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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [298r] (594/949)
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.
71
PROCEEDINGS OF THE
FOREIGN DEPARTMENT, FEBRUARY 1904 .
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.
. Pro. No. 125
(Received on 18 th January, with Political Secretary's letter No. 1 , dated the Pro. No. 125 .
1 st January 1904 .)
PERSIA AND ARABIA. [21st Dfcemrer.]
CONFIDENTIAL. Section 1.
Sie A. Hardinge to the Marquess of Lansdowne.— (Received 21st December.)
(No. 4 .
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
.) Bahrein,
My Lord, 26 th November 1903 .
I have the honour to report that I left Tehran on the 27 th ultimo, and
arrived at Bushire on the 15 th instant, stopping for two days on the way at
Isfahan, and for two and a-half days at Shiraz. I embarked the same day on
His Majesty’s ship Sphinx for Maskat, where I arrived on the 18 th instant;
met His Excellency the Viceroy, and settled with him the arrangements to.be
made for his reception in Persian waters. On the evening of the following
day, the 19 th instant, after attending the
Durbar
A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family).
for the investiture as a Grand
Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire of His Highness Seyed Feysul-
bin-Turki, to whom I had the honour of being presented after the ceremoney,
I proceeded in His Majesty’s ship Sphinx to Bunder Abbas, where I landed
om the 21st instant, twenty-four hours before the arrival of the Viceregal
squadron.
The latter entered the port of Bander Abbas at 8 a.m. on the morning of
the 22 nd instant, and I immediately went on board the Royal Indian Marine
ship Hardinge, and presented to the Viceroy, Major Douglas, Military
Attache, and Mr. Churchill, Acting Oriental Secretary to His Majesty’s
Legation, by whom I was accompanied. At 11 a.m. the Governor of the Gulf
ports, His Excellency the Salar Moazzam, came on board to welcome His Excel
lency the Vicerey to Persian waters on behalf of His Majesty the Shah, and an
hour later I returned the visit with Mr. Dane, Foreign Secretary to the
Government of India, on behalf of the Viceroy, who did not himself land.
The landing-place and Government buildings were decorated and the town
illuminated, but the displav of fireworks originally arranged for was counter
manded both at Bunder Abbas and afterwards at Lingah in consequence of
the death of Her Royal Highness the Enteram-es-Sultaneh, daughter of His
Majesty the Shah. I then joined the Royal Indian Marine ship ILardinge,
and accompanied the Viceroy to Lingah, visiting Hormuz, Kishm, Henjam,
and Bassidore on the way. At Lingah, where we arrived on the evening of the
24 th instant, His Excellency did not go ashore, but entertained the Governor
of the Gulf ports at an official dinner, at which he proposed the health of His
Majesty the Shah, and the Salar Moazzam that of the King-Emperor. The
squadron left yesterday afternoon for Bahrein, where we have just arrived.
The Persian Government has deputed His Excellency the Ala-ed-Dowleh,
Governor-General of Ears, to proceed to Bushire (it was impossible for him to
arrive in time at Bunder Abbas, and the dates of the Viceroy’s arrival could
not be altered) to welcome His Excellency Lord Curzon on behalf of the Shah.
He will be accompanied by the
Nawab
An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India.
Hussein Kuli Khan, C.B., as a special
representative of the Persian Foreign Office.
On the 25 th ultimo, at a farewell audience which I had the honour of
having with His Majesty the Shah, His Majesty was pleased to charge me to
convey to the Viceroy the assurances of his warm esteem for him and pleasure
at his revisiting his dominions. The Persian Government were anxious to
place an official residence on shore, both at Bushire and at Bunder Abbas, at
the Viceroy’s disposal, but it was explained to them that His Excellency only
meant to land for a few hours at Bushire.
I have, etc.,
ARTHUR H. HARDINGE.
4120 F. D.—S E—33-127—Feb.
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’ [298r] (594/949), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/359/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100093227830.0x0000c3> [accessed 30 June 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