Abstract: The volume concerns events that happened in Persia and in the Eastern territories of the Ottoman Empire (Iraq), during the First World War. The main focus is the Turkish action in Persia, and the British intrigues to maintain control over Persia, preventing the country from entering the war and supporting Turkey in a Muslim coalition.The volume covers:Alleged plunder by the Turks of jewels and money for a value of two million sterling from the shrines of Nejef [Najaf, Iraq] and Karbala, in January 1915.Leave granted to British and Russian ministers.General situation in Persia, British interest in preserving its neutrality so that it would not enter the war in support of the Ottoman Empire.Rectification of Turco-Persian frontiers.Protest of Persian Government against actions taken by the British, and requests to respect the Persian neutrality.Political events at Tehran.Translation of appeal written by Muhammad Javid, Governor of the Province of Baghdad, inciting Jihad in Iraq and Persia against the Entente Powers (ff 264-267).Pro-Turkish feelings in Persia in early 1915; British fear of a holy war.Pro-Turkish activities of Isfahan Mullahs.Protests of Persian Government against the presence of British troops in Arabistan [Khuzestan, Iran], and British decision to ignore them.Participation of Swedish officers in German intrigues in Fars [Persia], by fetching weapons; British requesting the withdrawal of Swedish officers from Persia.Reported 'Turkish atrocities' against Christians in the district of Dilman [Azerbaijan], where the Russians found more than 200 corpses when entering the villages in March 1915.Proposed censoring of Persian mail.Deportation of German subject by British authorities in southern Persia, protest of Persian Government against.Landing of British troops near Ahwaz [Iran], on 20 February 1915.Weakening of Persian support of Turks, recorded in April 1915.Turkish occupation of Kasr-i-Shirin [Qasr-e Shirin, Iran].Telegraphic communications via Ahwaz, Persia, with sketch map of the telegraph line, by W Barker (f 89).The volume’s principal correspondents are: Thomas William Holderness and Arthur Hirtzel, India Office; Charles Hardinge, the Viceroy of India; Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Walter Beaupre Townley and Charles Marling, British Ministers at Tehran; Eyre Alexander Barby Wichart Crowe, Foreign Office; Percy Cox, Political Resident in Persian Gulf; Terence Humphrey Keyes, Political Agent in Bahrain; Alfred Hamilton, the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Department, Delhi; the Persian Minister of Foreign Affairs.The volume contains newspaper cuttings from
The Times, and
Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung.There is a quote in Ancient Greek, from
Odyssey9.369.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 335; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-333; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: The volume is concerned with the Persian Province of Fars; in particular the maintenance of the order and the authority of the Governor-General. The main focus of discussion is the Gendarmerie (under the command of Swedish officers) and a new local Persian force proposed by the Governor-General. It contains much discussion between British officials over the effectiveness of the Gendarmerie, and the suitability of employing Swedish officers in Persia. There is also discussion over the extent that British support should be provided to the Governor-General's new force, which includes the following: a proposal for the Government of India to supply arms and ammunition, and proposals to appoint a British officer to inspect and advise the new force. There is also consideration over the potential for conflict between the Governor-General's force and the Gendarmerie, and the potential for a negative impact on the latter should a British officer be appointed to the Governor's force.There is also a great deal of discussion related to the position of the 39 Central India Horse (commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Archibald Douglas) at Shiraz and additional infantry supplied to guard the British Consulate there; the discussion centres on whether or not these forces should be withdrawn from Persia. Some limited consideration of 'outrages' committed by Persians against British troops is factored into this discussion. It also includes proposals for withdrawing these forces from Persia via Bushire.The principal correspondents are as follows: Sir Walter Beaupre Townley, HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia; Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Sir Walter Alexander Smart, HM Consul, Shiraz; and Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf.The following can also be found within:two copies (on folios 84-87 and 185-188) of a review of the general situation in Fars by Sir W A Smart;a note (folios 190-191) from Henry George Chick, Commercial Adviser to the Persian Gulf Political Residency, on a possible split between two sections of the Kashkuli Kashgais;a proposed answer (folios 132-139) for the Secretary of State for India to a proposed question to be asked by Sir John David Rees in the House of Commons on 13 March 1913;a report from Major Kettlewell (folios 109v-111) on the movements of a survey party of the 39th Central India Horse on 11 December 1913, which provides an account of the death of Captain A B Eckford;a commendation for Mr J C Smith, Assistant Superintendent of the Indo-European Telegraph, and staff in Fars (folios 182-191).The French content consists of two programmes for the development of the Gendarmerie submitted by Colonel Hjalmar O Hjalmarson (folios 152-153 and 50-51) dated 29 December 1912 and 13 February 1913 respectively.Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 193; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The volume contains a collection of biographies of 'noteworthy persons' within the political jurisdiction of the Residency in the Persian Gulf. There is some limited correspondence related to the collection of this information, which includes applications made by Edward Charles Ross, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, to the following:Samuel Barrett Miles, Political Agent and Consul at Muscat.L Gabler, Deputy Director of the Persian Gulf Telegraphs/in Political Charge of the Gwadur [Gwādar] Agency.The Residency Agent, Bahrain.The majority of the biographies have been submitted via standardised forms with entries for the following; name, father, wife, tribe, residence, and children. Each entry has a biographical history for each subject, while some have both an entry in Arabic, and an entry in English (i.e. a translation). At the back of the volume is a single entry in Persian. The returns for Oman — supplied by the Political Agent and Consul at Muscat — do not follow this format, and are instead supplied as manuscript biographical histories.The entries are arranged into sections. The first section is not labelled, but may represent the returns from Gwadur. The remaining biographies fall under the following sections:Unlabelled section.Office Copies - Busrah [Basra].Office Copies - Bahrein [Bahrain].Office Copies - Coast of Fars.Office Copies sent to the Foreign Office.For Office Record.It is noted that the biographical information from the Deputy Director of Persian Gulf Telegraphs (i.e. Gwadur) was compiled by Mr McDonall.Physical description: Condition: A large number of folios have suffered from minor pest and water damage. As a result, some of the folios are very fragile, and some of the text has also been obscured, which can result in difficulties interpreting affected text.Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.The volume contains the following foliation corrections; f 69, and f 69A; f 71, and f 71A.