Page 361 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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the instance of Bolooch Chief, Mcor Abdullah bin Morad Mahomed, tho lately imposed yoke
of Persia iH borne with impatience and a Beiise of wrong. Tho Chiefs Din Mahomed of
Gwcttur and Lala Midyan of Jeoni are described as independent. The sovereignty of Gwadur
is a smouldering matter of contest between the Khan of Khelat and the Sultan of Muscat,
whilst assuredly both the Khan of Khelat and tho .lam of Bela would feel aggrieved acre the
protensions of their enemy (Persia to receive counlcnanco through any overtures made by tho
British Government to the Shah). There is neither distinction nor certainty therefore in the
relations between Persia and the Chiefs of this long tract of country.
“ Under these circumstances, IIis Excclleucy tho Governor-General in Council (hems it
unadvisable to request the Minister at Tehran to ask permission to negotiate with the Chiefs
of tho coast of Mckran, for such a course must expose our Minister to be called upon to explain
what it is exactly that wo request, and what points of the coast we consider as being under
Persian sovereignty. The discussion would afford an opportunity, of which tho Shah's
Government would certainly avail itself, for assorting claims winch we are not in a condition
cither to admit or to deny, and any unduo admission would, as Mr. Badger observes, be
fraught with t-eiions consequences. Influenced by these considerations, the Viceroy in Council
docs not deem it prudent, although hereafter there may arise reason suflicicnt for braving
these difficulties, now to take the liist step in a negotiation which is likely to be very
embarrassing to ourselves, and perhaps injurious, borne day, to the Chiefs whom we wish to
conciliate and serve.
“ The Governor General in Council has therefore preferred, as will be seen by the enclosed
copy of the letter addressed to our Minister at Tehran, to abstain from making any request of
tho Persian Government, and lias asked the British Ambassador, without making any overtures
to ascertain how far along the coast Persia's claims to sovereignty extend, aud what kind
and degree of authority over the Chiefs the Shah exercises or asserts.
“The Governor General in Council anticipates that Her Majesty's representative at the
Court of Tehran may already be in possession of the views of the ^halt’s Government, in
consequence of the negotiations which passed between Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for
India and the Persian Ambassador in London, and that therefore our Minister may be in u
position to state the light in which the fi*hall's Government would view any bargain made by
the British Government with the Chiefs, for the purpose of securing stations for the Telegraph
aud safety for the wire, in the event of the coast line being adopted by the Home Government.
“ After these necessary preliminaries His Excellency will be prepared to consider the pro­
priety of applying to the Persian, Khelat. and Muscat authorities for an order on the part of
each of these Governments addressed to their officers and subjects, without specification of
names or lo ably, directing them to assist tho officers of the British Government."
11. The explanation of the Government of Bombay shows that there was
no wish to enter into hasty negotiations :
No. 144 of 6th Oclolcr 1 SGI.
on the contraiy, though they did not COll-
sider it necessary to make an explicit statement of their impressions upon the
subject, IIis Excellency in Council was under the belief that Persia had not
yet established her dominion in any part of this very coast, although, accord­
ing to rumour, she was gradually extending her sway and bringing into
subjection certain tribes who exercised a precarious authority along that
section of it which is situated between tho acknowledged territories of the
Khan of Khelat on the one side, and those of the Imam of Mask at on the other.
The Bombay Government had lately heard it rumoured that a Persian
force was in possession of Ham pur, from which the Bclooch Chief had just retired
on account of his inability to meet the Persian demands for revenue. It had
also been lately surmised that an imaginary line drawn northwards from the
port of Gwadur to Jalk would divide territories in which revenue was collected
to tho west on behalf of Persia, and to the cast on behalf of Khelat.
Hence the Governor in Council considered that the only practical and
prudent course would be to recognize the status which 1‘ersia actually possessed,.
for the British Government never yet intended Persia to recede Irom a position
in her actual possession, and, therefore, more time might he lost in vainly
seeking to induce her to withdraw from such possessions than would suffice for
completing all arrangements with her and other States and tribes, and for
bringing British India into regular daily communication with Europe by the
Electric Telegraph.
The Governor in Council assumed that it would ho advisable to deal
directly with the Chiefs by permission of the sovereign pmoer, because, as a
general rule, he is aware of no other eff ective and permanent mode of securing
the co-operation and good-will of Chiefs wherever any sovereignty over thorn
existed.
41120 F. D.