1. 'Recent events in Persia.'

Description:

Abstract: This file consists of a report, written by Sir Arthur Hirtzel, Political Secretary, India Office, which provides the British perspective on recent events in Persia, from mid-1916 to early 1917. The report is divided into sections using headings, which cover the following locations: Tehran, Ispahan, Fars, Bushire, Kerman, Seistan and Khorassan.The report discusses the threat posed to Britain's position in Persia, mainly by Turkish troops, but also by tribal groups which are reportedly under the influence of German agitators.The report states that the Persian Government has acquiesced in the formation of a force [South Persia Rifles] commanded by Sir Percy Sykes, which will be incorporated into the Persian army and will amount to 11,000 men.The report concludes that the situation across Persia is 'in the highest degree unstable', with Turkish forces occupying 30,000 square miles of Persian territory.The report is followed by a cutting from the Daily Telegraph, dated 21 February 1917, which reports on a House of Lords session from the previous day, in which Earl Curzon [George Nathaniel Curzon] is reported to have spoken about Sir Percy Sykes's mission, and to have described the improvement in the general situation in Persia as considerable.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 68, and terminates at f 74, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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 A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

2. 'British Interests in Persia and the South Persia Military Police.'

Description:

Abstract: This file consists of a report which is dated 20 June 1916 and is attributed to Richard Alexander Steel, Military Attaché of the Indian Army. The report concerns British interests in Persia and the recent formation of the South Persia Military Police (abbreviated to SPMP in this file and later known as the South Persia Rifles).The report begins with a brief summary of the events leading up to the present situation, before summarising both the Russian and the British position in Persia. The report describes the circumstances in which the SPMP was formed, and then goes on to provide suggestions for how the force should be organised and distributed. Steel advises that the force embrace the whole of the so-called neutral sphere, and also suggests that it would be 'sheer folly to economize in the number of British officers employed.'The report is followed by two appendices. The first appendix, dated 19 June 1916 and also written by Steel, provides available information regarding the SPMP, including its objectives, details of its personnel, and its financial details (Steel anticipates that half of its expenses will be borne by the Government of India and the other half by the Imperial Government).The second appendix, dated 12 April 1914 and also attributed to Steel, is an abstract of the budget of the Government Gendarmerie, Persia, for 1914-1915. This appendix has two appendices of its own: the first is a summary of Gendarmerie forces as proposed in the preceding budget; the second appendix provides details of the pay of Persian ranks and of the initial cost and upkeep of horses, uniform, equipment and saddlery.A third appendix to the initial report is listed in the contents; however, this appendix has been transferred to another file.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 79, and terminates at f 107, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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.

3. 'Persia. Incidence of (1) Cost of South Persia Rifles and (2) Political Expenditure in Persia.'

Description:

Abstract: This file consists of a report relating both to the cost of the South Persia Rifles and to the overall political expenditure in Persia. Specifically, the file is concerned with how such costs should be shared between the Government of India and the Treasury.The report is mostly comprised of a note by William Robinson, Secretary to the Financial Department of the India Office, which is dated 15 September 1917 and written in response to the Viceroy's Financial Department's telegram of 8 June 1917. Robinson's note is followed by a shorter note by Sir Stephen George Sale, Legal Adviser, India Office, dated 4 October 1917.Robinson's note responds to assertions made by the Comptroller and Auditor-General in India [Sir Reginald Arthur Gamble] that the existing arrangement between the Government of India and the Treasury in relation to the incidence of expenditure on the South Persia Rifles (also referred to as the South Persian Rifles in this file) is unfair to the Government of India.Robinson summarises the existing arrangement, which is based on the understanding that diplomatic and consular expenditure in Persia should be shared equally between the British Indian and Imperial Governments. Robinson goes on to recount that this arrangement has in practice been applied to various other kinds of expenditure, including the costs of the South Persia Rifles and the allocation of subsidies and loans to the Persian Government. Robinson concludes that the half-and-half principle, as applied both to the costs of the South Persia Rifles and to the subsidies and loans, is both reasonable and legal. In his note, Sale opines that if Robinson is correct in concluding that neither case should be classified as military expenditure then both should be regarded as civil expenditure undertaken for the purposes of the good government of India.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 122, and terminates at f 125, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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.Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

4. 'Persia: Division of Charges.'

Description:

Abstract: This file consists of a note from the Political Department, India Office, on the division of charges relating to Persia between the British Home Government and the Government of India.The note recounts how charges have been divided between the two since the Report of the Indian Expenditure Commission (better known as the Welby Commission) was published in 1900. The Welby Commission proposed a principle of equal division, which was put into practice from 1900 onwards. In 1917 the issue of Persian charges was re-examined in relation to the costs of the South Persia Rifles and the Seistan Levy Corps respectively (the cost of the former was divided equally, whilst the latter was deemed chargeable to Imperial revenues).The note goes on to cite other cases that have recently required consideration: relief measures in Persia and the construction of the Bunder Abbas-Kerman road and telegraph line. In both cases the Secretary of State in Council proposed that the expenses be divided equally.The note concludes with a quotation from a note recorded by the former Secretary of State for India [Joseph Austen Chamberlain] on 22 June 1916, accepting the principle of half charges.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 157, and terminates at f 157, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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.Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

5. 'Report by H. E. General Lord Rawlinson of Trent, Commander-in-Chief in India, on the Minor Military Operations undertaken by the South Persia Rifles from November 1919 to November 1921'

Description:

Abstract: The file consists of a report by Henry Seymour Rawlinson, Commander-in-Chief in India, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Army Department on minor operations undertaken by the South Persia Rifles, November 1919 to November 1921.It includes: command appointments; operations, with statistics for killed and wounded; and the disbandment of the South Persia Rifles.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 3; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.

6. 'Despatch by Brigadier-General Sir P. M. Sykes, K.C.I.E., C.M.G., Inspector-General, South Persia Rifles and Commanding British Mission Escort in Persia on Minor Operations in Southern Persia. From 7th November 1917 to 31st March 1918'

Description:

Abstract: The file consists of a despatch on minor operations in southern Persia by the South Persia Rifles from 7th November 1917 to 31st March 1918, compiled by Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes, Inspector-General South Persia Rifles and commanding British Mission Escort in Persia, to the Chief of the General Staff, Army Headquarters, Simla.Topics include: administration; supplies; garrisons; training; transport; medical; personnel; and moral.Details are also given concerning: tours of the Inspector-General; arrangements for the detachment of troops; attacks on military camps and convoys; military actions; skirmishes against robbers; and unit statistics.Also includes two maps:folio 18 - Map A 'MOVEMENTS OF COLUMN 22-1-18'folio 19 - Map B 'MAP SHOWING MOVEMENTS OF COLUMN ON 24th and 27th JANUARY 1918'Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 20; 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.

7. 'Mesopotamia Administrative Council. Control of South Persian Rifles.'

Description:

Abstract: This file concerns control of the South Persian Rifles [South Persia Rifles]. The file consists of the following seven telegrams, which were submitted to the War Cabinet:Secretary of State for India [Joseph Austen Chamberlain] to the Viceroy of India [Frederic John Napier Thesiger], 19 March 1917;Sir Charles Murray Marling, British Minister at Tehran, to Lord Hardinge [Charles Hardinge, former Viceroy of India], 23 April 1917;Viceroy of India [Frederic John Napier Thesiger], addressed to Sir Percy Sykes and repeated to the British Minster at Tehran and the Secretary of State for India, 25 April 1917;Secretary of State for India to the Viceroy of India, 14 May 1917;Viceroy of India to the Secretary of State for India, 19 May 1917;Sir Charles Murray Marling, British Minister at Tehran, to the Government of India, 13 June 1917;Sir Charles Murray Marling, British Minister at Tehran, to the Government of India, 13 June 1917.The telegrams are concerned with how and by whom the South Persian Rifles should be controlled. In his telegram of 14 May 1917, the Secretary of State for India informs the Viceroy of India that the Foreign Office has proposed that all technical questions regarding the organisation, distribution, and handling of the force should be placed under the Government of India's control, and that the British Legation at Tehran should decide for what purpose force is to be used, as well all matters involving political interests.In his telegram of 19 May 1917, the Viceroy argues that the Government of India cannot accept responsibility for the organisation and distribution of the South Persian Rifles unless it is invested with full authority to decide the purposes for which force is to be used.Sir Charles Murray Marling, in his telegrams dated 13 June 1917, argues that greater freedom should be given to the Inspector-General of the South Persian Rifles [Sir Percy Sykes], both in financial matters and in the appointment of Persian and British officers. He suggests that the only possible way of making a success of the South Persian Rifles is to make it a truly Persian force to be used by the Persian Government.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 108, and terminates at f 109, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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.Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

