Page 262 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

73 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY
Gaiii District.
Snrdar Syed Klmn was very seriously ill in November 1907; ho was
suffering from paralysis and was not. expected to live. He recovered however
and in March 1908 came south to meet the Governor of Bushirc (Derya Begi)
at Charbar to settle the customs question.
Ono serious case of murder occurred during the year, the victim being
named Mir Said Khan (son of Azam Khan), who nns related to the Chief ol
Gaih. Mir Said Khan married the widow of the late Sardar Hussein Khan
(formerly Chiof of Gaih) and obtained with her much property and money.
Soon after the marriage Sardar Syed Khan and Sardar Islam Khan claimed
the monoy belonging to the late Hussein Khan’s widow, which resulted in a
quarrel, and the ultimate murder of Mir Said Khan, said to have been perpe­
trated by Sardars Syed Khan and Islam Khan.
Owing to the incapacity of Mir Sycdullah of the Bir Sub-district, the
subsidy of Us. 200 per annum was
Bir Sub-district.
divided equally between Mir Sheroo and
Mir Sahib Khan.
Dour cases of slaves being shipped to the Arab Coast from the ports of
Gaih were reported during the year*
STrvo traffic.
In the coastal portion of the Gaiii district practically no rain fell this
season, and the crops of barley, juwari
Rainfall and Crops.
and cotton have entirely failed. The
northern portion of the district where dates and rice are principally cultivated
are not so badly affected as water is obtained by small rivers fapm the
mountains some 30 miles north of Gaih, where the rainfall is generally good.
These small rivers are bunded, and the water diverted into numerous channels,
and used as required-.
Large numbers of the poorer classes of Baluchis in the south of the
district, have gone over to Maskat where they earn a fair living as coolies and
date packers.
Dashtyari District..
Mir Abdi Khan of Dashtyari died on the 16th January 1908, and was
succeeded by his son, Mir Din Mohamed. The Dashtyari subsidy of 11s. 1,000
per annum is now divided equally between Mir Din Mohamed and Mir
Mahmud Khan. Mir Din Mohamed is aged about 19 years ; he has for the
past four years been instructed in the management of the district by his uncle,
Mir Mahmud Khan, with whom he is on the best of terms. Although still
very young, Mir Din Mohamed is exceptionally popular in the district on
account of his sound judgment and leniency to the poorer people, and there
seems reason to hope that the district will thrive under his and his uncle’s
chieftainship. Unlike other districts in Persian Baluchistan, the population
of Dashtyari is increasing.
The limited rainfall this year affects Dasht.yaEi rather more than other
districts, as tlieir chief export is cotton,
Rainfall and Crops.
which requires much water, in the
early stages of its growth. The barley and dliall crops have also failed, but
there is a fair quantity of grain in the country from last year’s good crops..

Baku District:
Last year it. was shown how Sardar Syrd Khan of Gaih used Mir Ahmed
Khan as his tool for the purpose of'extracting as much money as possible out
of his district. A few months later Sardar Syed Khan dismissed Mii'A-hme1
Khan, and appointed Mir Nawab Khan (Syed Khan’s nephew) as Chref o
Balm, to carry on the administration of the district with Mir Asraf Khan.
Mir Nawab Khan is a strong man ; he brought with him some 400 arme
followers to Balm Kolat which created quite an impression in the country.
He dismissed Mir Ahmed Khan from the district and threatened to kill u
if he entered the Bnhu district again. Mir Ahmed Khan has for the Pn
seven months been living at Dashtyari with Mir Mahmud Khan,