Page 242 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

58 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF TF1E PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL
RESIDENCY
Mohjli accordingly i-ft for that place under circumstances explained to
mo by Zalur-ed-Douloli ns follows after much conversation Mchdi agreed to
go as required, bo was to travel in a carriage supplied bv Government and
stipulated that lie should go without an escort ns otherwise it might bo said
that he was being sent as a prisoner. Mchdi then demanded that his
departure should bo kept, secret lest the people should prevent his going* ho
accordingly was to go to his brother's village and from thence to Hamadnn
where a carriage was to meet him. The above was all agreed to and Aglm
Mchdi was given 500 Tumans for his expenses, which money was borrowed
from the Bank.
Meluli disappeared and a few days afterwards was stopped at Kasr-i-
Shirin on the frontier whero ho had arrived without a passport and was
consequent1 y unable to cross into Turkey, Zaliir-cd-Doulch was astonished.
Mehdi wired him that he had confidence in him as a Governor and as his
own presence was not needed he had decided to go to Kerbela and devote
himself to religion and asked for a passport to leave the country. The
question was referred to the Atabeg who permitted him to cross tho frontier.
Zahir-ed-Doulcli remarked that it was the best thing as he was now out of
tho way and his flight would discredit him with the people.
I did not discover till quite recently that the whole thing was again a
piece of “haute politique/* Zahir-ed-Uouleh had played on the fear of Mohdi,
had persuaded him that it was unwise to go to Tehran and had givcu him the
funds to escape, thinking that he would thus got rid of a man who stood in
the way of his settling matters as he desired. Atabeg*s death created, as may
be supposed, considerable stir but no disturbances occurred.
For the next month things continued in the same state, tl c Governor
making enquiries and evolving suggestions. Both parties remained on the
defensive but discontent gradually began to arise again, as nothing definite
was decided. Zahir-cd-Douleh finally placed a scheme before the Majlis by
whioh Salar-cd-Douleh was made responsible for most of the losses since it
was to his various inflammatory letters that the troubles wore ascribed,
Saif-ed-Doulek was made responsible for part and the remainder was variously
divided. The suggestion was not approved aud so the situation advanced no
further.
At the beginning of October a notice was put up in a chief street leading
off the main square to the effect that unless the Governor did something for
those who had been looted in the summer he would bo killed by a member of a
band of ten men who had banded themselves together for tho purpose.
The country around became most unsettled; the Governor attempted to
eschew despotic methods. Much as one*s sympathy lay with him in tho
attempt it was predestined to failure. In a country in which there are no
methods of constitutional government, no laws by which to regulate the course
of events, no police to enforce order it is hopeless to attempt to govern
without a show of force In such a country it is necessary to rule by fear.
A man like Zahir-ed-Uouleh, led away by the appearance of foreign cities
which he has seen from the outside and of the working of which he has no
idea, imagines that the absence of tyranny and the apparent calm are automa 1-
cally the result of civilisation. He does not ro.ilise the force which is a ^ays
present behind the law. It is easy to imagine then that in a country *
Persia Zahir-ed-Douleh*s methods produced a condition of unsafely wiucn was
worse than any thing which had preceded it. I ascribe it solely 0
instability of rule in this country that things wore not worse than
for it was never certain that Zahir-ed- Uouleh would not bo dlismisse
stronger man put in bis place who would take a reckoning from tne
of disturbance.
Shortly after this Prince Zafar-rs-Sultanch was appointed Commander-in-
Chiefof the forces of Western Persia. He made Azam-ed-Dmi » afc
Zahir-el-Mulk, the head of the Zongineh tribe, chief of. fc ™ \a8 ft
Kermanshah, and in the letter officially noting the appoii fc till
marginal note saying that the latter was not to take up the pp
he had paid the 2,000 Tumans agreed upon as the price ot tlie post.