8. 'Sir Percy Sykes's Position. Viceroy's Telegram of 28 February 1917. Note by Political Secretary, India Office.'

Description:

Abstract: This file consists of a note which concerns Sir Percy Sykes's position as commander of the South Persian Rifles [South Persia Rifles]. The note, written by the Secretary to the Political Department, India Office [Sir Arthur Hirtzel], is written in response to a telegram, dated 28 February 1917 and attributed to the Viceroy of India [Frederic John Napier Thesiger].The note responds to points made in the telegram, particularly those which discuss Sykes's judgement as a commander and the circumstances in which Kazerun and Dashtarjin [Dashtestan] were captured by rebel forces in December 1917.The note also refers to the Viceroy's estimations for the South Persian Rifles' budget for 1917-18; it concludes that a great deal too much money is being spent, and that Sykes's accounts ought to be audited.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 75, and terminates at f 76, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

9. Telegrams Relating to the South Persia Rifles

Description:

Abstract: This file concerns control of the South Persian Rifles [South Persia Rifles]. It consists of the following telegrams:Secretary of State for India [Joseph Austen Chamberlain] to the Viceroy of India [Frederic John Napier Thesiger], 9 January 1917;Viceroy of India to the Secretary of State for India, 21 January 1917;Secretary of State for India to the Viceroy of India, 25 January 1917;Secretary of State for India to the Viceroy of India, 30 January 1917;Viceroy of India to the Secretary of State for India and repeated to the British Minister at Tehran [Sir Charles Murray Marling], 6 February 1917.The telegrams are primarily concerned with how and by whom the South Persian Rifles should be controlled. In his telegram of 9 January 1917, the Secretary of State for India informs the Viceroy that the War Cabinet, having concluded that operations around Shiraz have assumed a military character, is of the opinion that the forces commanded by Sir Percy Sykes, including the South Persian Rifles, should be placed under the control of the Government of India.The Viceroy, in his telegram dated 21 January 1917, advises that the force be placed under the control of the Commander-in-Chief in India, who would nominate an experienced General to exercise command. The Viceroy suggests that the Commander-in-Chief's authority would be subject to instructions received from the Government of India, under the orders of the Home Government (and after reference, when necessary, to the British Minister at Teheran [Tehran]).In the telegram dated 30 January 1917, the Secretary of State for India states that the War Cabinet is reluctant to supersede Sykes, on the grounds that he is an officer with exceptional knowledge of Persia. The Viceroy's telegram of 6 February 1917, whilst recognising Sykes's political qualifications, questions his military knowledge.Other, more immediate matters relating to the South Persian Rifles are also discussed, including co-ordination between forces at Shiraz and Bushire, and the reinforcement of Sykes's troops at Shiraz.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 110, and terminates at f 111, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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.Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

10. Memorandum by the Chief of Imperial General Staff and a Minute by Edmund George Barrow and John Evelyn Shuckburgh, on the Situation in Southern Persia

Description:

