Page 240 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

G6 ’ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF TIIE PERSIAN
GOLF POLITICAL RESIDENCY
bolow, amongst tho refugees. The Governor pretended tlmt tho refimnno 1 i
done this themselves in order to throw tho l.lamc on their opponent,5^ this
contention was quite impomblo tor the bullets wont fur too near WhabSS
tents, and the wonder was bow no one was bit.
sTpt-iSSS
was
quite convinced thattbe movement was directed solely against the refugees and
so did not take action in the matter. Bullets were so constantly flying about
m the town that as far as that was concerned it. did not make much dilfercnce
the difficulty was to understand as stated above bow no one ever seemed to get 1
bit.
Tho Persian Government and the local Governor apologised for the inci­
dent and the strictest, orders were issued to the latter informing him that be was
personally responsible for the safety of the Consulate.
The refugees now stated that if they were fired on under the protection of
the British flag what would be their condition outsido and unprotected. They
absolutely refused to leave sanctuary.
On the 18th I received a letter from Nazr Ali Khan, Fath-i-Lashkar, the
father-in-law of Salar-ed-Douleh and chief of bis forces to the effect that ho
was ready to accept any Governor for Luristan except Mujir-es-Sultaneh who
was being sent there but that if that official were sent he prayed that at any
rate Bnkhtiari guards bo not sent with him, since they were the hereditary foes
of the Lurs. If the Bakhtiaris were sent ho said that he would take to the
hills and his former life of brigandage. He asked that the British should bring
about a reconciliation for him with the Persian Government. I telegraphod the
above to Tehran but his claims were not allowed and lie fulfilled his promise
and returned to his old habits. Subsequently a force was sent acainst him but
apparently without result for at the close of the year Nazr Ali Khan 8oized the
town of Khurramabad while the Governor to whom he had objected took
refuge in the house of the Imam-i-Jurna. The punitive expedition seemed to
have, in the meantime, vanished into space and I never heard of it again.
On receiving this letter from Fath-i-Lashkar 1 came to the conclusion that
Salar-ed-Douleh had thrown up the sponge but I was extremely surprised,
when, the following morning, I was informed that. Salar-ed-Douleh was in the
Consulate and had been there for the past three hours.
At first I took it for granted that he had come in to accept tho terms
which had been offered him through me and in conversation I made reference
to the details of the letter which I had sent liim. I suppose that Zahir-od-
Douleh had offered him similar terms from the P<rsinn Government direct, for
he answered my reference quite naturally and it "as not till the letter returned,
having followed Salar a complete round via Khurramabad, that I discovered
that lie had not received my second letter also. Salar-ed-Douleh made various
demands all of which I forwarded to His Britannic Majesty s Minister;
amongst other things he wrote saying that he wished to leave I ersia an o
settle in an English dependency. 1 did not imagine that tho British em­
inent would he particularly anxious to provide a home for such a nre ran
hut forwarded on his letters.
The Minister wired me that the cabinet was debating what was to be done
with His Imperial Highness and later that it was most undesna' e r
should remain at the Consulate. On receipt of this latter’ f S ,
persuaded Salar to accept the terms that had been offered him <0
himself over to Zahir-cd-Douleh; before, however, I could teleg p ^ ,0cn
Tehran I received a telegram that at a meeting of the Assembl flnd j
decided that Salar should be handed over to the Dfrsl0IL Go.\ t 8ent for
W38 accordingly instructed to hand him over to Zahir-ed- 0 ' . jmperial
the latter the same evening, the 22nd of June, and liandod ore p the
Highness by night in order to save him the indignity of pa*s 0
streets by day. Thus the incident closed.