Page 418 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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CHAPTER XI.

Rising of Balnclii tribes, anarchy in Mckran, murder of Mr. Graves,
British detachments stationed at Jusk and Cliarbar, British
policy, 1800-08.
147. In 1896 there wns, at GUarbar, serious and long-continued trouble
Gulf Admluiitr.tion Ropoit. for 1896-07 .nd regarding rival claims to the subsidies
1897-98. paid by the Telegraph Department, in
consideration of protection for their laud line. The superior provincial autho­
rity at Bampur, being itself at one time contested and in doubt, tho sub­
ordinate local Chiefs who were the recipients of the telegraph subsidies, were
in confliot in regard to the title to the payments as derived from one or other
of the contending superiors. The position was by no means an easy one for
the Telegraph Superintendent, on whom the rival demands wore constantly
pressed with insolent menace, and even a resort to violence against the persons
and property of British Indian traders. Some of these were seriously wounded,
in tho course of one of these importunate attempts to secure payments of the
Dashtiyary subsidy in August. It became necessary to despatch II. M. S.
Sphinx to Cliarbar to prevent a repetition of this violence, but an
appeal through H. M. Legation to the Government at Teheran only
elicited the fact of the utter powerlessness of tho State authority in these
regions. The matter was shortly afterwards settled for the time by payment
for the half-year up to June 1896 being made to Mohamed Khan, one of the
claimants, whose title seemed to bo the most in order. In February of 1897
there was a recrudescence of the same dispute, aud it was necessary, in order to
avoid the risk of mischief, to make the next payment to another candidate,
who appeared to have substantial support. In January the Resident visited
Charbar in the R. I. M. S. Lawrence at the desire of H. M. Miuister,
in the hope of being able to bring some influence to bear on the turbulent
local Chiefs, who were practically quite beyond the control of the Persian
Government. None of these leaders were, however, found at Charbar at the
time of the visit, and an interview was thus impossible.
147A. Further the state of lawlessness was aggravated from the weak­
ness of the Persian rule in the country
Nominally forming part of Persia, tho littoral, from tho entrance to the
Gulf to the border of British Baluchistan, is occupied by a number of Baluoh
clans ruled over by their own headmen, who yield but a reluotnnt and passing
submission to the Central Government of Teheran. The Persians keep no
regular troops permanently in the couutry, and their rule is maintained by
periodical raids to levy revenue, in the course of which the country is laid
waste, and cultivation destroyed, innocent people beiDg killed or ruined.
The Baluchis have in consequence a deep hatred for the Persians, and the
history of the country of late years consists of successive revolts followed by
successive conquests by the Persians, who are always able to overcome the
Baluchis, who can never unite to resist attack, but are, on the contrary, always
ready to betray each other should a favourable opportunity offer. The events
of the past years, though exceptional in some respects, have passed on the
same general lines. There were many causes for discontent. The rainfall,
usually 89anty, had either failed entirely during the past two or three years, or
the crops, when there has been rain, had been destroyed by locusts. The
result was a general and widespread distress.
Though the harvest had failed, the Persians enhanced the revenue demand,
and this caused deep and widespread discontent and hatred of the Persian
Government.
147B. Superstition helped to spread the wave of discontent and led to
a revolt of the tribes.
A general belief in the fulfilment of an old prophecy to the effect that
the dynasty would end with the late Shah, was reported to prevail, and this