British trade with Persia 1896- 1914

Abstract

Trade relations between Britain and Persia emerged at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century as a relationship between a great power with resources beyond its borders and a fragmented, contested consumer state despite its vast resources. This raised a research question about the depth of trade relations between the two countries amidst significant political, economic, and security influences, and in light of the imbalance of military power between them, which created precise determinants for their trade relations and had catastrophic effects on the Persian economy and politics. Oil played a crucial role in the continuation of the policy of dependency after its discovery in Masjed Soleiman. The study addresses the trade horizon between the two countries in terms of trade relations in the 19th century and the agreements that favored Britain, then examines trade routes from within Persia to the Arabian Gulf, where British control was absolute. It then discusses the discovery of oil and the British role in its extraction and trade, moving on to the exchanged goods between the two countries, relying on historical and analytical methodologies, and a range of British documents and reports that illustrate the depth of the relationship between the two countries. The study concluded with several findings, the most prominent being that British penetration in Persia caused trade between the two countries to concentrate on Persian territory and its depths and that British monopolization of Persian resources produced a relationship of dependency in all fields. Thus, Persian-British trade became another gateway for indirect occupation and the imposition of dominance over Persia in all areas.