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Notes and correspondence on the situation in East Persia and the Malleson Mission [16av] (32/71)
The record is made up of 1 file (35 folios). It was created in Apr 1918-Jan 1921. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
: 1/
This Document is the property of the Secretary of State for India.
SECRET.
NOTE ON THE MALLESON MISSION.
1. In the beginning of 19J 8 the rapid
spread of anarchy in Russian Central Asia and
the very scanty information available as to the
course of events there caused considerable
uneasiness to His Majesty’s Government, in view
of the possible spread, on the one hand, of
Bolshevik propaganda and agents into Persia
and Afghanistan, and, on the other hand, the
probability that Turco-German attempts would
be made to use the disorder in Central Asia to
embarrass our position in India and possibly
Mesopotamia. The situation was further com
plicated by the presence in Central Asia of large
bodies of Austrian and German prisoners of
war, estimated at over 30,000.
Telegram from Viceroy, No.
dated 2nd February 1918.
2. Accordingly arrangements were made
early in February 1918 for the despatch of a
small British Intelligence Mission to Meshed,
which was the Northern point of the Eastern
Cordon, for the purpose of watching events in
Central Asia and getting into touch with any
nucleus friendly to our interests.
Telegram from British Embassy,
Washington, No. 1958, dated 3rd May
1918.
Telegram from Commander-in-Chief,
India, No. 29076, dated 13th April 1918.
Telegram from Commander-in-Chief,
India, No. 47347, dated 18th June 1918.
3. By May 1918 it was evident that enemy
agents were operating in Trans-Caspia and
Turkestan, and that considerable numbers of
German and Austrian prisoners of war were
serving with the Bolshevik forces there.
Intelligence was also received that the Germans
and Turks were contemplating the despatch of
troops from the Caucasus across the Caspian to
operate along the Central Asia Railway. In
consequence of this, the British Mission at
Meshed was strengthened, and Major-General
Malleson was sent from India to take charge.
Telegrams from Comtnander-iu-Chief»
India, No. 60543, dated 2nd August 1918)
and No. 60489, dated 3rd August 1918.
4. By duly 1918 what is now known as
the Askabad Government began to obtain some
influence in Trans-Caspia, and appealed for
British aid against the Bolsheviks. Financial
assistance was promised, and a detachment of
Indian troops from the Eastern Persia cordon
moved to the Perso-Russian frontier “ as a moral
support.”
Telegram from Commander-in-Chief, 5. At the beginning of August 1918 the
India, No. 63117, dated 10th August 1918. Bolshevik forces took the offensive, and by the
middle of the month had advanced across the
Oxus through Merv to Tejend. The Askabad
Government made urgent appeals for a small
British force to assist them. Half a battalion of
Indian Infantry moved into Trans-Caspia from
the Persian frontier, and, with a small British
10 MS 29 60 12/18
About this item
- Content
This file relates to the situation in East Persia and the Malleson Mission (1918-21). It includes papers on the following subjects:
A collection of papers titled 'Expenditure on [the] Malleson Mission and Troops in East Persia', including: a memorandum from the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Political Department on planned politico-military missions to Kashgar [Qashqar] and Meshed [Mashhad] to 'work in allied interests [,] and combat German and Turkish propaganda' on the model of General Lionel Dunsterville's organisation Dunsterforce, previously deployed to the North Caucasus; a memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which government department should bear the expenses for Malleson's Mission in countering 'German-Bolshevik developments in Central Asia', with reflections on the German promotion of Pan-Turanism and Pan-Islamism which, together with Bolshevism were perceived as posing a 'direct menace' to the security of India, since they could conceivably 'enlist the forces of religion in the armies of political and social discontent'; correspondence to date between the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , HM Treasury and the War Office (including from Secretary of State for War, Winston S Churchill) concerning the Chancellor's memorandum, together with thirty-two appendices on expenditures preceding the Chancellor's memorandum and the military and political telegrams referred to in the collection on 'Expenditures' (January 1921); the lack of financial resources to continue the Malleson Mission in Trans-Caspia (December 1918); the criticism by Lovat Fraser of expenditures on the Mission in the Daily Mail (July 1920); the assumption of the Mission's current roles to 'encourage resistance in Persia to Pan-Islamic and Bolshevik influences' and offer 'moral support to Transcaspians by threatening [the] flank and rear of [the] Bolshevik advance towards Krasnovodsk [Turkmenbashi]' by a 'Persian Force to be raised under the terms of the recent agreement', together with the existing Seistan Levy Corps and Khorasan Levy Corps, and the 'intelligence work' to be carried out by a 'small organisation' based at Meshed (September 1919).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (35 folios)
- Arrangement
The entries are recorded in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
The foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 35; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Notes and correspondence on the situation in East Persia and the Malleson Mission [16av] (32/71), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/807, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100091141926.0x000021> [accessed 12 March 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/807
- Title
- Notes and correspondence on the situation in East Persia and the Malleson Mission
- Pages
- 1r:15v, 16ar:16av, 16v:34v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence