Publications, Newspaper Cuttings, Photographs and Correspondence about Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎343v] (691/879)

RUSSIA AND PERSIA-A
RETROSPECT.
At the present moment a brief retrospect
of the political relations between Russia and
Persia will not be without interest. Formal
relations t etween the to countries seem to
have commenced in 1618, when the Emperor
of Russia, Michael Feodorovitc’i, sent Prince
Bariatinsky as an envoy to the Persian Court.
About a century later—viz, in 1715—the Rus
sian Government despatched a Lieut nant-
Colonel Walinsky to the Persian Court at
Ispahan, with instructions to enquire into the
troubles of Persia and to conclu e a com
mercial treaty. I he Colonel was successful
in his mission, and contrived to arrange such
a treaty. In 1722 Peter the Great interfered
directly with Per-ian affairs. On the abdica
tion of Shah Husain, his son, Tahmasp, made
efforts to gain the crown ; and at his instiga
tion Peter the Great set out for Persia, and
captured Baku and Darband. Tahmasp now
entered into a treaty with Russia, •ceding all
the Persian provinces on the Caspian, on
condition that Peter the Great would place him
on the Persian throne and expel the Afghans
from Persia. Concessions of a similar nature
were made to Turkey, on condition of the
latter also supporting Tahmasp. In 1725, how-
ever, Peter the Great quietly concluded a treaty
I with I urkey for the mutual partitioning of Per
sia. But at this critical juncture the famous Nadir
Shah redeemed the situation and saved Persia
from annihilation. In 1729 Russia restored to
Persia the provinces of Astarabad and Mazan-
daran. In 1 732 the Treaty of Rasht was
concluded between the two countries, by which
Russia restored to Persia the territory up to
the Araxes. Three years later, by the Treaty
of Gandja, Russia restored to Persia Baku and
Darband and withdrew beyond the river
Terek.
A long series of internal troubles now beset
Persia ; and in 1795 Agha Muhammad Khan,
the founder of the present ruling dynasty,
succeeded in making himself supreme. He
had hardly assume t power, when he found
himself involved in a war with Russia. The
Vali of Georgia, taking advantage of the
internecine troubles of Persia, transferred his
allegiance in 1783 to the Empress Catherine
I II of Russia, who received him as one of her
vassals, and guaranteed the integrity of his
dominions. In 1795 Agha Muhammad Khan
decided to punish the Georgians for their
defection, and accordingly invaded Georgia
before the Russians could come to its succour.
A general massacre of the inhabitants ensued,
I while the young girls were carried away in
slavery. 1 he immediate consequence of these
proceedings was that a Russian army invaded
Persia and was advancing on Teheran, when
it was recalled owing to the death of the Empress
Catherine in 1796. In the following year Agha
Muhammad Khan was murdere J,and shortly after
the British Government esta lished relations
with Persia. In the meanwhile the war
with Russia on account of the Georgian ques
tion continued, and in 1805 the Shah invoked
the aid of Napoleon I against the Russians.
The French no v proposed to restore to
Persia the provinces captured by Russia, .and
furnished the Persian army with French
military instructors and warlike stores. The
Shah on his side was to invade India and
to permit a French army to operate
through his dominions. The peace of Tilsit,
concluded between France and Russia, how
ever put a stop to Napoleon’s designs on
behalf of Persia. In 1809 the Shah conclud-
ed a treaty with the British, according to
which all previous treaties contracted, -with
European Powers were annulled, and the Shah
undertookto prevent the passage through his
territory of European armies marching on
ludia; 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 ineanw ile the war with
Russia still continued, and the latter had
seized Georgia, Mingrelia and Daghistan ;
however, 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 renounced the right to main
tain war vessels in 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 ensued, 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 Erivan 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. .
These conditions were found to be extremely
dangerous and likely at any -moment to
involve England in a war with some great
European Power.
On the 11th February 1829 the Russian
Minister at Teheran, M. Grebaiadoff, was
assassinated, and a war nearly ensued in
consequence between Russia and Persia.
Two Muhammadan Armenian women, who
were natives of one of the Persian pro
vinces recently ceded to Russia, were de
manded from a harem. An emeute arose at
Teheran over this demand, and the guars
of the Russian Legation, which was threatened
by the people, fired on the crowd. The
infuriated populace then wrecked the Legation,
killing the Russian Minister and all his
suite, with the exception of the first Secret
tary, who contrived to escape War, how
ever, was avoided by Persia making a com
plete apology and offering reparation. In
1834 an understanding, was arrived at be
tween Russia and England f r the main
tenance of the integrity and independence
of Persia—and this understanding was con
firmed by notes exchanged between the two
Powers in 1838, 1873 and,1874.
