‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎479v] (8/112)

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The Persian Government were in
formed that “ it would probably be for
their advantage that they should exhaust
every means of arriving at an understand
ing with Russia before appealing to Her
Majesty’s Government for support, but
that if, notwithstanding the Shah’s remon
strances, the Russian Government insist
on appropriating territory, which can be
shown to have been under Persian rule at
a recent date, Her Majesty’s Government
will be ready to consider any application
which His Majesty may make for their
good offices at St. Petersburg.” This
announcement was received by the Shah
with surprise and disappointment, and
the Persian Minister was directed to re
mind Lord Granville of the assurance
about the integrity of Persia which had
been given to the Shah when visiting
England in 1873.
Earl Granville replied in the following
terms :—
Secret E. f August 1884, No#. 125 147, Proceeding
No. 142.
Earl Granville to Malcolm Khan.
Foreign Office, Avgust 16, 1834.
<• On the 17th ultimo you did me the honour to 5 Jtv t 6 P ii S '' p “ mb " 1881, No '- 608 ' 10, rroceed '
inform me that the Shah had desired you to
remind me that, when His Majesty was in
England, I had given an assurance that the
integrity of Persia would be respected by England
and Russia, and that as long as Persia gave no
cause of complaint, that engagement would hold
good ; but that now, although Persia had given no
cause of complaint, Russia was by force taking
possession of the greater part of Sarakhs; and
you asked whether if Russia were to take posses
sion by force of Astra bad, of all Khorasan, of the
provinces on the shore of tlie Caspian, Ashurada
and Azerbaijan, the same answer would be given
as that, which was recently telegraphed to Her
Majesty’s Minister at Tehran.
“ Her Majesty’s Government have given their
careful consideration to your representations, and I
have now to s'ate to you that they consider that
the declaration made to the Shah on the occasion
to which you refer still holds good, excepting as to
certain concessions of territory to Kussia which
have since been agreed to by Persia.
‘ c Hfr Majesty’s Government are prepared to
make representations in this sense to the Russian
Government, if such a course appears de-iralde to
the Shah, at the time that may be considered the
most judicious.”
Further it was clearly stated that the
amount of support which Great Britain
could give to Persia depended largely
upon the amount of sympathy which the
British nation felt towards that country.
In order to promote such a feeling and at
tlie same time to increase the revenues and
prosperity of his country, His Majesty the
8 hah was advised to remove the obstacles
which existed to commerce with the
southern provinces of Persia by opening