905, Nos. 288-307.’
The file also includes: brief handwritten notes written by Curzon on headed paper belonging to the Viceregal Lodge, Simla, relating to Seistan and to Lord Kitchener’s planned reforms for the reorganisation and redistribution of the Indian Army; and a printed copy of the report ‘A Note by Major H.L. [Herbert Lionel] Showers, C.I.E., on the present state of affairs in Kelat and a review of the system of Administration now being pursued.’
The file includes four maps: ‘Map of the Tail waters of Helmand River’ (13 July 1903), f 122; ‘Plan Shewing Proposed Routes for a Railway from Nushki to Afghan Frontier near Robat’ (10 April 1903), f 139; ‘Extract from Admiralty Chart No. 753. (Entrance to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ).’ (October 1901), f 219; and ‘Sketch of route Ram Hormuz to Fellahieh.’ (April 1904), f 230.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (475 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in no apparent order, apart from the Government of India Foreign Department Proceedings, folios 231 to 474, which are arranged in chronological order.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [153v] (305/949), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/359/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100093227829.0x00006a> [accessed 18 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F111/359/1
- Title
- ‘Persia – especially Seistan’
- Pages
- front, 2r:194v, 195v:196r, 197v:199v, 200v, 201v, 203r:272r, 273v:275v, 277r:405v, 408r:408v, 409v, 411r:413v, 414v:419v, 420v:424v, 425v:432v, 433v:435v, 436v, 437v:443v, 444v:471v, 473r:475v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence