Page 454 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911_Neat

ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF TIIE PERSIAN GULF
44
As is usual the Persian line has been practically useless during the win­
ter months, and everybody, European firms and Persians alike, look forward
to the inception of a more reliable telegraph service.

Communications.
During the current year no progress
Luriatan Rond. been made with the Luristan Road pro­
ject.
Owing to the almost total closure during the year of the Bushire-Shiraz-
Ispahan Ro.ad, subsequent on distur­
Lynch Road, Ahwat-Ispahan.
bances in connection with the grave poli­
tical conditions of Persia, the year 1909 has been an unprecedented one in the
annals of the Lynch Road. A great majority of the Bushire-Ispahan trade
has been deflected to this route, in addition to the trade which normally uses
it.
Early in April, at the Samsara-cs-Saltaneh's request, British subjects
were warned aot to travel in Ispahan district, this warning also applying to
the Lynch Road.
During the same month the closure of this route even was trembling in
the balance, owing, in His Majesty’s Consul’s belief, more to the desire on ‘.hc-
part of the Samsam-es-Saltaneh, Ilkhani of the Bakhtiaris, to use this road as
a lever to secure the good offices of His Majesty’s Legation to prevent the
further advance from Khalidabsd of the Royalist army, under Lutf Ali Khan,
Amir-i-Muflckham, Bakhtiari, than to any real danger.
At that time the two ruling Bakhtiari families, viz., the Ilkhani family
and the Haji Ilkhani family, headed respectively by the Samsara-es-Saltaneh,
Hkhani of the Bakhtiaris, and the Sardar Muhtas'ham, Ilbegi of Bakhtiaris..
were at variance and antagonistic to each other.
The Samsam practically ordered the closure of the road, first on the plea
of fears that the Sardar Mubtasham would instigate robberies and create
trouble on the road, and then on the plea of Kuhgelu incursions. He further
refused to supply guards for His Majesty’s Consul on tour via the Lynch
Road to Ispahan. In order to prove the falsity of these assertions, His
Majesty’s Consul proceeded up to Ispahan in the end of May via the Lynch
Road, guards being supplied by the Sardar Muhtasham himself, who was
visited, together with others of the Bakhtiari Khans, and interviewed on thp
subject of the road. The road was proved quite, safe, and immediately on
the arrival of His Majesty’s Consul in Ispahan, with His Majesty's Legation’s
approval, the road was declared safe and the warning to the British subjects
mentioned above was cancelled, since when, up to the end of the vear, the road
has remained open and traffic in full swing.
Early in February the question was raised by the Muntazim-ed-Dowleh.
eldest son of’ the late Ispbandiar Khan.
Road, shares in.
n. ,. , Sardar Assad, as to the possibility of
selling his and his brother’s shares in the road, winch amount to J of the
total. He referred the matter to Messrs. Lvnch Brothers* Ispahan Agent,
• 4U r-rr^ k°nd°n- Messrs. Lynch Brothers’ Ahwaz Agent agreed
u u 11 Consul in thinking that it was unwise that the Khans
should sell their interest in the road, which opinion was concurred in by His
* lajesty s Legation. The matter was referred to the Foreign Office, London,
and no further developments have taken place up to date.
Two robberies have occurred on the Lynch Road in the year under review.
Road Robberies. One at a plane Gardan-i-Lugharngir. in
, , , . , June, when 35 donkeys, 10 *caas
! r0o!il'cS0Tuln,SCel a,le0US property were looted by the Tebi, the second
iI’S*trkhUm Wfl?n 50 mules an<* some miscellaneous property were
carried off by the same tribe. This latter caravan belonged to Shushtari mer­
chants, while the former belonged to Messrs. Lynch Brothers.