Abstract: This file concerns attacks made against the South Persian Rifles [South Persia Rifles] by members of Persian tribes at Kazerun and Dashtistan [Dashtestan] (also spelled as 'Dasht-i-Arjun' and 'Dashtarjin' in the file), and the possibility of sending troops from Bushire.The file consists of a memorandum, dated 25 December 1916, by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) [William Robertson], and a minute, dated 27 December 1916 and written in response to the memorandum, by Edmund George Barrow, Military Secretary, India Office, and John Evelyn Shuckburgh, India Office.The memorandum proposes that control of the South Persian Rifles, commanded by Sir Percy Sykes, should be placed under the Commander-in-Chief in India, Sir Charles Carmichael Monro.The minute, which follows on from the memorandum, disagrees with some of its points. It argues that it is not quite fair to suggest that the failure to deal with the situation in Southern Persia was due solely to a lack of machinery, and suggests that a lack of resources was also a contributing factor. However, the minute does agree with the memorandum's proposal of placing the South Persian Rifles under the control of the Commander-in-Chief in India, so long as military action is taken with due regard both to political and diplomatic considerations and to the views of His Majesty's diplomatic representatives; the minute also advises that the Commander-in-Chief in India should invariably act in consultation with the Viceroy of India [Frederic John Napier Thesiger].Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 40, and terminates at f 45, as it is part of a larger physical volume; 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.

11. File 1000/1918 Pt 3 'Persia: situation & policy'

Description:

Abstract: The item contains correspondence regarding affairs in Persia [Iran] in May-November 1918 during the First World War, including:Military actions within Persia, particularly those in northern Persia involving Dunsterforce, the Allied military force commanded by General Lionel DunstervilleThe resignation of the Persian Government and the formation of a new Government under Vosug-ed-Dowleh [Mīrzā Ḥasan Khān, Vus̠ūq al-Dawlah] as Prime MinisterDiscussions over the future of the South Persia Rifles, a Persian military force under British commandThe Turkish [Ottoman] seizure of Tabriz and later withdrawal from PersiaThe arrest in Resht [Rasht] of the British Vice-Consul by the Jangalis [Jungle Movement of Gilan], a Soviet-supported Islamist group in rebellion against the Government of Persia.The primary correspondents are: HM Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia; the Government of India; the Foreign Office; the India Office; the War Office; Chief of the General Staff, India; Commander of the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force; HM Ambassador to the United States of America; the Military Attaché, Tehran; and General Dunsterville.Physical description: 1 item (315 folios)

12. File 464/1917 Pt 2 'Persia: Bushire hinterland situation'

Description:

Abstract: The volume contains papers relating to the situation in the Bushire [Bushehr] hinterland, including Shiraz, in Southern Persia [Iran]. It includes papers relating to:The rebellion in Tangistan.Proposed improvements to Bushire roads.The deportation to Bushire of the Europeans and Indians arrested at Shiraz.The desirability or otherwise of negotiating with the khans of the Bushire hinterland hostile to the British.Negotiations by Farman Farma (Governor General of Fars) and Soulet ed Dowlah (the Ilkhani of the Kashgai tribe) with hostile khans.Surprise attacks made on the Southern Persia Rifles [South Persia Rifles] at Kazerun and Dashtarjin.The question of whether to appoint a General Officer to take over command of operations in Southern Persia from Sir Percy Sykes, or whether to leave Sykes in control of the Indian troops in Fars and the Southern Persia Rifles, provided that there would be attached to him a military officer of field rank experienced in tribal warfare, to whom Sykes would delegate military operations and executive command in the field.Measures for keeping the trade routes between Bushire and Shiraz open.The papers mainly consist of India Office Minute Papers, India Office internal correspondence, and the following correspondence:Correspondence between the India Office and the Foreign Office.Copies of Foreign Office correspondence with Sir Charles Murray Marling, H M Minister Tehran, and other correspondents, sent to the India Office.Correspondence between the India Office and the War Office.Correspondence between the India Office and the Government of India, and copies of Government of India Foreign and Political Department, Marine Department, and Army Department correspondence sent to the India Office.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.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 297; these numbers are written in pencil and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.