"مذكرة عن البعثة البريطانية في طهران." [و‎‎٢‎٠‎٤] (٤/١)

Confidential.
1887 .
NOTE ON BRITISH MISSION AT TEHERAN.
1. Up to the year 1836, our diplomatic relations with Persia were carried on
by means of occasional special Missions from India. In that year, however,
the superintendence of those relations was placed under the Secretary of
State lor Foreign Affairs, (1) in consequence of a belief that the counsels of
Great Britain would have more weight with the Persian Government if
urged in the name of the Sovereign than if tendered by the East India
Company, and (2) on account of the increased intercourse of Persia with
European nations.
2. When the British Mission was permanently established at Teheran, India
agreed to pay 12,000£. a year towards its expenses.
3. In 1858 the Mission and Consulates were transferred to the India
Office, because it was found that the interest of Great Britain in Persia was
“ founded on the position which she occupied in India,” and that “almost
“ any matter which came under discussion between England and Persia more
“ or less concerned the Britisli Government in India.” The Imperial
Treasury agreed to give 5,000/. a year towards its expenses, subject to
the vote being considered each vear.
4. After a year’s trial of the new system, the Mission was retransferred to
the Foreign Office, as being, after all, the “ most convenient and effective
“ mode of carrying on the correspondence of Her Majesty’s Government
“ with the Shah,” the matters to be treated by Her Majesty’s Minister at
Teheran being very much mixed up with questions connected iwith France,
Russia, and Turkey, who had each of them representatives at the Shah’s
Court. “ The only point”—it was said by Lord John Russell (31st October
1859)—“ of actual contact between Persian politics and the administration of
“ India is the policy to be pursued in regard to Afghanistan; but it must at
“ all times be far easier for the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ta
“ procure from his colleague at the India Office any Indian information
“ which he may require in regard to Afghanistan, than it would be for
“ the Secretary of State for India to make himself master of what may
“ have passed between Her Majesty’s Government and those of France,
“ Russia, and Turkey, on matters which may be essential as a guide for
“ instructions to be given to the British Minister and Consuls in Persia.”
5. No further question! arose in regard to the matter until 1871, in which
year the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the “ Diplomatic
“ and Consular Services ” submitted in their Report (18th May 1871) that
they inclined on the whole to the opinion that the Teheran Mission should be
placed under the authority of the Secretary of State for India. This view
was supported by Sir Henry Rawlinson, Sir Bartle Frere, Sir Robert Mont
gomery, Lord Lawrence, Lord Mayo, Sir John Kaye, the Earl of Derby, and
opposed by Lord Hammond, Viscount Halifax, the Earl of Clarendon, and
Sir Henry Bulwer. It was afterwards found that the total expenditure on
account of the Mission for a period of 38 years had been 510,000/., of which
India had paid 450,000/., and the Imperial Government only 60,000/. It
was suggested, therefore, that if absolutely transferred to the India Office the
whole cost might be paid from Indian revenues; but that, if it remained
under the Foreign Office, the officers of it should be selected generally from
the Indian service and the charge on Indian revenues should be diminished.
6. No action w r as taken, however, in this direction until 1874 when the
Marquis of Salisbury (7th August 1874) submitted a proposal to the Indian
15328. I. 618.