Page 93 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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(iii) Shustor-Teheran Road.
219. A concession for the construction of a road from Teheran to Shuster
or Ahwaz via Kura, Sultanabad, Burujird and Khurramabad was granted by
the Shah in 1889 to the Yahya Khan Mushir-od-Dowloli for 6.0 years, and was
acquired from him in 1890 by the Imporial Bank of Persia. Nothing was done
by tho Bank oxcopt the construction of a carriage road between Teheran and
lCuin, at a cost of £ 80,000. Tho concession was renewed for another 10 years
in 1896, and was in 1902 acquired by tho “ Persian Trading and Transport
Company ” with tho other road-making concessions originally granted to the Im­
perial Bank. Tho Company has been
Secret E., July 1902, No. 23C.
granted a subsidy for 10 years at £ 2,000
per annum for tho making of this road.
250. Recently Lieutenant D. L. Lorimer, travelled from Ahwaz to Khur­
Major Cox’s letters, Nos. 205, dated 2nd July ramabad and back (17th April to 6th Juno
1904, and 233, dated 2Ctb July 1901, with 1901), and has cultivated the friendship of
accompaniments. several Lur tribes, with a view to secure
their assistance in re-opening the routo from Lizful to Khurramabad. He
has submitted a scheme for this purpose, which is yet in an embryo stage, and
as it is foreign to the purpose of this Prdcis to go into tho details of affairs
above the plains of Arabistan, we may only mention that tho success of the
scheme, it was thought, deponded a good deal—
(1) upon the reipstatement of Prince Salar-ed-Dowleli, dismissed from
the Governorship of Arabistan and Luristan, who has been
always favourably disposed towards the British and the Sag wand
tribe and their partizans, whoso aid is mainly required for
ensuring the security of the routo ; and
(2) upon an annual expenditure of about Us. 93,000 for maintaining
guards on the road.
251. This scheme is intimately connected with the proposed formation of
corps of road guards among tho Lur and Bakhtiari trikes, on which Major
Burton and Lieutenant Lorimer have reported.

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