رويدادي ضمني در روابط ايران و انگليس: نبرد برازجان (1273ق/ 1857م)

An Implied Event in Anglo- Iranian Relations: The Battle of Borazgan

ﻫﻨﮕﺎﻣﯽ ﮐﻪ در ﺑﻬﺎر 1272ق./ 1856م. ﻗﻮاي اﯾﺮان ﻫﺮات را ﺗﺼـﺮف ﮐﺮدﻧـﺪ، اﻧﮕﻠـيس اين ﻣﻮﺿﻮع را ﻧﻘﺾ ﻣﻌﺎﻫﺪة 25 ژاﻧﻮﯾﻪ 1853 م. ﺷﻨﺎﺧﺖ و اين واﻗﻌـﻪ، ﻋـﺰم آن دوﻟـﺖ را ﮐـﻪ ﺑـﻪ اﻓﻐﺎﻧﺴﺘﺎن و ﺑﻪ ﻃﻮر ﺧﺎص ﺑﻪ ﻫﺮات ﻫﻤﭽﻮن ﺑﺎروي ﻫﻨﺪ ﻣﯽﻧﮕﺮﯾﺴﺖ، ﺟﺰم ﮐﺮد ﺗﺎ ﺑﻪ اﯾﺮان ﺣﻤﻠﻪ ﮐﻨﺪ. از ﻫﻤﯿﻦ رو، ﻗﻮاي ﻧﻈﺎﻣﯽ اﻧﮕﻠﯿﺲ در دﺳﺎﻣﺒﺮ 1856م. ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻖ ﺟﻨﻮﺑﯽ اﯾﺮان از ﺟﻤﻠـﻪ ﻣﻨﻄﻘـﮥ ﺑﺮازﺟﺎن را اﺷﻐﺎل ﮐﺮدﻧﺪ. ﺗﻨﻬﺎ ﮔﺰارش ﺷﻨﺎﺧﺘﻪ ﺷﺪه اﯾﺮاﻧﯽ ﺑﻪ ﺟﺎ ﻣﺎﻧﺪه از ﻧﺒﺮد ﻗﺸﻮن اﻧﮕليس و اﯾﺮان در ﺑﺮازﺟﺎن ﻧﺴﺨﻪاي از ﻣﺆﻟﻒ ﻧﺎﺷﻨﺎس اﺳﺖ ﮐﻪ ﺑﺨﺸﯽ از ﺣﻘﺎﯾﻖ اﯾﻦ ﻧﺒﺮد را از زاوﯾﻪ دﯾﺪ ﯾﮏ اﯾﺮاﻧﯽ ﺑﯿﺎن ﮐﺮده اﺳﺖ. ﻣﻘﺎﻟﮥ ﺣﺎﺿﺮ ﺿﻤﻦ ﻣﻌﺮﻓﯽ و اﻧﺘﺸﺎر اﯾﻦ ﺳـﻨﺪ، ﺑـﻪ ﺑﺮرﺳـﯽ و ﻧﻘـﺪ و ﻣﻘﺎﯾﺴﻪ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﺐ آن ﺑﺮ اﺳﺎس ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ ﺗﺎرﯾﺨﯽ و ﮔﺰارشﻫﺎي ﺑﺎﻗﯽﻣﺎﻧﺪه از اﯾﻦ واﻗﻌﻪ ﻣﯽﭘﺮدازد. ﭼﻨﯿﻦ ﺑﻪ ﻧﻈﺮ ﻣﯽرﺳﺪ ﮐﻪ ﺷﮑﺴﺖ ﺑﺮازﺟﺎن و اﻧﻬﺪام ادوات ﺟﻨﮕﯽ اﯾﺮان در اﯾﻦ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﻪ، ﺳﺮﻋﺖ ﭘﯿﺸﺮوي ﻗﺸﻮن اﻧﮕﻠﯿﺲ در اﯾﺮان ﺑﻪ ﺳﻮي ﻣﺤﻤﺮه (ﺧﺮﻣﺸﻬﺮ) را اﻓﺰاﯾﺶ داد و ﺑﺮ اﻣﻀﺎي ﻣﻌﺎﻫﺪه 8 رﺟﺐ 1273ق./ 4 ﻣﺎرس 1857م. ﻣﻌﺮوف ﺑﻪ ﺻﻠﺢ ﭘﺎرﯾﺲ ﺗﺄﺛﯿﺮ ﺑﺴﺰا ﻧﻬﺎد.

Iranian forces occupied Herat in the Spring of 1856, an act that was considered by the British as the breach of the 25 January 1853 Treaty. Afghanistan, and more specifically Herat, was perceived as the fortification against any invasion of India, and this act of aggression on the part of Iran determined England to launch an attack on Iran; as a result, British troops occupied the southern stretches of Iran including Borazjan. The only extant Iranian report on the battle between the British and Iranians in Borazjan was compiled by an unknown author which sheds some light on some aspects of the conflict from the vievvpoint of an Iranian. The current paper introduces this document and appraises its authenticity against available historical sources and reports on this incident. It seems the defeat ofBorazjan and annihilation of the war machine in the region facilitated the advance of English troops towards Mohammareh (Khorramshahr) and played a pivotal role in signing the Treaty of March 4, 1857 known as the Treaty ofParis.