Page 479 - PERSIAN 2B 1883_1890_Neat

RESIDENCY*AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR 1887-88. 11

manacle* for somo timo nt Ispahan ho woa roleaacd and presented with a drees of honour. The
nature of his offence did not tranBpiro.
54. In December n party of miscreants attacked & cleric of the English telegraph depart­
ment nod his wife close to tho wall of Shiraz soon after dusk, and wounded the latter severely
Modv arrests were made, but it was very doubtful whether the real culprits were ever reached.
The objost of the outrage waa undoubtedly to discredit tho Sahib Diwan and hie administration*
and attract attention to tho misgovernmont of tho province. Eventually a sum of five
thousand kcrans was paid to the injured partica as compensation, by no means a satisfactory
termination of the affair.
55. At the commencement of the official year His Excellency Haji Nasir-ul-Mnlk was
Governor of Boshire and its districts, but ho shortly after­
Salure ukl Diitricii.
wards proceeded to Shiraz, leaving Haider Kooli Khan as hie
Deputy at Bushire. The latter, who made a favourable impression, was soon after appointed
Deputy Governor of Behbahan, and the current duties of the Bushire Government were there­
upon, is May, entrusted to Haji Ahmed Khan Sirtip, whose name has figured in preceding sec­
tions of this report.
56. Owing to the previous year’s scanty harvest, prices rose at Bushire to nearly famine
pitch, nod the outlying districts were in an unprosperou9, consequently an unsettled condi­
tion. This was aggravated by intrigues conducted from Shiraz, in view to compassing the
dismissal of Nasir-ul-Mulk from his position of Governor.
57. In the course of these differences several changes of District Zabits were made,
and serious disturbances were at one time apprehended.
5S. In July His Excellency Haji Nasir-ul-Mulk returned from Shiraz to Bashire by the
Fircsahad route, bringing in his train Jemal Khan, Chief of Dashti, and having an escort of
400 sc were and 200 infantry soldiers.
59. The Nasir-ul-Mulk’s stay on the coast was, however, brief. The intrigues of his
brother, the Sahib Diwan, and the other influential members of his family prevailed, and. His
Excellency had no choice but to resign the Government and hasten to Shiraz. Whatever com­
plaints may have existed against Haji Nasir-ul-Mulk, I am bound to acknowledge his invari­
able personal and official cordiality and obliging assistance to myself and to this Residency.
60. His successor was Prince Nowzer Mirza, grandson of H&san AH Mirza, Frrmxu-
Fiima of Fare, who, on the death of his father Fath Ali Shah, became an aspirant to the
threue of Persia. This new Governor arrived at Bushire in August, and established cardial
relations personally aod officially with this Residency; intrigue was speedily at work against
this Prince, who in October left the town and tendered his resignation on account of strong
censure telegraphed by the Amin-es-Sultan on mendacious information. He was, however,
persuaded by His Royal Highness the Jelal-ud-Dowlah to remain at his post for the time.
Subsequently, on the recall of His Royal Highness the Zfl-es*Sultan, and consequent change
of Government in Fars, His Excellency Nowzer Mirza was recalled to Shiraz to make way for
the newly appointed Governor of the seaport Towns and Districts, Muhammad T4»«pw
Khan, Sa’ad-ul-Mulk.
61. In the month of November Mirea Muhammad Khan, Motemed-eJ-Wizarah,the Agent
of the Persian Foreign Office at Bushire, having become entangled in matters of custom-boose
accounts, was imprisoned in his house, and deprived of food for two days, by a W official
pl&o&d over him. In fear of his life the Foreign Agent managed to force the guard placed over
him, and fled to the British Besidfency, where he took "hast,” or sanctuary, pending appeal to
his Chief and Government, After much delay and correspondence, it was arranged that be
should proceed to Tehran for investigation of his case. He was dismissed from Iris post, and
his successor is Najaf Kuli Khan, a person of no standing nor of moeh -experience.
di. Boshira was visited in October by the Austro-Hungarian training corvette Jhttma,
and in December by the Italian despatch gun-vessel Rapido,
tt. In the Bpring of 1837 Captain Vonblumor, a Russian officer of Qossaeka, now in the
ohzh % employ, visited Ispahan, Shiraz, and Bashire on a tour of inspection.
it