‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎182v] (363/949)

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From Tehran to Kirman the line passes through settlements and towns
with a purely Persian and extremely peaceful population. If robbery or violence
is possible there it would have a purely accidental character, and the persons to
blame w T ould be nomads such as Kuskar, Arabs, and also Shahsevens as far as
Kum. Moreover, a trustworthy guard in all the large towns, Kum, Kashan,
Nain, Yezd, Anar, and Kirman (50 to 3 00 men in each), will completely
guarantee security on the sections. A proof of this is the cause of contemporary
events in the Yezd Province.
In 1900 , simultaneously with our passage, there was appointed in Yezd a
new Governor, Jellal-ud-din, who was accompanied by fifty trusty mounted men
given him by his father, the celebrated Zil-es-Sultan. The inhabitants greatly
rejoiced at this appointment, as, according to them, his trustworthy cavalry
(ora), to judge from former years of his Governorship, would completely secure
the whole province, and as a consequence the population could be in complete
tranquillity for a year. Of course, their words are somewhat exaggerated, but
in any case the nomad robbers only take that which is ill-guarded, and I am
more than assured that 200 or 300 men would be more than enough for a length
of 300 versts, or a man per verst.
Strategically speaking, the whole of this region Tehran-Kirman, is of
very great importance, and, as will appear from the second part of the Report
it may, even without railways, serve as a field of action for a considerable force,
"Without doubt, if a line should be laid down, it would play a very serious part*
in a collision with England, as the plan of operations on the side of Afghanistan
is very difficult and slow.
Although Kirman lies on the same parallel as Seistan, nevertheless a move
ment from Kirman directly east is very difficult, and the distance is not small.
All caravans from Kirman to Seistan go to Bam, and hence turn off by the
great caravan tract to the north-east to Nusratabad, to which, from the town of
Bam, the distance is 350 versts. Probably, subsequently, with strategic objects,
a branch will be laid down from Bam to Seistan, which'undoubtedly may serve
as a place d'armes for a movement on Candahar and through Nushka to Quetta.
The English have already facilitated our operations in this direction by
constructing a caravan road and digging wells.
Our Vice-Consul Miller, in his July Report’for 1900 , strikes an alarm, and
is much horrified for the safety of our trade, saying that the English, it would
seem, have already prepared all the materials for a railway from Quetta to
Nusratabad.
I doubt the justice of these rumours, but from a military point of view, it
would absolutely play into our hands. In case of war, we shall certainly make
use of that line, and connect with it the town of Bam, if it should be by that
time joined by a continuous railway with Trans-Caucasia.
On the whole, I am of opinion that the Ministry of War should make every
effort to construct the line Allat-Tehran-Bam-Chahbar, as I absolutely do not
understand how the troops of the Caucasian district can operate actively against
India without it. Otherwise the troops will be completely dependent on camels,
and the number of troops sent will not depend on the strength of the enemy but
on the means of transport available. But an Indian war is not like one with
the Turkomans, which even so made itself felt in 1879 . Here the question is
somewhat more serious. Without a railway through Persia we shall drag out
our operations to a great length, and consequently, if we here grudge 100 , 000,090
roubles for a purpose not only military but national, we shall undoubtedly have '
to pay for it in time of war.
Of course, one may avoid the building of a strategic line when there is a
possibility of carrying on operations otherwise, but when without roads, the
carrying on of operations is simply almost impossible or extraordinarily difficult;
in such case there is no room for discussion. In these cases, as in the opening
of a campaign, a complete credit must be opened in the Treasury with the
difference only that, if time permits, the construction may be spread over
several v ears.