IOR/L/PS/10/1099

This volume contains papers, mostly correspondence and India Office Political and Secret Department minute papers, relating to naval incidents in the Persian Gulf, and visits of British warships to Persian ports.

It includes correspondence regarding the following: the Persian Government’s objection to British shipping, including HM Ships, calling at Persian ports without notice; the reporting of movements of British warships in the Persian Gulf; the treatment of HM ships in Persian ports, including Persian quarantine and customs procedure at Henjam and Abadan; incidents which took place on the occasions of the visits of HM Ships Lupin and Crocus to Abadan and Bunder Abbas [Bandar Abbas] respectively; the Persian draft bill regarding territorial waters; discussions between the Admiralty and the Foreign Office concerning the drafting of an article to regulate visits of British warships to Persian ports, for inclusion in a General Treaty between Britain and Persia; and new regulations imposed by the Persian Government in connection with the landing of officers and crews and of visits of vessels to Persian ports.

The main correspondents are as follows: the India Office; the Foreign Office (including the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Austen Chamberlain); HM Minister, Tehran (Sir Percy Lorraine, Sir Robert Henry Clive, and Sir Reginald Hervey Hoare, successively); HM Chargé d’Affaires, Tehran; the Admiralty; the Colonial Office; the Minister of Court, Persia (Mirza Abdul Hussein Khan Taimourtache [Abdolhossein Teymūrtāsh, also spelled Teymourtache in the correspondence]); the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the Government of India Foreign and Political Department; the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf; and the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies.

The file includes several documents in French, including: correspondence between Sir R H Clive and Taimourtache; copies of documents entitled ‘Projet de Loi portant Réglement des Conditions d’Admission des Bateaux étrangers dans les Eaux persanes’ (Draft Law Regulating the Conditions of Admission of Foreign Vessels in Persian Waters) ‘Traduction de l'Instruction adressée par l'Administration centrale de l'Hygiène à ses Fonctionnaires au golfe Persique’ (Translation of the instructions sent by the Public Health Department to its officials in the Persian Gulf) and ‘La Quarantaine à Henjam’ (Quarantine in Henjam); correspondence between HM Minister, Tehran, and the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs; letters from the Director of Customs, Bushire, to HM Consul, Bushire; and articles of draft General Treaty with Persia.

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.