'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎113r] (230/386)

81 It has been necessary to refer at length to the position taken up by
Russia in the matter of Mirjawa to make clear the extreme improbability of
Persia being permitted to enter into any compromise in the realignment of this
frontier. Meanwhile communications had been proceeding more satisfactorily
between Tehran and the Government ot India. Sir Arthur Hardingo, in April
1902, informed the Mushir ed-Dowleh that Captain Webb Ware had been
instructed to withdraw from the right bank of the Talab, and in repeating to the
Persian Government the views of the Government of India on the general subject
of the boundary, invited their concurrence in the suggestion for a demarcation on
the spot. The British Minister’s advice was that it would be wiser not to suggest
to the Persian Government a rectification of the frontier line as laid down on the
maps, which would have the elfect of transferring to ourselves any considerable
tract, including Duzdap, now in Persian territory, m view of the Shah s sus
picion and fear of Russian retaliation, but that it would be simpler to accept the
line marked out on the map, and to trust to making an agreement whereby
restrictions should be removed from the export of supplies for the Seistan trade
route from the neighbouring district of Duzdap. The reply of the Persian
Government was dated the 14th May 1902. ^ No mention was made ol the
doubt as to the exact river known as the Mirjawa, nor of the inaccuracy of
former maps, and it was evident that they were very suspicious of an attempt
to rectify the frontier at their expense. They concluded, however^ by saying
that' they did not object to sending a Persian to meet a British official, with a
view to placing boundary marks at the point where the river Mirjawa fe
into the Talab and on the points north of the Mirjawa mountains to Koh-i*
Malik Siah. The Government of India assented, and, on 11th Beccmboi l.)02.
Colonel McMahon (who was also to arbitrate in the Helmand water dispute)
was formally gazetted to be His Majesty’s Commissioner for the delimitation
of the Perso-Baluch frontier from the neighbourhood of 1 adaha (Mujau a) to
Koh-i-Malik Siah, under the terms of the agreement proposed by the Govern-
ment of India, and accepted, on behalf of the Persian Government by the
Mushir- ed-Dowleh in his letter to Sir A. Hardmge, dated 14th May 1902.
82. Colonel McMahon was instructed that the Goyernor-Geueral in Council
regarded the Mirjawa question as of small intrinsic importance, and, in t m
circumstances of the case, it was obviously not possible to obtain ^ ^
great modification of the line which was accepted by Coionel bn T. Holdic .
The points that he should bear in mind were—
“ (*) that, as contended by the Mushir-ed-Dowleh there was no need to
demarcate northwards from pillar IX, and along the lalab, where
this river forms the boundary ;
“ (ii) that the first point to fix was the place where the boundary left
^ ^ the Talab ; and this point should be fixed as far up the lalab as
possible, and not below the most northern of the channels running
from the Ladis or Mirjawa river into the Talab ;
“ (Hi) that from this point endeavour should be made to demarcate along
the true watershed between the Dar-i-Giaban or ialab river an
the Nushki-Seistan road;
“ (iv) that it would be satisfactory if, in the course of the demarcation,
it proves possible to obtain, by reasonable exchange or purchase,
the* small piece of cultivation at Padaha for our frontier post .
In April 1908, Colonel McMahon, then in camp near Nasratabad inform-
od tlie Persian Commissioners that as the completion of the Seistan arbitration
work was approaching, ho wished, in order to prevent delay, to know the nature
of their in 8 Cetions S ’regarding the boundary work from Koh-i-Malik Mah
southwards. They replied that no orders had as yet been issued to them, 1 ut
May the ■Yamin-i-Nizam was appointed Commissioner on behalf of the Si a ,
with the following instructions L , , , ,
“ Your commission is only for the fixing of frontier marks where they do not already
exist, that is, from pillar No. XI to Koh-i-Malik A. B ’ Tht
IZiof rom^+MMik sfahTBanf-i-SeistM hjs alr«rdy been delimitated in a straight
tops of the Mirjawa mountain are the frontier points. The west side of those mountains is
Persian.- The ground adjoining the Mirjawa and Ladis rivers is also Persian territory.