'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎146v] (297/610)

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Obstacles to
British trade
and Anglo-
Bussian trade
rivalry.
258
The Armenian and Persian traders of the Caucasus, ac
quainted with both the Persian and Russian languages and
usages, are most suitable agents to extend the commerce between
the two countries.
In about 1890 Russia began to devote special attention to
the development of trade with Persia, proceeded to utilize these
natural advantages, and started keen rivalry with Great Britain,
her only commercial as also her only political rival in Persia.
Russia’s first step was to improve communications and
facilitate the transport of Russian goods. The completion of
the Rostof-Petrovsk line to Baku and the extension of steamer
traffic on the Volga and Caspian placed the port of Enzali in
ready communication with Russian markets, and the building
of the Rasht-Kazvin road to Tehran in 1900 and Hamadan
in 1906, and the improvement of the port of Enzali afforded
direct and rapid access to the internal commercial centres of
Persia.
Further to curtail the cost of transport special through rates
were granted for Russian goods to Persia.
Finally by the construction of the Tiflis-Julfa railway,
Russia commenced to develop a direct land-route to
North and North-Western Persia.
The easy route from Batum to Baku had been closed to
British trade by Russia’s repudiation of the treaty of Berlin
permitting free transit of goods in bond through Russian terri
tory and British goods could only reach these regions of Northern
Persia by 5 difficult, devious and costly caravan routes, viz .:—
1. Bandar Abbas—Kirman—Isfahan.
2. Bushirc—Shiraz—Isfahan.
3 Muhammarah—Ahwaz—Isfahan.
4. Baghdad—Kirmanshah.
5. Trebizond—Tabriz.
Turkey charged an 1 per cent, ad valorem duty by No. 4
and permitted free transit by No. 5. Russia allowed free
transit for tea and for merchandise by parcel post, probably
for two reasons :—
1. Russia produces no tea herself and consequently was
unable to prevent the entry into Persia of Indian
tea for which no substitute was available.*
2. Some 30,000 cases of tea were regularly being imported
via Trebizond to Persia and caravan drivers were