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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [370r] (738/949)
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.
u
47
miles cable and on Rt/b Deoembpv 1 rmn .i r*r\ i
you had (50 knots cable and expected 1 m<! J ^. ' no s suffice and that
to lay as an en.ergeney, relvinCn rLocklT’ -^T /° U not en ° U ^ in s ‘^k
land in January ° Cau you arrange for TM? v W , hat you 0 '' d 7 re,1 frora En S-
letter No. 476 of 14th April 190 T m„h-„ f P 1 ! 10use as estimated m your
arrangements are in pro C in reliance on vo Sen0US political im P OTtenoe
O 1 lUt-ress in reliance on your previous estimates. Ends.
Sir,
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.
,
21th February 1901.
I am directed by Mr. Secretary Brodrick to request that you will lay be-
No. 16 Secret, dated 2ist January 1904. fore the Marquess of Fansdowne the en-
J e T r > • closed copy of a letter from the Govern-^
ment of India, reporting the conclusions arrived at by the Viceroy and the Naval
Commander-In-Chief on the East Indian Station upon the questions Ifflthe
selection o su,tab e naval bases or coaling stations at the entrance to the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
and (2) the choice of a landing place for the proposed telegraph
th^Stl Oc JbTlast J correspondence ending with your letter of
,,. Th . e , first question will no doubt be considered by the Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty, to whom a copy of the letter from the Government of India
is being- sen a. Iv o immediate action appears to be required, except the erection
of certain agstaffs, and this has already in principle been approved by Lord
Lansdowne m your letter of the 17th February 1903, and by Lord George
Hamilton s despatch No. I* of the 27tb February 1903. ’
With regard to the second question, Lord Lansdowne will see that the
Government of India aie now of opinion that Henjam is preferable to Bassidore
as a telegraph station for the purposes of His Majesty’s ships in the Persian
Gulf.
It will he remembered that Sir A. Hardinge* considered that the best
•No. 97, dated 26th June 1903 . couise to pursue would be to establish
the telegraph station at Henjam, under
the protection of a gun-boat to guard against local opposition; and when the
occupation has been completed, to inform the Persian Government of the fact
with an explanation to the effect that His Majesty’s Government have decided
again to take advantage of the permission granted to them by the late Shah on
the 29th March 1868. In Mr. Hardinge’s letter of the 17th August last Lord
Lansdowne expressed his willingness to approve this course, Subsequently
(H September last) Sir A. Hardinge telegraphed that the original Persian au
thorisation could not he found ; and that this might make it necessary to modify
the proposed course of action. Mr. Brodrick, however, is inclined to agree
with the Government of India that the fact that the authorisation (of which a
translation tvill be found in the margin of the Government of India letter No. 56
of the 7th May last) was acted upon for 12 years, is sufficient evidence of its
having existed.
Mr. Brodrick would suggest that Sir A. Hardinge might again he consulted
as to the course which would be most likely to enable the wishes of the Gov
ernment of India to be carried out. Lord Lansdowne will note that the Gov
ernment of India ask for early instructions, in order to take advantage of tlie
present cool season.
There remains the question of the incidence of the cost. Mr. Brodrick is
aware that Lord Lansdowne has expressed the opinion that it would be useless
again to approach the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury on the subject.
He desires me, however, to point out that the circumstances have changed since
the 23rd February 1901, when their Lordships declined to contribute a share
of the cost of the projects then in contemplation.
The proposal at that time was to construct two separate telegraph lines,
one a cable from Jask to Muscat, the other either a cable or a land line from
Jask to Bunder Abbas.
(lio)
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’ [370r] (738/949), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/359/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100093227831.0x00008b> [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