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1. 'ABSTRACT OF LETTERS FROM INDIA 1866'
- Description:
- Abstract: Confidential printed abstracts of letters received by the India Office from the Government of India, and from senior officials in certain areas outside India, during the years 1865-66. The letters are dated 8 November 1865-28 November 1866. The abstracts are numbered 1-111 and each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Secret Letters received from the (Political) Resident at AdenAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from the Assistant Resident at Aden.Each abstract contains summaries of one or more letters from the specified source, each with a title giving the subject of the letter. Letters from India are divided within each abstract by the branch or department of the Government of India they originated from. The correspondence included in the volume concerns events in British India, Oman, Aden, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the coast of East Africa, and covers the following subjects:Revenue and expenditurePublic works and transportation, including railways, roads, schools, canals, museums, ports, and jailsPay, pensions, and other personnel issues in the Indian Civil and Military establishmentsCommunications, including postal services and telegraph networksCultivation of cottonReform of the administration of Kattywar [Kathiawar]Proposed reduction of the European army in British IndiaLanguage qualification requirements for officers in the Indian ArmyPoor morale in the British Indian Army following the Indian RevoltFamine in Bengal and Madras, and Government efforts to improve conditionsDisposal and re-use of captured and damaged weaponsPurchase of ships for Government of India useImportation of horses from England to improve Indian Army’s breeding stockVaccination programmes in Bombay and MadrasProceedings of Indian courts, including judgements issued by High CourtsAlleged mismanagement at the Bank of Bombay, and debate regarding Government oversight of the Bank’s activitiesThe foreign relations of the Government of India, including with Bootan [Bhutan], Persia [Iran], Khotan [Hotan], Affghanistan [Afghanistan], Abyssinia [Ethiopia], Zanzibar, Muscat, Turkey [Ottoman Empire], and Acheen [Aceh, Indonesia]Events in the Princely States, including successions, adoptions, the establishment of regencies, and warnings to rulers regarding mismanagementBorder disturbances on the North-West Frontier, and British military expeditions in responseCivil war in AffghanistanA diplomatic mission to the Emperor of Abyssinia and negotiations for the release of European prisonersVisit of the Sultan of Zanzibar to BombayRebellion against the King of Burma [also known today as Myanmar] led by his sons at MandalayReported ‘cruelties’ carried out by Turkish Government authorities against Indian pilgrims in MeccaDutch activity in Assahan [Asahan], Siam [Thailand], and Acheen [Aceh]Russian activity in Bokhara [Emirate of Bukhara], including the capture of Samarcund [Samarkand]British financial and military support for the Sultan of Muscat against Wahabee [Wahhābī] neighboursEvents in Muscat and Oman, including: the death of the Sultan of Muscat Syud Thoweynee [Sayyid Thuwaynī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd] and allegations that this death occurred on the orders of his son, Syud Salim [Sayyid Sālim bin Thuwaynī Āl Bū Sa‘īd]; refusal by the British to recognize Syud Salim as Sultan; and the seizure of Muscat’s ‘principal fort’ by Syud Salim’s uncle, Syud Torkee [Sayyid Turkī bin Sa‘īd Āl Bū Sa‘īd]Raiding by and military expeditions against the Foodlee [Faḍlī] tribe, including the British destruction of the village of Shugra [Shukrah]Proposed recruitment of an Arab cavalry force at AdenConstruction of defensive structures at AdenBritish naval bombardment of Wahabee coastal fortsBritish attacks on Soor [Sur], Katiff [Al Qatif] and Fort Damaum [Dammam]Appointment of additional assistants to the Persian Gulf Political StaffAnti-slavery actions by British vessels near ZanzibarUse of slave labour by British firms in ZanzibarRumours of survivors from the shipwrecked vessel St Abbs, and efforts by the Political Agent at Zanzibar to locate them in Somalia.A detailed index of subjects, places and people mentioned in the correspondence is included on folios 340-351.The abstracts were printed and bound in London, and each one includes the following colophon: ‘LONDON: Printed by GEORGE E. EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE, Printers to the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty. For Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.’The primary correspondents are:The Government of IndiaThe Governor-General of IndiaThe Government of BombayThe Resident at AdenThe Political Agent at Zanzibar.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 354; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the item also contains two original pagination sequences between ff 4-339, and ff 340-351.
