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Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

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470 HISTORY OF PERSIA<br />

the boundaries <strong>of</strong> <strong>Persia</strong> remained practically unchanged<br />

during the last century. In 1843 a Mixed Commission,<br />

including representatives <strong>of</strong> Great Britain and Russia, was<br />

appointed to adjudicate upon the Perso-Turkish boundary,<br />

which, owing to the population <strong>of</strong> shifting<br />

nomads and the<br />

hilly nature <strong>of</strong> the country, was a complicated matter to<br />

settle. This Commission led in 1847 to the Treaty <strong>of</strong><br />

Erzeroum, by the terms <strong>of</strong> which each <strong>of</strong> the neighbouring<br />

powers abandoned some territory<br />

to which it laid claim<br />

and agreed to appoint commissioners to define the frontier.<br />

The new Commission met in 1849, 1850, and 1851 at<br />

Mohamera and Baghdad, but without arriving at any definite<br />

result. In 1851 Lord Palmerston suggested that<br />

the general line <strong>of</strong> frontier should be traced at Constantinople,<br />

in conformity with the Treaty <strong>of</strong> Erzeroum, by the<br />

agents <strong>of</strong> <strong>Persia</strong> and Turkey, with the assistance <strong>of</strong> the<br />

commissioners, doubtful localities left<br />

being for future<br />

settlement. This suggestion was agreed to, and survey<br />

operations were conducted during a period <strong>of</strong> eight years<br />

(from 1857 to 1865), as the result <strong>of</strong> which a map was<br />

made <strong>of</strong> the country between Ararat and the <strong>Persia</strong>n Gulf,<br />

a tract seven hundred miles long and from twenty to forty<br />

miles wide. The Porte was then informed that " in the<br />

opinion <strong>of</strong> the mediating powers the future line <strong>of</strong><br />

boundary between the dominions <strong>of</strong> the Sultan and the<br />

Shah was to be found within the limits traced on the<br />

map, and that the two Mohamedan Governments should<br />

themselves mark out the line, and that in the event <strong>of</strong><br />

any differences between them in regard to any particular<br />

locality, the points in dispute should be referred to the<br />

decision <strong>of</strong> the Governments <strong>of</strong> England and Russia."<br />

In 1907 Turkey, taking advantage <strong>of</strong> <strong>Persia</strong>n internal<br />

troubles, occupied not only " doubtful localities," but<br />

also what was without question<br />

<strong>Persia</strong>n territory.<br />

Some<br />

years later, however, a Mixed Commission was once again<br />

constituted, and in October 1914, a day before the<br />

outbreak <strong>of</strong> hostilities between Russia and Turkey, the<br />

last<br />

boundary pillar erected at the foot <strong>of</strong> Mount<br />

Ararat completed the demarcation <strong>of</strong> the Turko-<strong>Persia</strong>n<br />

frontier.

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