Abstract: Copies of correspondence and other papers relating to British Government officials’ response to the deteriorating state of relations between the Persian Government and the Imperial Bank of Persia, in light of the Persian Government’s imposition of restraints upon the bank (such as monopoly laws, restrictions on foreign trade), seen as benefitting the new National bank of Iran (or Bank Melli Iran).The file’s key correspondents are: representatives of the Government of Persia, including the Persian Minister of Finance (Taqizadeh Hassan) and the Persian Foreign Minister (Mirza Mohamad Ali Khan Feroughi); representatives of the Imperial Bank of Persia (E Wilkinson, E M Eldrid, Ord Adams Butters); British Government officials in Persia (Robert Henry Clive, Charles Dodd, Hughe Montgomery Knatchbull-Hugesson). Some of the file’s papers are in French.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 123; 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 2-122; these numbers are also written in pencil and circled, but are crossed through.
Abstract: Reports on the general economic situation in Persia [Iran] as reported by staff at the British Legation in Tehran. The file includes: newspaper cuttings and typewritten extracts of articles in the Persian press (chiefly
Le Messager de Teheran); budget statements issued by the Persian Government; statements of accounts published by the Banque Nationale de Perse (also referred to as the National Bank of Persia, later the Bank Melli Iran); reports from the Persian Board of Currency Control.Subjects of note covered by the volume include: the transfer of the monopoly of banknote issue from the Imperial Bank of Persia to the Banque Nationale de Perse; the Persian Government’s decision to change from a silver to gold standard in 1930, and the effect in Persia of Britain’s abandonment of the gold standard in the following year; the Persian Government’s appointment of Belgian financial experts to the Persian Treasury; a crisis in Persian currency exchange regulation, the Persian Government’s monopoly control on foreign trade, and the impact of both upon British subjects and commercial concerns in Persia; annual budgets of the Persian Government; the affairs of the National Bank of Persia during 1932-33, including allegations of financial wrongdoing by its German directors, Otto Vogel and Kurt Lindenblatt; Lindenblatt’s conviction and imprisonment in Persia; the appointment of another German, Walter Horschitz-Horst, as director of the bank; financial arrangements of the Trans-Persian Railway.The file’s principal correspondents are: HM’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Robert Henry Clive, Reginald Hervey Hoare; the Commercial Secretary at the British Legation in Tehran, Eric Ralph Lingeman.The volume includes a large number of items in French, including newspaper cuttings and reports and correspondence issued by the Persian Government and Banque Nationale de Perse.The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 413; 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.
Abstract: Printed and typewritten monthly reports submitted by the British Consul for Khuzistan [Khūzestān] (Herbert Reginald Dauphin Gybbon-Monypenny; Arnold Edwards Watkinson; Alfred John Gardener) to the India Office. The reports, which evolve over time from one-page summaries to comprehensive documents consisting of up to twenty-five sheets, cover a range of affairs taking place in the west Persian [Iran] province, and its chief towns of Ahwaz [Ahvāz] and Mohammerah [Khorramshahr]:British interests, including the movements of British consular, military and naval officials, individuals involved in commercial concerns, the activities of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) at Abadan and elsewhere, and the activities of the Mesopotamia Persia Corporation Limited.Persian administration, including the movements, appointments and actions of Persian officials, and general Government administration.Foreign interests (including Soviet, Iraqi, Japanese, French, German, American) with an emphasis on trade and shipping movements at Mohammerah.Persian military affairs, including army, conscription, police, the Anmieh (rural police), air force, navy.Internal affairs, including security (robberies and raids in the region, smuggling), the activities of the region’s tribes, including the Bakhtiari, judicial affairs.Public health, including outbreaks of cholera and deaths caused by the hot weather.Public works, covering roads, railways, bridges, municipal improvements, ports, posts and telegraphs.Agricultural activity and locust reports.Trade and commerce, including customs, the National Bank of Persia, industry, Persian monopoly companies.Weather reports.The reports also mention historical events of note, including: the Silver Jubilee and death of King George V; modernisation in Persia/Iran, including changes in dress (the adoption of ‘European hats’, the removal of ladies’ veils), and changes to place names.Earlier reports are enclosed with minute papers containing handwritten notes written by India Office staff, summarising points of interest in the reports. In many instances the handwritten notes are labelled a, b, c, etc., which refer to pencil annotations in the margins of the reports.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 766; 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 two leading and ending flyleaves.
