Page 228 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

44, 'ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF TIIE PERSIAN GULF
POLITICAL RESIDENCY
their comparative success in enforcing these arWtro.y and irritating restrictions

Lurtstan.
61. The fact of the Sardar Mukarrain’s appointment to the Governorship
ot -Lunstan in April and his departure for the head-quarters of his new
charge first by way of Dizful and later through the Bnkhtiari country
have already been mentioned. **
His passage through the Bakhtiari country coincided in part with that of
Jlis Britannic Majesty’s Vice-Consul and several meetings took place. rihe
Sardar took occasion to give expression to what professed to ho his ambitions
and intentions in regard to Luristan, and more especially in reeard to the
opening of the Dizful-Khurramabad road, and ho endeavoured to obtain
a statement of British policy in respect to the hitter object.
The Sardar was accompanied by Khan jan Khan Sagwand, who had since
the previous year devoted himself to his s- rvice.
02. It w as anticipated that the Sardar would have much difficulty in
dealing with the Salar-ud-Daulah who had set up the standard of open revolt
and joined hiuisolf to the Fath-us-Sultan of the Dilfan.
These expectations were, however, falsified by the sudden submission of
the Salar on tire arrival of some sort of force whose despatch had been organised
at Tehran. 'J he Salar in the first place fled to Kermaushah where he took
bast at the British Consulate.
Afterwards having received assurances of the safety of his person he
surrendered himself to the Government’s agents and was conducted to Tehran
where his fortunes cease to interest us.
The path having en thus cleared for the Sardar Mukarram before
his arri. ai, he had no difficulty in establishing his authority at Khurramabad.
No very clear account of his doings is available, but it is known that Jie
declared the Fath us-Sultan a rebel, and that begot in toucli with the JDirakwand.
Negotiations with the latter resulted in, or were followed by, a small
Kafilah passing down through their country to Dizful in August. But this
in itself meant little, the complaisance of the Dirakwand occasionally allowing
small parties of favoured persons to traverse their country, and up to the
time of writing there are no signs that the solution of the problem of the
road has been in any way advanced. Operations were at one time undertaken,
it is stated with some success, against the Bairanwand with the object of
exacting the revenue demand from them.
In the end of October there were rumours that the Sardar had come
down with Fazil Khan and Hassan Gidaw Sagwands, according to some to
Qilab. according to others to Saimarra, and it was asserted that he would
enter Dizful at the conclusion of the Ramzan. This rumour was not, however,
translated into fact, and it was probably started only to intimidate the
Shushteris.
63. In Febiuary news wfas received of the arrest and imprisonment of
Fazil Khan, Hassan Gidaw and Khanjan Khan. The seizure of these men
■was probably in connection with the payment of revenue due from o
Sagwand tribe, but the inclusion among them of Khanjan was a strange ojd
ill-judged action. He had served the Salar well and faithfully ap 1
services could not he safely dispensed with, though it appears that the » nr
thought that the Shahab-us-Lashkar, an extra-Duristan minor Chier, u
fake his place. It is also said that the arrest of Khanjan was not origin y
intended and was caused by his resisting the arrest of the others whi j
were in his company. .
the
Shortly afterwards tho discontent which had been growing ngains head
Sardar’s rdgitue among the townspeople of Khurrambnd oamo o a
and they invoked the assistance of tho Fnteh*us-Sultan. ihe _ h,*g
with force, and besieged the Sardnr Mukarram, who had P