In 1836 Persia, owing to her having relin
quished, by the treaty of Gulistan, the
right to have war-vessels in the Caspian Sea,
had to request the help of Russian men-
of-war in order to put down Turkoman
marauders. Ashurada Island in the Bay of
Astarabad was now occupied by the Russians ;
and in 1842 a Russian squadron was sent
here and a naval station formed, and Russia
has retained possession of the island ever
since. The Russians about this period com-
menced to instigate the Persians to attack
Afghanistan, and several troubles, which are
perfectly familiar to the most superficial
student of Indian history, ensued.
In 1848 Nasir-ud-Din, the late Shah, game
to the throne, in succession to his father
Muhammad Shah, and a pro-Russian policy
was more closely followed. During the
Crimean War of 1854-55 Persia remained
neutral, although at one time she was on
the point of joining Russia, who offered her
territorial extension and other inducements.
Though Persian troops were concentrated
on the frontier, no hostilities were under
taken by them, and Persia preserved her
neutrality.
In 1869 the Russians established themselves
at Rrasnovodsk on the Eastern Caspian shore,
and an agreement was entered into with
Persia about the delimitation of the fron ier.
The agreement itself was secret and was
acknowledged by an autograph letter of the
Shah, and the river. Atrak was acknowledged
as the boundary between the two States. The
Persian Government sub equently declar'd
that this agreement only referred to the sea
board and thirty miles inland, and did not in
clude the whole length of the river.
In 1875 the International Telegraph Conven
tion with re.ard to Persia was signed at St.
Petersburg. In 1877 the Turkomans of Merv and
Akkal, o*ing to the steady advance of the Rus
sians along the Eastern Caspian shore, began to
consider whether it would not be more ■ ad
vantageous to them to transfer their allegiance
to Russia from Persia, which only exercised
nominal sovereignty over them. Their chiefs
visited Teheran and promised allegiance to the
Shah, but discarded their promises on r< turn
ing to their native land. , In 1877 the Russians
actually advanced into the Akkal territory,
formerly claimed by Persia ; "but in the
following year met with two checks at Geok
Teppe and Chat respectively. In 118;80 the
Tekke Turkomans unavailingly sent a de
putation to Teheran asking for protection ;
but they required the rich province of Sarak hs
as the price, of their continued allegiance.
Ja 1881 General Skobeleff took Geok Teppe
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
pleted till 1885. The agreement of 1869
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, Fussia
could not now recognise it. In reply the
Persian Government declared that while not
admitting the Russian argument, Persia would
advance no claim on Turkoman allegiance
without the consent of Russia. It, however,
transpired that in the autumn of the previous
year Russia had made an a. reemeut with
the Tekke Turkomans, taking them under
Russian protection and arranging that only
Russian agents (to the exclusion of all other
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 1
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 oneyear, 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 I
communications with their military authorities
on the east of the Caspian Sea. During the
course of the same year (1881) the Persian
Government consented to Foreign Consuls
being appointed at Meshed—and Russia and
England immediately appointed Consul Generals
at this station.
In 1890 a concession was sold to a Russian
Company far the establishment of a “ MoLt
De Piete ”—in other words a Pawn broker’s
shop. About this time the railway question in
Persia occupied a good deal of attention, and
led to considerable rivalry between the British
and Russian Governments. In 1886 a Belgian
Company took up a concession for the con
struction of a short railway line from Tehe
ran to Abdul Azim, a distance of six miles.
Another concession taken up, was for the Amul
Railway in Mazandaran. Several other con
cessions were granted to European Companies,
but none of these were taken up. In 1890,
however, an agreement was concluded between
the Shah and the Russian Government,
to the effect that no railways should be
constructed in Persia for the next ten years ;
but with the consent of the Russian and British
Governments two railway concessions were
grantci in the following January. One of
these was made in favour o' a Belgian, who
was allowed the right of prolonging the six
miles of railway line at Teheran to a dis
tance of thirty kilometres from that city ; and
the other was in favour of a Frenchman
who was permitted to construct a light rail
way line from Teheran to his coal mines
about thirty miles distant. The convention
prohibiting railways, also embraced tramways,
and it was stipulated that no tramways were
to be laid down in Persia for the next ten
years, except in or near towns.
RUSSIA AND PERSIA-A
RETROSPECT.
At the present moment a brief retrospect
of the political relations between Russia and
Persia wi 1 not be without interest. Formal
relations »etween the to countries seem to
have commenced in 1618, when the Emperor
of Russia, Michael Feodorovitch, sent Prince
Bariatinsky as an envoy to the Persian Court.