Abstract: Papers reporting on the financial situation in Persia [Iran] sent by staff at the British Legation at Tehran (Hughe Montgomery Knatchbull-Hugessen; Horace James Seymour; Nevile Montagu Butler) to the Foreign Office, London. The letters frequently refer to reports or statements produced by the Government of Iran, or the Bank Melli Iran (the National Bank of Iran, also referred to in the volume as the Banque Mellié Iran, or Bank Mellié Iran) that were enclosed with the originals, which are not included in the file. However, many of the letters do contain summary descriptions and commentaries of the items that were enclosed.The reports include:summaries of the general economic situation in PersiaPersian currency and exchange problemsthe economic situation and actions of the Bank Melli Iran, and the Government of IranPersia’s gold and silver reserves, in relation to coinage and notesannual reports issued by the Bank Melli Irantranslated copies of reports from the Board of Control of ReservesIranian budget announcementsGovernment receipts and expenditure on various economic sectors including industry, railways, agricultureThe volume includes numerous cuttings and typewritten extracts taken from the newspapers
Le Journal de Teheran, and
Le Messager de Teheran, all of which are in French. Also included is an annual report in French (
Bilan de L’Exercise) for the Bank Melli Iran, published 20 March 1937 (ff 24-42).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 190; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The front and back covers, along with the two leading and two ending flyleaves, have not been foliated.
Abstract: Papers reporting on the financial situation in Iran, sent by staff at the British Legation at Tehran (Horace James Seymour; Reader William Bullard) to the Foreign Office, London. The file is a direct chronological continuation of Coll 28/3 ‘Persia. Financial situation’ (IOR/L/PS/12/3394).The file includes:Covering letters enclosing copies of the monthly
Bulletin, produced by the Bank Melli Iran (also referred to as the Mellié Iran Bank, and Banque Mellié Iran). The copies of
Bulletinare not included in the file (although some front covers do survive), however the covering letters give short summaries of their lead articles.Details and estimates for Iran’s annual budgets, with numerous statistical tables.Correspondence dated December 1939 to February 1940 relating to irrevocable documentary confirmed credits (irrevocable letters of credit) opened by Bank Melli Iran through banks in India (ff 356-361).Copies of laws passed by the Iranian Parliament, including a law relating to war credits and treasury bills (in French, f 334), a Law for the Prevention of Hoarding (ff 325-329) and an Income Tax Law (ff 262-271).Correspondence and budget reports dated 1943-1944, produced during the takeover of the administration of Iran’s Finance Ministry by a mission from the United States, led by Arthur Chester Millspaugh.At the front of the file (ff 4-200) are fourteen monthly reports of the Administrator General of the Finances of Iran (Millspaugh), produced according to the Solar Hijri calender, and dating from Ordibehesht 1322 (equivalent to the Gregorian calendar date of 22 April to 22 May 1943) to Mehr 1323 (23 September to 22 October 1944). The reports, which also contain lists of staff of the Iranian Ministry of Finance and its connected organisations, summarise Iranian finances. Many of the reports contain a map of Iran (for example, folio 185), showing borders, roads and railways, major towns and cities, and districts, which are numbered 1 to 10.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 408; 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.
Abstract: The file is chiefly comprised of copies, or parts of copies, of
Bulletin, a bi-monthly report published by the Bank Melli Iran:a complete copy of
Bulletinno. 81, Vol XIII April–May 1946 (ff 92-165)a complete copy of
Bulletinno. 84, Vol XIII October–November 1946 (ff 6-65)a supplement to
BulletinNo. 82 entitled
Iran’s Development Plan(ff 76-88)front covers and contents pages to a number of other issues of
Bulletin(nos. 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 82 and 83)The two complete copies of
Bulletininclude reports and data on: foreign trade; foreign exchange rates; prices of gold and silver; weekly rates of exchange on the London market; money situation; details of bank rates of discounts; cost of living index for Iran; indexes of wholesale prices at Tehran; commodity prices; tables of Iranian coinage; lists of companies registered in the previous year.At the rear of the file, enclosed with a letter dated 21 January 1946 from the British Ambassador at Tehran (Reader William Bullard) is an English translation of the General State Budget (Allotments), tabled by the Iranian Minister of Finance on 23 December 1945 (ff 185-187).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 187; 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.