2. 'ABSTRACT OF LETTERS FROM INDIA 1867'
- Description:
- Abstract: Confidential printed abstracts of letters received by the India Office from the Government of India, and from senior officials in certain areas outside India, during the year 1867. The letters are dated November 1866-December 1867. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstracts of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Secret Letters receivedAbstracts of Secret Letters received from the Resident at AdenAbstracts of Letters received from Colonel Merewether, Commanding Abyssinian Reconnoitering Force.Each abstract contains summaries of one or more letters from the specified source, each with a title giving the subject of the letter. Letters from India are divided within each abstract by the branch or department of the Government of India they originated from. The correspondence covers issues including:Famine in Madras and Bengal Provinces, in particular Orissa [Odisha], and a subsequent enquiry into the handling of the Orissa famine by British officialsPublic works, including railways, irrigation, roads, docks, lighthouses, navigational locks, and land reclamationPay, pensions, recruitment, and other personnel issues in the Indian Civil and Military establishments, including the employment of ‘Natives’ in the Civil administrationIssues concerning Princely States, including: issues of succession; pensions; local administration; land claims; extradition treaties; debts; subsidies for railway passage; an attempt to overthrow the Rajah of Munnipore [Manipur] [Raja Chandrakirti Singh] by exiled Munnipooree [Manipuri] revolutionaries; the disarming of the Maharaja Scindia’s forces; and the proposed deposition of the Nawab of Tonk [Nawāb Muḥammad ‘Alī Khān]Issues concerning the Indo-European Telegraph, including negotiations with the Governments of Persia [Iran] and Bagdad [Baghdad] for overland telegraph routesLand issues, including: plantations of cash crops such as cotton, cinchona, and tea; the sale of ‘waste lands’; forestry; land revenue settlements; and tenant rightsRevenue and expenditure, with tables for the financial years 1865-66 and 1866-67 and estimates for the financial year 1867-68Judicial affairsEducationFinanceIssues concerning emigration from India to French coloniesMilitary affairs, including: the supply, transport, and accommodation of troops; sanitation; proposed deployments of Indian troops in the Straits Settlements and China; the deployment of a local counterinsurgency force in Kattywar [Kathiawar]; and claims of military units on ‘prize money’ [property looted by British forces] consequent to service in the ‘Mutiny’ [Indian Uprising of 1857]The murder of British ships’ crews on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and proposed retaliatory expeditionsFrontier affairs, including: a campaign against the Hussun Kheyl Afreedies [Ḥassan Khel clan of the Afrīdī tribe] on the Northwest Frontier; raids and fortifications on the frontiers of Punjab and Sind [Sindh]; and frontier policy in Beloochistan [Baluchistan]Civil conflict in Affghanistan [Afghanistan] between the Ameer Shere Ali [Amīr Shīr ‘Alī Khān] and Mahomed Ufzal Khan [Amīr Muḥammad Afẓal Khān], and suspected Persian designs on the countryAffairs in the Persian Gulf, including the seizure of a ship from Bahrein [Bahrain] by Colonel Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, and subsequent protest from Persia; the presence of Turkish [Ottoman] warships in the Gulf; proposed deployments of ships to combat the slave trade; the relations of the Chief [Shaikh] of Bahrein with the Wahabee [Wahhābī movement]; and complaints from the British India Steam Navigation Company concerning trade embargoes on some products by Persian authoritiesAffairs in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, in particular attempts by Syud Toorkee [Sayyid Turkī bin Sa’īd Āl Bū Sa’īd] to capture MuscatAffairs in and around Aden Settlement, including conflict with the Foodlee [Faḍlī Sultanate] and Turkish [Ottoman] attempts to make Mukalla and Shehur [Ash Shihr] tributaryAffairs in Zanzibar, including slavery, the construction of a new capital in Dhar Salaam [Dar es Salam] by the Sultan, and reports of the death of the missionary Dr David LivingstoneThe imprisonment of British and other nationals by Emperor Theodorus [Tewodros II] of Abyssinia [Ethiopia] in the context of civil conflict in the country, and preparations for a British expedition to Abyssinia. Includes reports from an advance mission by Colonel William Mereweather, Commanding Officer of the Abyssinia Reconnoitering Force, to identify an invasion route for the expeditionAffairs in Burmah [Myanmar/Burma], including trade relations and customs duties, civil unrest in and around Mandalay and the flight of Burmese princes to India; proposed roads or railways to China; and a Burmese mission to France to conclude commercial agreements and acquire weaponsThe annexation of three districts of Cochin China [Vietnam] by FranceAffairs in Central Asia, in particular the Russian advance; a request from the Ameer [Amir] of Bokhara [Bukhara] for British support against Russia; and insecurity in Eastern Toorkistan [Xinjiang] following the capture of Khotan [Hotan] by Kokandee [Kokandi] raidersThe primary correspondents are:The Government of IndiaThe Government of BengalThe Government of MadrasThe Government of BombayThe Viceroy and Governor-General of IndiaThe Resident in AdenThe Political Agent in ZanzibarColonel William Mereweather, Commanding Officer of the Abyssinia Reconnoitering Force.The abstracts were printed and bound in London, and each one includes the following colophon: ‘LONDON: Printed by GEORGE E. EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE, Printers to the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty. For Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.’Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 338; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
3. 'ABSTRACTS OF LETTERS FROM INDIA 1874.'
