Publications, Newspaper Cuttings, Photographs and Correspondence about Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎343r] (690/879)

vassals, and guaranteed the integrity ot ns
dominions. In 1795 Agha Muhammad ‘‘‘
decided to punish the Georgians to
defection, and accordingly invaded
I before the Russians could come to its $
| A general massacre of the inhabitants
I while the young girls were carried a
| slavery. The immediate consequence c
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proceedings was that a Russian army
Persia and was advancing on Teherat
it was recalled owing to the death of the L•
Catherine in 1796. In the following ye i
Muhammad Khan was murdere J.aid shot I
the British Government esta lished i
with Persia. In the meanwhile t ;
with Russia on account of the Georgi?
tion continued, and in 1805 the Shah 5
the aid of Napoleon I against the R
I he French no v proposed to res?
Persia the provinces captured by Rus:
furnished the Persian army with
military instructors and warlike store?
Shah on his side was to invade Inc
to permit a French army to
through his dominions. 1 he peace of
concluded between France and Russia,
ever put a stop to Napoleon’s desig
behalf of Persia. In 1809 the Shah co
cd a treaty with the British, accordi
io
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isni
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-adsa onu! auioq sauo jo no uinj o1
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eq] ajqnon ]esj sip buaned Kaedusx
HIM atoq 9Auq adoad aqj ‘Saiyzads Kuea
-auag anZed aqi gupqSg ui pajezado-o
Aj[e p1oo 9ABq oqw uatuapuaS aAgru asoqi
jo AA3j E uo jnouoq jo yiet autos Suurjuo
jo asodund aqi joj AjajBipatuuii JqEqSEMEN
qsiA 01 si ‘poojsjapun si 11 ltoyssuttop aqL
'sjsaj An|iqisuodsaj siqi trip yes nopBAJOsqo
am uo si 9! pue 'nSed jo yeaiqino qsajj
Aug ooiio E 0333p 01 aq IIIA MOU 310M met
which all previous treaties contracted, with
European Powers were annulled, and the Shah
undertook to prevent the passage through his
territory of European armies marching on
India; while the British Government augaged,
in case of Persia being attacked by a European
Power, to afford military assistance, or to pay
a subsidy for the conduct of hostile operations.
In 1814 the terms of this treaty were finally
adjusted. In the meanw ile the war with
Russia still continued, and the latter had
seized Georgia, Mingrelia and Daghistan ;
hoever, through the friendly intervention of
the British Government, the Russian advance
was stopped ; and in 1813 the treaty of
Gulistan was concluded between Russia and
Turkey. 'Persia 1 enounced the right to main
tain war vessels 111 the Caspian Sea; and
consented to a rectification of the frontier,
the details of delimitation were, however, left
to commissioners, who were subsequently
appointed. Constant disputes now eusued, and
in 1826 hostilities were recommenced by
Prince Mirzas, Crown Prince of Persia, occu
pying some disputed territory. The Russians,
of course, regarded this action as a
casus belli; and the Persians claimed Bri
tish assistance on the stiength of the
above-mentioned treaties of 1809 and 1814.
The British Government, however, declined
to grant any succour, on the ground that the
Persians were the aggressors. The latter
were repeatedly and severely defeated during
the war that ensued ; and through British
mediation the treaty of Turmanchai was
concluded in February 1828. Persia ceded
to Russia Eri van and Nakshivan, and agreed
to pay an indemnity ; while the Emperor of
Russia recognised Prince Abbas as the heir
to the Persian throne. On the conclusion
of these negotiations the British Government
procured the abrogation of the provisions of
the treaty prescribing British assistance in case
of war with a European Power, by making
a lump payment to Persia of 200,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. .
Theseconditions were found 10 be extremely
In 188 r General Skobelef took Gcok Teppe 1
and occupied the Persian provinces of Dara- |
chaz and Kalat i-Nadiri. A boundary con
-vention was now-signed, by which the Perso-
Russian frontier from the Caspian Sea to
Baba Dorinaz was defined ; but the work of
the delimitation commissioners was not com 05
pleted till 1885. The agreement of 1869 jq
about the Atrak River frontier was now
cancelled. In 1882 the Persian Government
was informed by the Russian Government,
that as Persia had not asserted sovereignty
over the Tekke Turkomans of Merv, Russia
could not now recognise it. In reply the 3
Persian Government declared that while not E
admitting the Russian argument, Persia would s
advance no claim on Turkoman allegiance 1 |
without the consent of Russia. It, however, 1
transpired that in the autumn of the previous 5
year Russia had made an a.reement with '
the Tekke Turkomans, taking them under
Russian protection and arranging that only
Russian agents (to the exclusion of all other I
Foreign representatives) were to be received
at Merv. In 1884 Merv surrendered to the
Russians, who proceeded to occupy the pro
vince of Sarakhs on the ground that it had
always belonged to the Tekke Turkomans.
In 1880 a protocol was signed between
England and Russia with reference to the
territory of Kotaur, which by the treaty of
Berlin had been adjudged to Persia. The
Turkish troops, who had been occupying it, now
evacuated it, and Persia entered into possession.