About a century later—viz, in 1715—the Rus
sian Government despatched a Lieut nant-
Colonel Walinsky to the Persian Court at
Ispahan, with iustructions to enquire into the
troubles of Persia and to conclu e a com
mercial treaty. I he Colonel was successful
in his mission, and contrived to arrange such
a treaty. In 1722 Peter the Great interfered
directly with Per-ian affairs. On the abdica
tion of Shah Husain, his son, Tahmasp, made
efforts to gain the crown ; and at his instiga
tion Peter the Great set out for Persia, and
captured Baku and Darband. Tahmasp now
entered into a treaty with Russia, -ceding all
the Persian provinces on the Caspian, on
condition that Peter the Great would place him
on the Persian throne and expel the Afghans
from Persia. Concessions of a similar nature
were made to Turkey, on condition of the
latter also supporting Tah nasp. In I 725, how-
ever, Peter the Great quietly concluded a treaty
with I urkey for the mutual partitioning of Per
sia. But at this critical juncture the famous Nadir
Shah redeemed the situation and saved Persia
from annihilation. In 1729 Russia restored to
Persia the provinces of Astarabad and Mazan-
daran. In 1 732 the Treaty of Rasht was
concluded between the two countries, by which
Russia restored to Persia the territory up to
the A raxes. Three years later, by the Treaty
of Gandja, Russia restored to Persia Baku and
Darband and withdrew beyond the river
Terek.
A long series of internal troubles now beset
Persia ; and in I 795 Agha Muhammad Khan,
the founder of the present ruling dynasty,
succeeded in making himself supreme. He
had hardly assume 1 power, when he found
himself involved in a war with Russia. The
Vali of Georgia, taking advantage of the
internecine troubles of Persia, transferred his
allegiance in 1783 to the Empress Catherine
. II of Russia, who received him as one of her
1 IIIIUU ■--================*================
dangerous and likely at any -moment to
involve England in a war with some great
European power.
On the 11th February 1829 the Russian
Minister at Teheran, M. Grebaiadoff, was
assassinated, and a war nearly ensued in
consequence between Russia and Persia.
Two Muhammadan Armenian women, who
were natives of one of the 1 ersian pro
vinces recently ceded to Russia, were de
manded from a harem. An emeute arose at
Teheran over this demand, and the guar s
of the Russian Legation, which was threatened
by the people, fired on the crowd. The
infuriated populace then wrecked the Legation,
killing the Russian Minister and all his
suite, with the exception of the first Secre-
tary, who contrived to escape War, how
ever, was avoided by Persia making a com
plete apology and offering reparation. In
1834 an understanding, was arrived at be
tween Russia and England f r the main
tenance of the integrity and independence
of Persia—and this understanding was con
firmed by notes exchanged between the two
Powers in 1838, 1873 and 1874.
In 1836 Persia, owing to her having relin
quished, by the treaty of Gulistan, the
right to have war-vessels in the Caspian Sea,
had to request the help of Russian men-
of-war in order to put down I urkoman
marauders. Ashurada Island in the Bay of
Astarabad was now occupied by the Russians ;
and in 1842 a Russian squadron was sent
here and a naval station formed, and Russia
has retained possession of the island ever
since. The Russians about this period com
menced to instigate the Persians to attack
Afghanistan, and several troubles, which are
perfectly familiar to the most superficial
student of Indian history, ensued.
In 1848 Nasir-ud Din, the late Shah, came
to the throne, in succession to his father
Muhammad Shah, and a pro Russian policy
was more closely followed During the
Crimean War of 1854-55 Persia remained
neutral, although at one time she was on
the point of joining Russia, who offered her
territorial extension and other inducements.
Though Persian " troops were concentrated
on the frontier, no hostilities were under
taken by them, and Persia preserved her
neutrality.
In 1869 the Russians established themselves
at Krasnovodsk on the Eastern Caspian shore,
and an agreement was entered into with
v—----- tl.a* dalimitation of the fron ier.
commun ication sowi-een-mmery wamerne--
on the east of the Caspian Sea. During the
course of the same year (1881) the Persian
Government consented to Foreign Consuls
being appointed at Meshed—and Russia and
England immediately appointed Consul Generals
at this station.
In 1890 a concession was sold to a Russian
Company for the establishment of a “ Mont
De Piete ”—in other words a Pawn broker’s
shop. About this time the railway question in
Persia occupied a good deal of attention, and
led to considerable rivalry between the British
and Russian Governments in 1886 a Belgian
Company took up a concession for the con
struction of a short railway line from Tehe
ran to Abdul Azim, a distance of six miles.
Another concession taken up, was for the Amul
Railway in Mazandaran. Several other con
cessions were granted to European Companies,
but none of these were taken up. In 1890,
however, an agreement was concluded between
the Shah and the Russian Government,
to the effect that no railways should be
constructed in Persia for the next ten years ;
but with the consent of the Russian and British
Governments two railway concessions were
grantci in the following January. One of
these was made in favour o’ a Belgian, who
was allowed the right of prolonging the six
miles of railway line at Teheran to a dis
tance of thirty kilometres from that city ; aud
the other was in favour of a Frenchman
who was permitted to construct a light rail
way line from Teheran to his coal mines
about thirty miles distant. The convention
prohibiting railways, also embraced tramways,
and it was stipulated that no tramways were
to be laid down in Persia for the next ten
years, except in or near towns.
33*
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