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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [168r] (334/949)
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
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
5
with a definite scheme and based on sound strategical principles, can then be
carried out as the evolution of events may require.
It has often been said that Russia has advanced—and is still advancing
against India like an army operating against a fortress—making her approach
es, then forming her parallels, and consolidating herself for a fresh advance.
At the present time her main parallel may roughly be taken as the Central
Asian railway from Askabad eastwards, with her outposts at Sheikh Junaid
and along the Oxus to the Pamirs. This is militarily defective, as all her
troops, stores, etc., have to be brought by the Trans-Caspian railv/ay ^with
its break at the Caspian and skirting foreign territory), and have to be
passed in at one end of the parallel and sent along it to any points which
require reinforcement. To remedy this, she is constructing the direct line
of approach from Orenburg to the centre of her position, which, in due
course, will, no doubt, be advanced to the Oxus, when she will form a fr^sh
parallel—and so on.
Whilst thus making their plans against northern and north-western
Afghanistan, slowly but on systematic principles, the Russians, recognising
the obstacles they would have to encounter in a direct advance, have natural
ly turned their attention to the flanks of the positions opposed to them. On
our extreme right they established themselves on the Pamirs (and probably,
sooner or later, will display activity in Kashgaria), so as to have means to
create diversions there —even if they can only be on a small scale; and lat
terly they have been doing all they can to work round our left flank, which
is en Fair. For the immediate present we have anticipated them in Seistan.
But a small detachment there will not affect the issue in the event of war,
as, in such case, it would have to retire as soon as the enemy developed
force in the neighbourhood of Farah. And the scheme under consideration,
whilst it indicates the great plan of attack which Russia ultimately will
develop if we do not prevent it, points also, I think, clearly, to the measures
we should adopt to checkmate it.
A glance at the map shows that this scheme—if it could be carried out—
would not only make Russia dominant in Persia and bring her on to the Arabian
Sea, but from the purely military point of view it would, in combination with
the projected Sarakhs-Seistan line, result in her establishing a fresh parallel
against India stretching from the Trans-Caspian railway to the sea—connect
ed in the north with her existing parallel directed against northern Afghan
istan, and fed by two approaches (i) on the left, by the Trans-Caspian line ; and
(ii) in the centre and right, by the great trunk line from Teheran with its
branches to Seistan and Chahbar. The strength of such a position and its
danger to India, would be enormous. From her base in Europe Russia would
have three railway lines of approach:—
(0 from Orenburg, bringing the resources of Central Russia directly
towards northern Afghanistan,
(ii) the Trans-Caspian line, feeding her forces operating through
Herat, and
(in) the new Persian trunk line, bringing the Caucasus troops
down to Seistan, Baluchistan, and South Eastern Persia.
The whole of her forces in the field would, also, be connected, at their
advanced bases, by direct railway communication from Ferghana to Mekran.
The new line through Persia would be almost invulnerable against any at
tack we might be able to make from the sea; the resources of Persia would be
at her disposal; and she would be in a position to concentrate in overwhelm
ing force against any point in Afghanistan or Baluchistan she might choose.
We should be encircled and thrown back completely on the defensive; and,
without firing a shot, she would practically have turned the Kabul-Kandahar
alignment which has so often been held to be the true strategical line of de
fence against her advance on India.
In considering how to anticipate and prevent such a development, it
is necessary to pay careful regard to our resources. Even if the fullest use is
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’ [168r] (334/949), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/359/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100093227829.0x000087> [accessed 22 August 2026]
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- 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