- Description:
- Abstract: Confidential printed abstracts of letters received by the India Office from the Government of India, and from senior officials in certain areas outside India, during the year 1874. The letters are dated November 1873-December 1874. The abstracts each have one of the following titles:Abstract of Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from BushireAbstracts of Secret Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from AdenAbstracts of Military Letters received from IndiaAbstracts of Letters received from Bushire and AdenAbstracts of Secret Letters received from Aden.Each abstract contains summaries of one or more letters from the specified source, each with a title giving the subject of the letter. Letters from India are divided within each abstract by the branch or department of the Government of India they originated from. The correspondence covers issues including:Revenue and expenditureAdministrative reports from individual provinces and territorial unitsPublic works, including railways, canals, and portsLand issues, including taxation, surveys, and plantationsFamine in BengalInternal affairs, including communal violence in Bombay [Mumbai]Affairs concerning Princely States, including internal administration and succession of local rulersTelegraphic communication, including a proposed telegraphic link with the Andaman Islands and issues affecting telegraph lines in Persia [Iran]Emigration from India to South Africa, British Guiana [Guyana], Mauritius and Réunion, the Straits Settlements, and the CaribbeanMilitary affairs, including frontier outposts, the supply and organisation of military units, and outbreaks of disease among troopsFrontier affairs, including a proposed campaign against the Duffla [Nyishi] tribes on the Northeast Frontier and negotiations with the Mahsud Wazir [Maḥsūd] tribe on the Northwest FrontierForeign relations of the Government of India, including: relations with Burmah [Burma/Myanmar], Siam [Thailand], Afghanistan, and Thibet [Tibet]; the missions of Thomas Forsyth and Robert Shaw to Yarkund [Yarkant]; and a proposed mission to Yunan [Yunnan Province]The activities of rival colonial powers, including French activity in Burmah and the Russian advance into Central AsiaAffairs in Afghanistan, in particular the rebellion of Yakoob Khan [Muḥammad Ya’qūb Khān, Governor of Herat] against his father Sher Ali [Shīr-’Alī Khān, Amīr of Afghanistan]Affairs in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, including: the Zanzibar Subsidy paid by the Government of India to the Sultan Syud Toorkee [Turkī bin Sa’īd Āl Bū Sa’īd]; challenges to the rule of the Sultan from Syud Salem [Sālim bin Thuwainī Āl Bū Saʿīd] in Gwadur [Gwadar], Saleh bin Ali [Ṣāliḥ bin ‘Alī al-Ḥārithī] in Muttra [Matrah], and Ibrahim bin Ghes [Ibrāhīm bin Qays Āl Bū Sa’īd]; and an expedition by the Sultan against the Ghaffrees [al-Ghāfirī tribal confederation] in Nezwa [Nizwa] and Ziki [Izki]Turkish [Ottoman] activity in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, in particular suspected Turkish designs on the Trucial Coast and interference in the Aden Protectorate from Turkish authorities in YemenAffairs in the Aden Protectorate, including: the trade in enslaved people in Hodeida [Al Hudaydah]; the aftermath of a rebellion in the Lahej Sultanate; the defences of Aden; and conflict between the Kayatee [al-Qu‘ayṭī] and Katheree [al-Kathīrī] states involving Arab soldiers from HyderabadAffairs in Persia, including the resignation and reinstatement of the Grand Vizier [Mīrzā Ḥusayn Khān Mushīr al-Dawlah], the cancellation of the Reuter Concession, the proposed Slave Trade Convention, and the issue of the Seistan [Sistan] borderAffairs in Bahrein [Bahrain], including: a petition from a group of exiles led by Nasir bin Mobarik [Nāṣir bin Mubārak Āl Khalīfa] claiming