Page 25 - Russo-Persian Postal Relations

I.A.2 Persian P 0 in Russian Turkestan serving NE Persia. ca 1895-96
No Russian & NE Persian exchange POs until early 1896
A cart-road to Meched in Khorasan was by d iplomatic "pressure" com pleted a nd forced upon Persia by
Russia in 1892 to sup port Russian trade & com merce. A postal exchange service was inaugurated in 1896.
However, it seems as there was by 1895 a Persian postal service from Ashgabad in to NE Persia. Mail using
a Persian 5ch stamp for internal rate for mail addressed to Persia u sing the cart road has a ppeared. So far
only three covers have been recorded all from 1895. A special cancellation of "native" type i e only in
Persian was used . Ma il from Persia received at the Persian PO in Ashgabad has so far not been recorded.
Presumably this Persian PO was closed in early 1896 when the official exchange service was established.
Russia seems thus to have "tolerated" this Persian postal service u ntil th e inauguration of the official
exchange postal line. In the m ean time a ny other mail wa s using the official ma il route via Baku-Enzeli or
Djulfa EPOs in north western Pe rsia. It wa s an extensive detou r! See previo us page.
Cover from Ashgabad to Yezd via Meched in Hegira 1313 = 1895/96
The importance of this cover's usage - based on my personal research and discovery - is emphasized by the address
that was printed in the letter head in both Russian and Persian stating clearly "Ashabad. Russie" i e of Russia (and not f. eJ
the insignificant village of Ashkabad in southern Khorasan)
The cover is addressed to Yezd and thus has a transit cancellations of Meched (at back), and Tabasse quite correct
As no official archives exist from the Persian postal authorities during the 19th century there is little
possibility to have this private arrangement officially confirmed
..
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HADJI ABDUL ROSSUL-ALIEV, \

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Turkestan

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Sarakhs
/JO/(
Meshed ~: · ·Pul-i ·1<
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Khorasan province

Rate : 5 ch internal rate
Route: Ashgabad, Russia, 27 August 1895 across the border via Meched 20.9 and Tabasse to Yezd

Ashgabad. Enlarged Transit mark of Meched in Khorassan in NE Persia
Date reverted. Ca 80% in size