'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎242] (277/714)

■m
242
PERSIA
south-east it is bounded by an impassable desert; while to the east it
possesses one single line of communication along the Helmund, con
tracted and ill-supplied, and exposed to a flank attack from the
northward throughout its whole extent from Seistan to Kandahar.
Supposing, indeed, the Afghans to be in strength at Herat, Farrah
or Zamin Dawer, it would be quite impossible for a Persian army to
march along the Helmund from Seistan to Girishk. The only military
value of Seistan consists in its abundant supply of camels for carriage;
and these animals are for the most part in the hands of the Beluchis
who are Afghan, and not Persian dependents, and who might thus
be available for our own purposes, though hardly for those of our
enemies. 1
It is permissible to point out that, although the author of the
above paragraph is fortunately still living, it was written at 3
time (1875) long anterior to more recent developments, and with a
view to conditions which no longer exist. The question discussed
by Rawlinson in dealing with the strategical controversy is the
chance afforded to Persia ot invading Afghanistan from the base
ot Seistan; and this has no relation whatever to the new problem
created by the appearance of Russia within striking distance of
Herat. A Persian army is now about as likely to invade Afghanistan
as it is to march against St. Petersburg. But what Persians or
Afghans would not, or could not do, European armies operating from
railway bases may, and since 1885 alone it may be said that
any previous military criticism upon Seistan has already become
obsolete.
To the jeremiads of those critics who represent Seistan
(parodying the phrase in which Persia as a whole was once
Favour- described 2 ) as consisting of two parts, a desert under
able water and a desert above water, must be opposed the
opinions of iipi -
natural evidence both ot history and of existing facts. If their
verdict be true, how comes it that this province was
once so famous for its magnificent fertility, its dense population,
and its splendid cities ? W hat must be said of the square miles of
ruins still encumbering the ground? Fertility in Persia is almost
solely dependent upon water supply; and here, alone among
Persian provinces, is enough water not merely to fill great canals
reasons to leave Herat alone, or supposing Seistan be added as a base to the
alreadj^ acquired base of Herat, what then ?
1 England and Russia in the East, p. 116.
' Persia consists of two parts : a desert with salt, and a desert without salt/