In the previous year a convention was
signed between Persia and Russia, by which
the former was to construct a telegraph line
from Chikishliar to meet the Persian line
at Astarabad—and this convention was to hold
good for one year, after which time the line was
to be handed over to Persia. Another conven
tion, however, was signed in January 1881
by which Russian employes were allowed
to work the line, and this latter convention
was to re nain in force as long as the Rus
sian Government desired to maintain telegraph
20th Bombay Infantry—on 9th June 1899.
Marathi —Obligatory Test. Lieutenant A. H.
Bridges, 16th Bombay Infantry—on 5th June 1899.
The undermentioned officers are granted leave
to proceed out of India, on medical certificate :—
Colonel W. A. Broome, Staff Corps, Command
ant, 27th Bombay Light Infantry, for six months.
Lieutenant-Colonel H. P. Jervis, I.M.S., Medical
Officer, 7th Bombay Infantry, for one year.
The undermentioned officer and Warrant officer
have leave of absence :—Captain J. G. Geddes
(Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General, Royal Artil
lery, Bombay Command), for 90 days from 5th
July 1899, (special privilege leave) ; and 1st Class
Assistant Surgeon. I. Chaves. for 6 months, on
private affairs.
SEDITION IN THE PRESS.
FROM A NATIVE POINT OF VIEW.
Discussing the recent conviction of the pro
prietor and the editor of the Gurakhi news
paper on charges of sed.tion, the Indian Spectator
writes :—
It may be taken as an axiom in Indian
journalism that vernacular papers cannot live
unless they closely echo the sentiments of
those who read them. The lower you go
in the scale of intellectual development, the
smaller is the field for new ideas, be a new
way of putting old ideas. Children take
more delight in listening to old familiar
tales than to new ones. Even so, the mass of
people like to read or hear what they know
and feel. I hey are dum ; they, therefore, like
to see their semi-conscious thoughts and
feelings put into words. It is to this class
of people that vernacular papers chiefly ap
peal. That they appeal successfully, as shown
by their subscribers’ lists, is a fact of much greater
significance than the fate of the Bhatyes and
Joshis who cater to the r taste. The ethics of
a free press really consistsin this. There is
no use preventing things to be published so long
as we have no means ol preventing people from
thinking them. It is beyond doubt that there is
a widespread dissatisfaction among the mass of
the people on account of certain recent measures—
notably tho e taken in the name of plague. It
should be noticed that few of the articles which
were cited in this case from the columns ol the
Gurakhi were free from a reference to plague
measures. These measures, in fact, have done
more mischief than scores of vernacular papers
can have ever done. They have driven people to
despair, and despair is not a soil congenial to
the growth of feelings of affection or loyalty.
Unscrupulous publicists have taken advantage of
the popular panic to advance their trade. It is
difficult to say whether men like Bhatye and
Joshi were actuated by any ill-will to the Govern
ment. That they had no good will towards it, is
certain. But what object could they have in trying
to create disaffection against it ? Is it conceivable
that they could have entertained any hopes of
benefitting by the overthrow or weakening of the
present rules. Whether they had any such hopes
or not, the mischief caused by writings such
as theirs remains the same. What should Govern
ment do to uid it? The imprisonment of
even all the vernacular journalists will not
achieve that object. Because, as we have shown,
these men are the creatures, rather than the
creators, of public feeling. Steps should be
taken to counteract th t feeling at the fountain
head. What are these steps ? The idea, that
an alien Government can organise a defensive
propaganda which will penetrate to all the
ramifications of native society, may be at once set
aside as visionary. There are not the men to work
such an organisation, in the first place. And even
if there were they would be soon discredited
as the paid agents of Government. There is,
so far as we can see only one way in which
the work of conciliating the people and coun
teracting the influence of malicious writers and
speakers can be pel formed. From the head of the
administration should flow a continuous stream of
sympathetic influence which must permeate
through the official and unoffioial world.
THE BENIN EXPEDITION.
The Niger Coast Protectorate steamer Ivy is
here, writes Reuter’s Forcados (West Africa)
correspondent on May 22, having taken half the
The Gumatti outlaws under Sailgi are re
ported to be living in Khost. It is said that
the party consists of about twenty men, and
that they intend to raid into Kurram.
It is notified in the Gazette of India that Mr.
E.C. Trotter, who figured in the Calcutta assault
case,is reduced to the rank of Deputy Examiner,
2nd Grade, and transferred from Calcutta to
the office of the Examiner of Public Works
Department Accounts, Burma
- •
In modification of the Notification, dated
26th June 1893, the Governor-General is
pleased to remove, as regards the gold pro
duced at Indian mines and tendered at the
Bombay Mint by agents of mining companies,
the restriction that it shall be fit for coinage,
and to direct that it shall be received at the
Mint in the condition in which it has hitherto
been shipped for export.
•
THE R. A. M Corps are to have a change
in uniform, their facings being changed from
black to pale blue.
