Page 20 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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8bustcr, (*) Dizful ami (#) Uawizeh. These local Governors had to collect and
pay to the Persians a certain fixed revonuc, one part of which called l)iwan, was
paid into tho Shah’s treasury and the other Pishkash, was paid to the Governor
Goucral. The chiefs thus onjoyed practical autonomy within their territory in
matters of rovonuo and judicial administration.
(iii) Murder of Sheikh Lufti, Chief of Kaab Arabs.
9. On 20th May 1878, tho Political Agent at Basrah reported to Political
Agent, Turkish Arabia, that Sheikh Lufti
Political A., Soptcinbcr 1878, No». 74-80.
Khan, the Chief of tho Kaab Arabs, and
his son, Gathban, had been murdered by their cousins, Jafir and Salman, sons
of the Sheikh Mahomed el Paris at Jerralu. Colonel Nixon asked tho Politi­
cal Agent at Basrah for a detailed enquiry and report, as tho alTaire of Moliam-
merah and Kaab Arabs wore generally of considerable importance. Ho also
pointed out that the crimo called for earnest roprobation.
10. Prom the reply of the Political Agent, Basrah (which forms enclosure
to No. 108, dated 15th June, from the Political Resident, Persian Gulf), it
appears that tho particulars of tho case are as follows :—
It was said that the Prince-Governor, when irritated by tho difficulty of
extracting money from Haji Jabir, threatened to got him removed from the
Governorship of Mohammerah and Sheikh Lufti appointed in his stead; but
no one regarded the threat as serious, as Sheikh Lufti was an exhausted debau­
chee and at times suffered from delirium tremens—
" As Sheikh Lufti was the head of Al-bu-Nasir family and hereditary Sheikh of the Kaab
Arabs, his reinstatement to the Sbeikhship of Fclayah was not open to objection, but it was
mnwise and has ended badly.”
11. The immediate causes for the murder were:—Sheikh Lufti was
collecting money from tho Kaab, for which he had rendered himself responsible
to the Prince-Governor on being made Sheikh, and was accompanied by tho two
lads, Jnfir and Salman, sons of his cousin, Mahoraed-el-Paris. The elder of
these, Jafir, was roported to havo written three times to his father complaining
of the way Lufti treated him, but in reply his father told him to havo patience.
This it seems he could not do, and as Sheikh Lufti was “ writing a letter and
using abusive language to the people round him as usual,” Jafir drew a pistol
and shot him, and Salman shot Gaihban, the eldest son of Sheikh Lufti. Jafir
and Salman then rode off together and Bashir, the other son of Lufti.
12. When the correspondence on the subject was roceived by the Govern­
ment of India, they asked Colonel Nixon by telegram to report his views as to
the nature and connection of British interests with affairs of Kaab Arabs, which
necessitated tho order for detailed enquiries and earnest reprobation of the crime
reported.
13. Colonel Nixon on reply drew attention to a telegram of the Govern­
ment of India, No. 1515-P., dated 27th June 1877, directing him to keep them
informed of the assemblage of Persian troops and any events of importance that
might occur in his jurisdiction.
14. Colonel Ross also pointed out that Colonel Nixon’s action indicated a
more marked supervision of Mohammerah affairs than had hitherto been exer­
cised by the Baghdad Agcnoy.
15. The Government of India thereupon issued the following instructions
to Colonel Nixon in their letter No. 307-P., dated 29th January 1879:—
“ In reply, I am to 6ay that the Government of India, having regard to the general inez-
pediency of interfering in internal dispute! along the coast of the Persian Guff, which do not
affect British interests and general politics, consider that the detailed enquiry which you ordered
Mr, Robertson to institute into the circumstances of the murder of Sheikh Lufti, was unnecessary.
There is a marked difference between making an enquiry of this nature and merely collecting
information regarding any event of importance which may happen among the tribes, while the
telegram of the Government of India, dated 24th June 1877, which you cite, refers to a time
when there was war between Turkey and Russia and Persian troops were being assembled at
Mohammerah.