‘Confidential. Persia’ [‎510r] (69/112)

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A. Ilardinge the following note which he
had written down by the Shah’s orders -
“ (c) The Shah would never alienate
to a foreign power the inland revenues of this or
any other Persian province, but considered a
formal stipulation to this effect unnecessary and
inconsistent with his dignity as an independent
sovereign. Why, added the Grand Vizier, did
Your Lordship require these guarantees? The
Russians had never asked for a pledge that the
Shah would not alienate the revenues of Enzelli.”
Secret E., March 1902, Nos. 377-521, Proccedhig (SeO despatch No. 181i from Sir A.
A °' ’ Hardinge to the Marquis of Lansdowne,
dated Tehran, the 29th November 1901.)
Ncf zt? E ” July 19 ° 2, No, ’ 244 ' 30S ’ Froccedin s A formal reply was given to the British
Minister on 5th December 1901 to the
same effect, hut more carefully worded as
is explained in the following despatch :—
Sir A. Hardinge to the Marquis or Lansdowne.
Tehran, January 13lh, 1902.
No. 9 (Confidential).
“ I have the honour fo transmit herewith, in
continuation of my despatchNo» 7 of the 8th in-
staut, a translation of the Grand Vizier’s reply to
my note of November 20th, respecting the tariff,
our interests in the south and Seistan.
“ As already reported, the receipt of this reply
was delayed by an alteration which I had pressed
for in the final passage about Seistan.
" In its original form this passage ran : c Your
Excellency has written that the Persian Govern
ment should guarantee that the internal revenues
of Seistan will not be pledged to any other
Government. His Imperial Majesty was much
astonished at this request since the Persian Gov
ernment had never had any such intention, and
considers it ‘ against its independence to agree
to give such a guarantee/
“ I asked His Highness to add to the words ' or
any other Government } the words ‘ or its subjects'
and to substitute for the concluding sentence
‘ His Imperial Majesty was much astonished
at this request since the Persian Government
never has had and has not any such intention,
and is of opinion that any formal documentary
guarantee to this effect is unnecessary, and in
consistent with his dignity as an independent
sovereign/
“ The Atabeg-i-Azam accepted the amendment,
merely substituting the words ‘ the dignity of an
independent sovereign ' for those quoted above.
“ The effect of the amendment besides the
insertion of the important words‘or its subjects/
is I think somewhat to strengthen the force, such
as it is, of the assurance which the Persian Gov
ernment, albeit only rather indirectly, gives us,
and I therefore deemed it worth my while to
press for it.
“ I have at the same time the honour to enclose
•(For these, tide endesnres 12 and 13 of Pro* herewith copies of the notes* in which I have
eecihngs No. 2,5, Secret E., July 1902, Noi. 244*306.) acknowledged the receipt of the A tabeg-i-Azam’s
replies to my communications of November
20th/’