Page 255 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1007-1908. 71

CHAPTER Y.
administration report of the bunder abbas consulate
FOR THE YEAR 1907-1908.
The remarks made in last year’s report regarding the general unrest
prevailing throughout the district, aro equally pertinent to the conditionsremar
prevailing during the year under report. The constant recurrence oE distur­
bances and the impunity with which raiding parties from Fars territory
committed depredations in the Bunder Abbas administrative district unchecked
by the local authorities, tended to reduce to vanishing point the authority of the
Deputy-Governor of Bunder Abbas and in the Shamilat his orders were openly
ignored. Situated as he is at Bunder Abbas, witli/ but a handful of tofangchis
to uphold his authority, he is quite powerless to cope with lawlessness prevailing
beyond the limits of the town. Nor is his position an enviable one in the town
itself, where he is every day becoming more and more the puppet of the Local
Assembly. It is interesting to note that this Assembly was originally
inaugurated with the object of founding a scluol for the education of Persian
children. Having accomplished this end, its attention was gradually diverted
by Sadid-es-Sultaneh, the Russian Agent, to the discussion of local affairs in
general and latterly it has not scrupled to interfere in administrative matters
and to dictate to the local authorities. Although the Governor of the Gulf
Ports has several times called upon the people of Bunder Abbas to elect a
representative for the Bushire Assembly, nothing has been done in this direc­
tion, the prominent inhabitants contonuing that the town and district is of
sufficient importance to merit a separate representative in the Tehran
Assembly.
Owing to absence of rain, the crops were a total failure and the year Rainfall and
has been characterised by great scarcity and want throughout the district. HarveBt.
Fodder was unobtainable locally and large quantities were imported from the
upper Gulf.
Mirza Abbas Khan, Amin-ul-Yzarha, held the dual appointment of^ocai
Deputy-Governor and Karguzar until the 26th November, when Mirza IsmaelAuthoritieB-
Khan replaced him as Deputy-Governor. He continued, however, to bold the
post of Karguzar throughout the year.
In the Shamilat, Assadulla Khan displaced Mir Ahmed Shah in the
Kalantarship, but after bolding office for a few weeks, was dismissed. Subse­
quently, owing to an agitation, particulars of which pre stated below, Assad­
ulla Khan and Mir Ahmed Shah were on July 5th appointed as joint
Kalantars.
At Lingah, Mahsood-ul-Mamalik was Deputy-Governor until the 17th
October, when he was replaced by Safar Ali Khan.
At Minab, Kerbelai Mahomed Hassan, who had always been most friendly
disposed and rendered us much assistance in dealing with cases involving
British interests, was replaced in the Deputy-Governorship early in June by
Hassan, Amin-i-Diwan.
Sheikh Saleh has been Zabit of Kishm throughout the voar. He paid 3,200
tomans for the revenue <^f the island, a reduction of 1,700 tornans on the
amount realised in formyr years. The year has, however, been one of great
scarcity throughout the island, no rain having fallen. Fodder or grazing for
camels has been unobtainable, with the result that hundreds of camels
(5 krans per head revenue is derived from each camel) havo been takon to
the mainland and sold to Afghans. In all Sheikh Saleh maintains that he is
some 3,000 tomans out of pocket a9 the result of his year’s term of office.
At Hormuz, IVJirza Khalil continued to represent the interests of the
Moin-et-Tujjar.
Taking advantage of tho discontent provniling amongst the Sharailat ryots, Disturbance*,
by reason of the previous yoar’s scarcity in the district, Mir Ahmed Shah, the
dismissed Kalantar, raised an agitation against the newly appointed Kalantar,
i