Reshaping Borders: A Glimpse to Imperial Interests on Sistan

The series of moves between Britain and Russia in the 19th century entered the literature as the Great Game, a political and military conflict likened to a chess match involving multiple strategic steps, with Central Asia and in some parts of the Middle East serving as the primary arenas of struggle As part of this Russian foreign policy, aimed to extend from the Baltic to the Indian Ocean, positioning Central Asia as a critical gateway to India, Britain’s most prized colonial asset. A pivotal aspect of this geopolitical contest was the dispute over the Sistan province, a long-standing area of contention between Iran and Afghanistan, the edge of Middle East. Considering its strategic interests along the route to India, Britain could not ignore this conflict. In 1870, the British government appointed a commission led by Frederic J. Goldsmid to settle claims from both Iran and Afghanistan, define the boundary, and resolve the dispute. The commission, which also included General Pollock and Dr. Henry Walter Bellew, played a significant role in shaping British imperial policy in the region. This study analyzes the arbitration’s impact and significance through a review of firsthand reports and historical documents and aims to show that the British concerns rely on long-term imperial plans.