"مسألة الشرق الأوسط أو بعض المشكلات السياسية المتعلقة بدفاع الهند" [ظ‎‎٢‎٩] (٦١٦/٦٣)

32 THE " RUSSIAN " ROAD TO TEHERAN
for the construction of the Resht road to Teheran.
But Russia, none the less, gets value for her money.
Not only does the road serve the ends of Russian
commercial policy, which is almost openly directed to
the acquisition of an absolute monopoly in the trade
of Northern Persia, but it is in itself a splendid and
perfectly legitimate advertisement of Russian influence.
Russian occupies the place of honour in every document
drawn up in connection with transportation on the road.
The names of all the stations figure conspicuously in
Russian characters. The barriers at which the Russian
company levies its tolls are in the hands of Russian
officials. The Russians have the maintenance of the
road, and all the gangs employed on repairs are under
the orders of Russian overseers. Not only, therefore,
is every Persian travelling along the main road from
the north to the capital made to feel that the Russians
hold the right of access to it, but the inhabitants of all
the adjoining districts, who provide the requisite labour,
are taught to look up to the Russians as their employers
and their masters. But though the advantages which
Russia thus reaps from this undertaking deserve to be
noted, it would be unfair as well as futile to cavil at
them. The whole position which Russia has acquired
in the north of Persia deserves, I think, to be studied
in a spirit, not of idle recrimination, but of dis
passionate, and even friendly, consideration.
Whilst the road from Resht to Teheran affords a
perfect illustration of Russian activity, it happened to
afford, whilst I was passing over it, an accidental, but
equally striking, illustration of Persian mediaevalism.
The Shah was on his way back from Europe, and
in accordance with immemorial custom, the whole of
his Court, numbering thousands of retainers, was