Page 309 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR TIIE YEAR 1906. 9

and robberies of goods frequent. Local Sheikhs and Khans have been at
perfect liberty to pursue their sweet will in the collection of rahdari and
other transit dues, and, as may be imagined, they are not slow to avail them­
selves of the privilege.
Freights between Bushire and Shiraz have consequently ruled high
during the year.
Lingah has been in a disturbed condition throughout the year, the rival
Sunni and Shian factions having been unusually hostile to one another.
As mentioned in last year’s report, an assembly styled the Anjuman-i-
Azad was started by Ala-es-Sultan in 1907 when he was acting Director
of Customs. This Assembly was actively supported by Mr. Brown (Agent
of Messrs. R. Wonckhaus & Co.) and continued to give considerable trouble
until June, when it was suppressed by order of the Dcrya Bcgi. It has con­
tinued to keep up a precarious existence under the style of a school and
will, no doubt, re-appear shortly. The Sadid-cs-Sultanch, the Russian
Consular Agent, has been an active partisan of the Anjuman.
In the beginning of the year, His Excellency the Derya Begi, after
constant pressure from the Residency, recalled Safar Ali Khan, the Deputy
Governor, who had been giving a lot of trouble and the case of the beating
and robbing of the Bahreini, Ibrahim Bu Khalil, by Safar Ali Khan (vide
last year’s report) was satisfactorily settled.
Another case, viz., the firing on the British flag by Muhammad Hassan,
Chief of Kais, was also disposed of, the Dcrya Bcgi arresting and imprison­
ing the Chief, who was finally released in August after payment of a
suitable fine.
The Sadid-es-Sultaneh was Russian Consular Agent until the 8th Lingah
December when lie left for Bunder Abbas to take up his appointment of Con-
sular Agent for Bunder Abbas and Lingah after the departure of Monsieur titc*.
Ovseenko on leave-
About the end of March 1908, the Derya Begi paid a visit to Lingah
during which he had the flagstaff erected by Khwaja Muhammad Abdulla (a
troublesome Persian who called himself the Turkish Consul) removed.
Haji Abdur Rahman remained French Consular Agent throughout the
year but has since been removed from his post.
Since the departure of the Ala-es-Sultan, the Directors of Customs atomonw.
Lingah have not given much trouble. One incident, however, occurred in
which for a technical error a boat belonging to a Bahreini by name Ahmad
bin Jasim bin Jodar was seized and sold. Some relief in the shape of the
refund of 35 per cent, of the value of the vessel has been obtained by His
Majesty’s Legation. Owing to the inconvenience of raising the Bahrein
issue aciltely, it was not considered expedient to press the Persian Govern­
ment on the subject officially.
Towards the end of the year, Lingah was much disturbed by news from
Lar, where one Seyyid Abdul Hussain had started a revolt. This individual
had it appeared obtained considerable success and was constantly threatening
a descent on Lingah.
In June 1908, it came to notice that certain native boats employed by fl'3;
Messrs. Wonckhaus & Co. were flying the German flag apparently merely on on
the authority of written certificates issued by Mr. Brown. The matter was
brought to the notice of Government and steps were taken to make sure that
the issue of our own flag in the gulf was conducted on regular lines, before
the nature of any communication to the German Government was decided
upon.
During the period under report, 13 slaves were granted papers of manu- slave trade,
mission at the Residency; 11 of these were from Shargah, 1 from Lingah and
1 from Bushire.
The Resident made a long tour in the R.I.M.S. Lawrence in May and Tour«.
proceeded to Shiraz in June staying there till October. On his return he
went to Jask in Ii.M.S. Perseus in connection with the arms traffic.
c