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C6. It is not necessary to enter into a detailed account of his proceedings,
and it is sufficient to state that little was
Gulf Administration Report for 1898-99.
done beyond harrying the country and
levying revenue. A few men were executed, but the popular opinion was that
they were not the real criminals, and ransoms were taken from wealthy persons
who fell into the hands of the “ Army.” The expedition was believed to have
been financially a success, but it is doubtful if it had much lasting effect on the
Tangastanis, or if any punishment reached those really to blame for the troubles
which occurred in the early part of 1898. The Said-us-Sultan came to Bushire
on the 20th May, and took up the post of Governor. He was recalled, however,
immediately afterwards by the Governor-General, and returned to Shiraz with
the greater part of his troops. It will be remembered that the Tangastani
leader, Ali Khan, was believed to be the instigator of the attacks on the Bushire
Residency, and on Mahmond, the jemadar of the Telegraph Department, whose
relatives were killed and whose house was looted in March 1898. Immediately
after these crimes, Ali Khan fled from the Imamzada where he had been in
“ Bust,” and returned to Tangistan. His enemy, Hyder Khan, joined Said-us-
Sultan, and having made a valuable present to him was confirmed in his posi­
tion of Tangistani Governor. Ali Khan hearing of this fled to a port higher
up the coast, with the intention of going by sea to Basra. No attempts being
made, however, to seze him, he returned to Tangistan, from where he com­
menced writing to Mahmond and to the Residency declaring his innocence
and threatening that, if the efforts which were being made against him were
not relaxed, he would come in and take “ Bust ” with Mahmond. It should
here be explained that this custom of taking “ Bust ” is carried in Persia to
such a length that an accused person can enter the house of his accuser, who
is bound to receive him, and unable to take any steps against him, while he is
in “ Bust.1* Ali Khan did not eventually go to Mahmoud’s house, but applied
to the Residency authorities, stating that he would come in and surrender
himself, provided he receded a fair trial, and that a promise was given him that
he would not be handed over to the Persians. The Resident, Colonel Meade,
was at that time away from Bushire at Shiraz, and Mr. Prideaux, Assistant Resi­
dent, agreed to Ali Khan's proposal. He came in accordingly, and an investi­
gation, which was held, pointed strongly to his connection with the crimes
which occurred while he and his followers were staying at the Imamzada. Claims
therefore of 4,000 tomans wrere put forward by the Residency as compensa­
tion to those who had suffered. Ali Khan would probably have paid the amount,
but he w'ished to be assured that he would not be molested afterwards by the
Persian Government. This assurance the Residency were unable to obtain, and
Ali Khan was told that as he had come in on the safe-conduct of a British officer,
he was free to leave the Residency, where he had been living for six months,
whenever he pleased, but that as he had not paid the compensation demanded,
an endeavour was made to recover it through the Persian Government, to whom
he was subject. A formal demand was made by the Minister at Tehran. Ali
Khan owned considerable landed property on the Bushire Island, and the out­
rage on Mahmond originated in a dispute over a waterway. It had not a politi­
cal object, and Mahmond was attacked not because he was a British protege,
but for personal reasons.
67. On the 22nd August 1902 it was reported that Saiyid Yusuf Mehrkani,
a partizan of Shaikh Muhammad Joasmi,
Gu f Administration Report for igoa 03.
who had seized Lingah a few years pre­
viously but was soon expelled by the Persians, had arrived from Arab coast at
Dooan on the Persian side. A few days later it was reported that he had seized
and burnt 40 packages of dates which belonged to the Persian Government and
were being brought to Lingah from the interior. The Deputy Governor of
Lingah took steps to defend the place and the latest news received about Saiyid
Yusuf was that he had left Persia and crossed over to Katar. His Excellency the
Salar-i-Moazzim arrived in Lingah on 17th October in the Persepotis and landed
with some troops from Bushire and a ship’s gun. He is said to have recovered
a fine of 6,000 dollars from Shaikh Yusuf bin Ahmed of the Bu Smeit tribe and
his brother whom he had arrested on the charge of having favoured the cause
of the rebel Saiyid Yusuf and to have then released them, taking from them a
paper in which they declared their allegiance to the Persian Government.
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