•
At the end of last month two men of the
Dir Levies, when returning to Gujar after
escorting the dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. to Ziarat, were attacked
near Sheri (about half way between Ziarat
and the top of the Lowarai Pass) by a small
party of armed men. Both the Levy men
were wounded and the Enfield rifles carried
off. The Chitrali levies on duty at Ziarat
turned out on hearingo f the affair and
pursued the thieves, but failed to come up
with them.*
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL A. DeC. RENNICK made
over charge of the Jullundur district early in
May, on reversion to the Military Department,
under the 55 years' rule. Mr. C. M. King
succeeded him, but proceeded on three months’
leave on the 28th June. Mr. L. French, an
Assistant Commissioner of some eighteen
months’ service, holds charge temporarily,
which means that there will be yet another
change before Mr. King’s return to duty. It
is clear from other actual and contemplated
postings which we have recorded, that the
Punjab Government are not yet able to fol
low the line indicated by Lord Curzon and
effectively check the perpetual transfers of
judicial and executive officers which so greatly
detracts from good administration.
• +
The Simla Municipal report for 1898-99
shows that the revenue was Rs. 2,24,000, of
which the taxes on houses and lands provided
Rs. 1,1 i,ooo, octroi Rs. 87,000, servants
Rs. 16,178 and animals and vehicles Rs. 9,000.
The lodging house rules have been most strictly
enforced, but many houses, despite the num
ber of prosecutions, are overcrowded by ser
vants and coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. seeking work, and loafers
and beggars. Much attention has been given to
sanitary improvemen's, and the Committee
strongly ure the municipal offices being
severed from the Town Hall and placed in a
suitable building. Central depots are to be
established for the sale of municipal forest
produce, and the report contains interesting
appendices on the municipal forests, orchards
and gardens. Three lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. were
borr owed during the year for the extension of
the water works scheme, aul Major Carson,
Secretary, Mr Clayton, Assistant Secretary,
and Captain Donlea, Superintendent of the
Annandale garden, are especially mentioned
for good work.
Recruiting ferthe Army in the United States,
by all accounts, is not meeting the difficul
ties we experience, at least not yet. The
War Department at Washington has been re
joicing over the returns of enlistments
throughout the country. It is reported that
already there are sufficient men to raise the
regular army to the full war footing, and
several of the recruiting stations have been
closed. For example, although the Nineteenth
Infantry has now but 710 men, there are suf
ficient recruits on hand to raise it to the full
fighting strength of 1,300 men. It is under
orders for the Philippines early in August.
Admiral Dewey, by the way, whose opinions
are just now received as political maxims ol
the weightiest, advocates no great increase in
the strength of the army but, believing there
is nothing like leather, holds that the navy
should be raised to the standing of a first-
, class power.
main work now will be to detect at once any
fresh outbreak of plague, and it is on the
observation staff that this responsibility rests.
The Commissioner, it is understood, is to visit
Nawashahr immediately for the purpose of
conferring some mark of honour on a few of
those native gentlemen who have cordially
co-operated in fighting the plague. Gene
rally speaking, the people have borne with
exemplary patience the real trouble that
plague measures involve. It is no light thing
to turn out of one’s home into chappais, espe
cially in the burning heat, or worse still in
the rains. And the disinfection process must
have been very repugnant to the average
native. Yet it has been borne, if not cheer
fully, at least patiently, and this year all along
there has been no open resistance to any of
the measures taken. In a few cases there
has been a sullen passive refusal to co-ope
rate, but that is all. It is only right to say
that the success of plague measures this
year is due to Captain James more
than to any one else. He has been in
close touch with the people throughout, and
has made plague measures almost popular,
though he has never hesitated about turning
out a village where that course seemed im
perative. Mr. Cox, too, in charge of the police,
has done his part thoroughly well. The almost
entire absence of complaint against the police
is as high a compliment to the efficiency of
his work as could be given. And let it be added,
that the work the police did was the most
trying and the dullest imaginable. What is sur
prising is not that here and there the police
have failed, but that they have borne their
difficult work with such spirit, a rd have
shown such a regard for their duty.
It has been suggested seriously that in
order to improve them in practical training
and the actual conditions of warfare, the regi
ments of the Bengal and even of the Madras
and Bombay armies should take their turn,
so many at a time, in garrisoning the most
turbulent parts of the North-West borderland
which theoretically fall to the charge of the
Frontier Force, but in practice, owing to the
too scanty numbers of that overworked body,
come to be largely garrisoned by the “ ordi
nary ” Punjab infantry. This proposal has
excited the warm oppos tion of a Calcutta
paper which with keen provincial feeling
denounces the suggestion that down-country
regiments " should be impressed into the
service and made to take their share in the
garrisoning ol these unpleasant places- ” (our
italics). The reason advanced for this carpet
soldier line of argument is that as the Frontier
Force and Punjab regiments usually get
“ the first choice of active service ” and of
earning meda's and di tiuctions, they should
discharge the duty of watch and ward “if.