"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٢‎٦] (١٧٨٢/٤٦٩)

P.ussian
quest oi a
naval base ill
the Persian
Gulf.
326
1897, on the pretext of plague being prevalent in India, provided
with an excuse for introducing Russian sanitary officials and even Russian
troops into the province, and by this means her political influence at
Mashad was greatly enhanced. In 1900 a Russian Vice-Consulate was
established in Sistan, and its establishment was followed by strong efforts
on the part of Russia to overthrow British prestige in that district, so
important to the safety of India ; but, though persisted in for some
years, their end was failure. On the frontier between Khurasan and
Afghanistan, on that between Sistan and Afghanistan, and even on that
between Persia and the state of Kalat, Russia laboured between 1902 and
1905 to create difficulties for Britain by fomenting boundary disputes,
but without success.
Even in Central and Western Persia Russian influence was being
pushed, in opposition to British, from consular bases at Isfahan and
Kirmanshah.
In 1901 a bold attempt was made by Russia, by means of a Trade
Declaration, to procure permanent advantages for her trade in Persia over
that of all rivals. A new Persian Customs Tariff, which needless to say
favoured Russian trade, was arranged by Russia and Persia in consultation
without the knowledge of Britain ; and, but for a satisfactory counter-
Declaration between Britain and Persia which followed in 1903, the
Tariff would have been liable to subsequent revision by agreement
between Russia and Persia alone.
In the Persian Gulf region, to which we again turn, the principal ob
jects of Russia were the creation of a naval base in the Gulf and the con
struction of a railway across" Persia by which the military resources of the
Russian Empire could be brought to bear for its support. The advantages
to be derived by Russia from the establishment in such a manner of a
strong position in the Gulf were obvious : besides enhancing her prestige
and giving her access to another ocean it would greatly extend and con
solidate her hold on Persia and increase her power of offensive action
against the British Empire in the East. The design was bold and entirely
new, going far beyond anything that Russia in the past had seemed
actually^to contemplate ; but the moment appeared favourable for its ex
ecution. The position of Russia in Manchuria was supposed to be secure,
and presently the commitments of Britain in South Africa furnished the
partisans of a Russian forward policy in Persia with specious arguments
in favour of immediate action.
During the year 1899 warnings of impending danger reachedJh
British Government from divers quarters. In j VJ arch the
Servet