IOR/L/PS/10/653

The volume contains papers (mainly correspondence and India Office minute papers) relating to the Bakhtiari [Baḵtīārī] tribe and Bakhtiari territory in Persia [Iran]. The papers largely concern the proposal to raise a force of gendarmerie, or Levy Corps, under British officers in the Bakhtiari territory, to settle potential incidents of ‘collision’ between Russian troops and Bakhtiaris. These papers include correspondence regarding the decision to postpone the Levy Corps scheme, following the Russian February Revolution of 1917, until the general political and diplomatic situation became clearer. The file also includes papers relating to the Bakhtiari offer of military co-operation with the British, in the form of the maintenance of a force of Bakhtiari sowars in Bakhtiari territory.

The main correspondents include: the India Office; the Foreign Office; the War Office; the Treasury; the Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India; Brigadier-General Sir Percy Sykes, Inspector-General, South Persia Military Police; HM Minister, Tehran (Sir Charles Marling); HM Vice-Consul, Ahwaz (Captain E Noel); the Deputy Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and Chief Political Officer, Basra; HM Consul, Kerman; the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad; the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (C.I.G.S.); the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), India; and the Chief of the General Staff, India.

The file 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.