Page 219 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AMD TIIE MASQAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1007-1009. 35
2G. Shuster District.—Outside tlio town of Shushfer little occurred
wliii h is worthy of record. 'When the struggle between the Sams am us-Suhanah
and the Sliahab-us-Subanah reached its crisis, tho party of the former began
coquetting wiih Sheikh Fnrhan Asad of tho Bait Sa’ad, and the Zia-us-Sultan
with some Bakhtiaii sowars attached themselves lor some time to Farhan. It
was said that the intention was to keep a place of refuge, or a lino of n treat,
open for the Samsam.
Events did not develop sufficiently to afford a means of judging of the
naturo or value of this seemingly strange understanding between Bakhtiari
and Aral).
Farhan was at various times in the bad hooks of Sheikh Khaza’l, hut he
is astute and knows how far he can go without driving the latter to extremes.
27. The town of Gotwand was perturbed during the summer by fighting
breaking out between its two chief men, Jlaji Abul Path and Asadullah Khan.
The town has been in a chronic state of internal siege for tho last three y< ars.
The two men mentioned above arc dependent on the Samsam and the
Shahab respectively, and their affairs are likely to be affected by the relations
existing at any particular time between those two Chiefs.
Periodically an armistice or peace is arranged through the instrumentality
of the religious dignitaries of Shuster, and a modus viveudi is arrived at.
28. The peace of the district was disturbed in July by a raid ma ’c at
Shalaili on the Muin-ut-TujjarV warehouse, and some native boats lying there.
The raiders were stated to hail from the Khasrij. Extra riflemen were
placed on the S S. Shushan by the Sheikh, and it was aranged that the river
banks should be patrolled from tho neighbouring villages.
29. Dizful.—While Dizful leads a no less troubled existence than Shuster
does, it can lay the blame on external rather than internal .sources of
disturbance. Much of the land and property of its citizens is situated in ihe
country to the west of the Diz river, and lie at the mercy of the Dirakwand
and Sngwand Lurs, and the Chanana and other trans-border Arabs, who are
not slow to take advantage of their opportunities.
The present year was ro exc«piior. to its predecessors, and presents an
almost uninterrupted succession of raids and forays, which it would be tedious
to enumerate. The most noticeable fi ature is the apparent increa? ed predatory
aciivity, at least during tho latter half of the year under review, of the Chanana
Arabs.
30. Early in June the Saif-un-Nizam, Chiragh Ali Khan, Bakhtinri, was-
deputed to tho Governorship of the l)izful District. flhe Shahab-us-Sultanah
at tho samo time making himself responsible for the payment of the revenue.
The Saif-un-Nizam showed some activity in attempting to reduce the
country-side to order, both by arianging for the policing of the caravan road to
Shush ter by a son of Farhan Asad, and by tackling the portion of the Sagwand
who were lingering in the district beyond the Diz river.
The last move was not very successful and ended in the Snif-un-Nizam’s
losing, some men and horses and being blockaded in the village of Jariya
Saiyd Ahmad, a position from which ho only extricated himself with some
difficulty.
Proceeding from contempt of civil authority to impious disregard of
religious sanctity, the Sagwand fell on and completely despoiled a large party
of Hajis returning from Mokka by way of Amara. A pacific adjustment was,
however, subsequently arranged by the intervention of the heads of religion in
Dizful and the Saif-un-Nizatu.
31.. In October civic affairs were rendered interesting by a quarrel
between tho Quth-us-Sadat and the Mustaufi, the Imad-ud-Daftar, which
resulted in prolonged active hostilities within the town,
32. Further distractions were provided for the inhabitants in February
when the Bakhtiuri Khans, tho Shahab-us-Sultanah and the Solar Arfa1, suddenly
made their appearance at the gates of the town.
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