British Imperialism in Qajar Iran: Consuls, Agents and Influence in the Middle East (International Library of Iranian Studies)

"In 1888, there were just four British consulates in the country; by 1921 there were twenty-three. H. Lyman Stebbins investigates the development and consequences of British imperialism in Iran in a time of international rivalry, revolution and world war. While previous narratives of Anglo-Iranian relations have focused on the highest diplomatic circles in Tehran, London, Calcutta and St. Petersburg, this book argues that British consuls and political agents made the vast southern borderlands of Iran the real centre of British power and influence during this period. Based on British consular archives from Bushihr, Shiraz, Sistan and Muhammarah, this book reveals that Britain, India and Iran were linked together by discourses of colonial knowledge and patterns of political, military and economic control. It also contextualizes the emergence of Iranian nationalism as well as the failure and collapse of the Qajar state during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and the First World War."--Bloomsbury Publishing. "Spurred by a Russian threat to India and the weakness of the Qajar dynasty (1796-1925), Britain established an extensive consular network to further its interests in southern Iran in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1888, there were just four British consulates in the country; by 1921 there were twenty-three. H. Lyman Stebbins investigates the development and consequences of British imperialism in Iran in a time of international rivalry, revolution and world war. While previous narratives of Anglo-Iranian relations have focused on the highest diplomatic circles in Tehran, London, Calcutta and St. Petersburg, this book argues that British consuls and political agents made the vast southern borderlands of Iran the real centre of British power and influence during this period. Based on British consular archives from Bushehr, Shiraz, Sistan and Muhammarah, this book reveals that Britain, India and Iran were linked together by discourses of colonial knowledge and patterns of political, military and economic control. It also contextualizes the emergence of Iranian nationalism as well as the failure and collapse of the Qajar state during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and World War I."-- Provided by publisher Spurred By A Russian Threat To India And The Weakness Of The Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925), Britain Established An Extensive Consular Network To Further Its Interests In Southern Iran In The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries. In 1888, There Were Just Four British Consulates In The Country; By 1921 There Were Twenty-three. H. Lyman Stebbins Investigates The Development And Consequences Of British Imperialism In Iran In A Time Of International Rivalry, Revolution And World War. While Previous Narratives Of Anglo-iranian Relations Have Focused On The Highest Diplomatic Circles In Tehran, London, Calcutta And St. Petersburg, This Book Argues That British Consuls And Political Agents Made The Vast Southern Borderlands Of Iran The Real Centre Of British Power And Influence During This Period. Based On British Consular Archives From Bushehr, Shiraz, Sistan And Muhammarah, This Book Reveals That Britain, India And Iran Were Linked Together By Discourses Of Colonial Knowledge And Patterns Of Political, Military And Economic Control. It Also Contextualizes The Emergence Of Iranian Nationalism As Well As The Failure And Collapse Of The Qajar State During The Iranian Constitutional Revolution And The First World War. Dedication 5 Contents 6 List of Maps and Figures 8 Maps 10 Acknowledgements 14 Transliteration and Dates 16 Introduction 18 Part I: Consuls and the Great Game, 1889–1907 26 1. Imperial Intelligence: Official British Images of Qajar Iran 28 2. Imperial Inroads: Commerce, Conflict and Cooperation 59 3. Imperial Partition: Forging the Anglo-Russian Convention 88 Part II: Consuls and Revolution, 1905–1915 118 4. The Revolutionary Vortex: Ideology, Faction and Empire 120 5. Divide et Impera: The Consolidation of British Control 151 Part III: Consuls at War, 1915 – 1921 180 6. Proxy Wars: The Battle for Southern Iran 182 7. The Road to Tehran: The End of British Imperialism in Southern Iran 214 Conclusion 245