Turkish protection, requesting permission to return to Bahrein, and demanding the release of prisoners held in India following the 1869 conflict in Bahrein; and a threatened attack on Bahrein by the Beni Hajir [Banū Hājir] tribe from Nejd [Najd]Affairs in East Africa, including: slavery in Zanzibar and Mombassa [Mombasa]; suspected Egyptian and Turkish designs on Berbera; the traffic of arms to Abyssinia [Ethiopia]; the death of the missionary Dr David Livingstone; and the proposed construction of lighthouses in the Red SeaAffairs in Baghdad, including: disputes with Redif Pasha [Radīf Pāshā, Governor of Baghdad] concerning salutes and navigation rights of British ships on the Euphrates; and attempted Turkish conscription of Bahreinees [Baharna people] and Cashmeerees [Kashmiris] in Baghdad Vilayet.The primary correspondents are:The Government of India (Home, Foreign, Financial, Revenue, Public Works, Legislative, Judicial, Railway, Marine, and Education departments)The Governor-General of IndiaThe Resident in BushireThe Resident in AdenThe Political Agent in Zanzibar.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 272; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
4. ‘1900. THE LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON. TELEGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA.’
- Description:
- Abstract: This volume consists of printed copies of telegraphic correspondence, dated 1 January to 31 December 1900, of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, with Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of State for India.The start of the volume contains a detailed index of names, places and subjects (ff 2-8). This is followed by telegrams from the Secretary of State for India to Lord Curzon, numbered 1-489 (ff 9-75) and telegrams from Lord Curzon to the Secretary of State for India, numbered 1-502 (ff 77-162).A wide variety of subjects are covered, including matters relating to the following:The Aden Protectorate, notably Turkish [Ottoman] ‘encroachments’ on Haushabi [al-Ḥawshabī] territoryThe war in South Africa [the South African War or Second Boer War in Southern Africa, 1899-1902]Army matters, such as the recall of officers of the Indian Army from furloughBoer prisoners of war, including the proposal to send them to Ceylon [Sri Lanka]Russian ‘designs’ upon Bunder Abbas [Bandar Abbas]The Burma [or Myanmar]-China boundaryThe China Expeditionary Force [Gaselee Expedition], notably arms and ammunition, estimated cost, hospital and medical arrangements, and the rank and position of General Sir Alfred Gaselee within the ForceThe replacement of the Garrison at Hong KongCurrency, including proposed measures to address the serious scarcity of rupees, the Paper Currency Act Amendment Bill, the purchase and shipment of silver from England, the release of gold, and the shipment of gold to EnglandFamine [the Indian famine of 1899-1900], notably famine and cholera in the Bombay Presidency, crop prospects and relief works, and composition of the Famine CommissionHonours, including the Queen’s Birthday HonoursKoweit [Kuwait], in particular a dispute with Nejd [Najd]Loans, including applications from Native States [Princely States] for loans for famine relief purposes, and a loan to the Nizam of HyderabadMaskat [Muscat], notably a site for a French coal-shed, and the actions of the Sultan of Muskat regarding the use of French flags by his subjectsRailways in British India and the Uganda RailwayRussia, in particular Russian ‘designs’ on the Persian Gulf.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 162; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.Pagination: the volume also contains two original printed pagination sequences.
5. '1902. THE LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON. TELEGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA.'
- Description:
- Abstract: This volume comprises printed copies of telegraphic correspondence, dated 1 January-31 December 1902, of Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, with Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of State for India.The beginning of the volume contains a detailed index of names, places and subjects (ff 4-15). This is followed by telegrams from the Secretary of State for India to Lord Curzon, numbered 1-588 (ff 18-97) and telegrams from Lord Curzon to the Secretary of State for India, numbered 1-584 (ff 99-198).A wide variety of subjects are covered, including matters relating to:The Aden Protectorate, notably the delimitation of the Aden boundary and relations with Turkey [Ottoman Empire]Afghanistan, including the Amir [Amīr Ḥabībullāh Khān] and Russian relations with AfghanistanThe Army in IndiaBerar [also known as the Hyderabad Assigned Districts], particularly relations with the Nizam of Hyderabad [Asaf Jah VI]Military operations of the Boer War 1899-1902Boer prisoners of war in IndiaChina, including the evacuation of British troops from ShanghaiA ceremony to mark the Coronation of King Edward VII (as King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India) including the Delhi Coronation DurbarThe famine in IndiaFinancial and administrative mattersRecommendations and awards of Honours of the United Kingdom to the British Indian Army and Government and to indigenous Indian rulers and dignitaries, including Coronation HonoursThe Koweit [Kuwait] Protectorate, including relations with TurkeyBritish policy in Persia [Iran]The establishment of a Police Commission in IndiaConstruction and extension of railways in British IndiaBritish relations with Russia notably in connection with India, Persia, Afghanistan, China and TibetMilitary operations in the Somaliland Protectorate [the Republic of Somaliland]British policy in Tibet.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 198; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.Pagination: the volume also contains two original printed pagination sequences.
6. Coll 28/29 ‘Persia. Russia. Russian Refugees in Persia.’
- Description:
- Abstract: Correspondence and papers collected in response to an influx of refugees arriving in the northern provinces of Persia [Iran] from Soviet Russia, reaching a peak during 1932 and 1933, as a result of a chronic famine affecting parts of southern Russia.Extracts from consular diaries and intelligence summaries, submitted by the British Consulates and Vice Consulates at Meshed [Mashhad] (Lieutenant-Colonel Cyril Charles Johnson Barrett; Major L G W Hamber; Major Clive Kirkpatrick Daly), Tabriz (Clarence Edward Stanhope Palmer) and Resht [Rasht] (Archibald William Davis).Reports and memoranda on refugees from Russia in Persia (their numbers, condition, treatment at the hands of Russian and Persian authorities, movements) compiled by British officials at Meshed, Tabriz and Resht, and submitted to Government by the British Legation in Tehran (Reginald Hervey Hoare).Correspondence exchanged between India Office and Foreign Office representatives in response to the reports received from Persia, discussing what actions might be taken.Many of the reports and correspondence provide evidence of British officials’ suspicions of Communist (or Bolshevik) conspirators amongst the refugees, whom they suspect of intending to foment unrest in Persia. The papers also give indication of the various different ethnic groups and peoples comprising the refugees from Russia (including Turcoman [Turkmen], Armenian, Khirgis [Kyrgyz], Bukharan Jewish), and differences in the treatment and movements of these different groups, including, for example, Bukharan Jewish refugees’ attempts to obtain visas for travel to Palestine.The file contains a single item of correspondence in French, being a copy of a letter from the Secretary General of the League of Nations (f 9).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 205; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
7. Correspondence from Sir William Lockyer Merewether, Commissioner in Sind to Lewis Pelly, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf
- Description:
- Abstract: Letters from William Lockyer Merewether to Lewis Pelly discussing affairs in the Persian Gulf, Muscat, Kelat [Kalāt], Afghanistan, India, Europe and Britain.Discussion on affairs in Muscat covers the period 1866 to 1872 and includes Syud Salem [Salim II bin Thuwaini]'s attempts to consolidate power as Sultan 1866-1868; Colonel Herbert Disbrowe, Political Agent at Muscat's actions whilst in post and his subsequent removal from there; and Torkee [Turki bin Said]'s attempts to consolidate his power as Sultan 1868-1872, including threats from Sheikh Nazir and Azzan bin Qais, and his eventual recognition by the British Government in 1871. Also discussed are ideas for the final separation of Muscat and Zanzibar including possible ways of settling the outstanding question of the Zanzibar Subsidy.The situations at Gwadur [Gwadar] and Chabar [Chabahar] are also discussed in the correspondence, with particular focus on Sheikh Nazir and Abd'al Aziz al-Said, both of whom held the position of Governor of Gwadur during this time, and also Abd'al Aziz's attempts at taking control of Chabar.Affairs in the Persian Gulf are also discussed including the increase in trade in the region, the problems with the lack of available vessels of war; the handling of affairs in Bahrein [Bahrain] and Bunder Abbass [Bandar Abbas]; appointments to vacant positions in the Gulf and also focusing on the Persian Famine in 1871 with thoughts on the need for relief, the sickness and suffering being experienced, the failure of the Persian Government to react quickly to the situation, the lack of available grain and the high prices of Indian grain for sale. The ongoing difficulty of relations with the Persian Government are also discussed, along with thoughts on the British representative at Tehran Charles Alison, and the desire for Persian relations to be handled by the Government of India instead of the Foreign Office.There is discussion on affairs in Kelat, including the Khan of Kelat's actions and relations with both local chiefs in Beloochistan [Baluchistan] and the British Government. The correspondence primarily focuses on the actions of Colonel Robert Phayre and Captain (later Major) Robert Sandeman who are both accused of meddling and interfering in the affairs of Kelat in direct violation of their orders, resulting in Phayre being removed from his position as Superintendent of Sind in 1871.News from Europe and Britain is also reported on, including the instability of the British Government 1869-1871 including attempts to remove Benjamin Disraeli from power in 1869 and the likely dissolution of William Gladstone's government in 1871 and the likelihood of a coalition government being formed; also reported on is the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the situation in Italy with regard to Venetia; the Alabama Claims brought by the Uinited States of America against the United Kingdom in 1869 and their resolution; and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 including its beginnings, thoughts on Otto von Bismark's strategy against Napoleon III, the situation in France post war and Adolphe Thiers as the new President of France.Other matters discussed in the correspondence include the work of Frederic John Goldsmid in attempting to resolve the Persian boundary dispute over Sistan; the challenge to the rulership of Najd between Abdalla ibn Faisal ibn Turki and Said ibn Faisal ibn Turki along with Turkish involvement in Wahhabi affairs; extensions of the telegraph at Chahabar; Henjam; Musandam and Jask in 1868; Sayyide Salme (later Emily Ruete)'s escape from Zanzibar to Aden on the British vessel Highflyer; and news of Hormuzd Rassam's journey to Abysinnia [Tanzania] to attempt to secure the release of hostages being held by the King of Abysinnia and his subsequent capture and imprisonment there.The cover sheet (folio 1) which was most likely written by a member of staff in the India Office in the 1920s, records that the file contains correspondence from Colonel Sir William Lockyer Merewether to Sir Lewis Pelly, 1867-1872, mostly written at Karachi. The cover sheet also notes that Merewether was Chief Commissioner of Sind 1868-1877 and a Member of the Council of India 1877-1880 and that he died in 1880.Physical description: Foliation: The contents of the file have been foliated using a pencil number in the bottom right hand corner of the recto of each folio.
8. File 179/1917 ‘Persia: famine relief‘
- Description:
- Abstract: Correspondence and other papers relating to the famine that affected Persia [Iran] during the First World War (specifically the years 1917 and 1918) and attempts made by British officials in Persia to alleviate the effects of famine. The file includes: reports from British officials of famine conditions in Shiraz (from early 1917), Meshed [Mashhad] (January 1918) and Tehran (February 1918); speculation concerning the impact of British and Indian troops in Persia on food shortages; arrangements for the import of 1,000 tonnes of flour to Shiraz from India; the subsidy of bakers in Shiraz; discussion of how the costs of the relief effort should be split between the British and Indian Governments; food relief at Hamadan, including for Russian soldiers; relief at Ispahan [Isfahan] for Armenian refugees. Much of the correspondence makes clear the ‘valuable political effect that would result from extended relief work carried out under British auspices’ (f 82), that the British Government hoped could be obtained by it being seen to be helping a Persian population affected by famine. The file’s principal correspondents include: HM’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Tehran, Charles Murray Marling; the Foreign Office; HM Treasury.The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (f 4).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 163; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.