Page 316 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

16 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

Abdul Hussain, which took place on July 11th. He was pursued bv a nartv of
horsemen who, probably intentionally, tailed to overtake him. Hc was not
again heard of until the beginning of October, when hc was reported to have
gathered a force and proclaimed, following the Mujtchids of Ncicf that the
service of Muhammad Ali Shah was the service of Yczid, and consequently
it was sinful to pay revenue. This article of religion of course found caccr
adherents, and it soon became necessary for Qavam-ul-Mulk in person to move
against the Seyyid. He delayed however until November 21st, by which time
the movement had become formidable, and hc found himself unable to proceed
beyond Darab. In fact a force of Arabs under AsgSar Khan (vide infra)
when proceeding to join him was somewhat severely defeated. The position
at the close of the year was that Scyyid Abdul Hussain was maintaining him­
self in Lar, the Qavami brothers negotiating unsuccessfully at Darab, and
ruining themselves by maintaining a large mounted force in a district where
the last year’s crop had completely failed, and Sowlct-ed-Dowleh was
watching the situation from his winter quarters near Jahrum. The natural
disinclination of a Persian force to risk a fight was aggravated for the
Qavamis by fear of compromising themselves hopelessly with the Constitu­
tionalists in the existing indeterminate political conditions of Persia.
Nomad
tribes. Kashgais.—The internal politics of the Kashgais were unusually peace­
ful. Soulet-ed-Dowleh remained Ilkhani throughout the period, in spite of
the continual intrigues of his brother, the Zeigham-ed-Dowlch, and was very
careful to avoid identifying himself actively with either party in the State*
In the autumn of 1907 his hostility to the Qavam had led him to identify
himself openly with the popular party; on the arrival of Asaf-cd-Dowleh he
shewed himself eager to efface this impression by furnishing a guard for his
person and personally escorting him for several marches, and later by shew­
ing activity in the collection of revenue. These exertions were rewarded by.
the title of Sardar-i-Ashaigh. His supremacy in the tribe was only once
threatened, when his brother secured the support of the strong Shishbuluki
section, in October, and hostilities on the usual battle ground of the tribe, the
Bcyza district, appeared imminent. They were, however, averted and the
Zeigham was forced to take refuge with Nasr-cd-Dowlch. The Kashgais
had an exceedingly good year in the tribal industry of highway robbery,
although most of their exploits were performed outside the limits of Pars.
The leading Parsi banker of Shiraz, after a visit to Soulet-ed-Dowleh, stated
that he had seen stolen goods which had been brought from Khorasan, and
even from Ashkabad.
Nonetheless, when desirous of conciliating the local authorities, Soulet-
ed-Dowlch went so far as to put two robbers to death, and cut off the hands
and feet of seven others. He seems, however, to be a man of cautious charac­
ter, and though feared by his tribe, is neither beloved nor greatly respected.
There can be little doubt that since the weakening of the Qavami power by
the abortive operations against the Lari Seyyid described already, there is no
force in the province capable of resisting the united strength of the Kashgai.
Arabs.—As already related, after the departure of the Qavami brothers,
the Arabs were handed over by Zil-es-Sultan to the tender mercies of their
bete noir, Motamid-ud-Divan. This appointment had been made once before,
in the summer of 1907, and was then rescinded on all the headmen taking
“ bast ” in the telegraph office at Dchbid. Consequently the Motamicl was
under no illusions as to the feelings of the Arabs towards him. He spent. a
month in trying to conciliate them, and did in fact induce a majority o
headmen to appear at Zil-cs-Sultan’s review (vide ante page 14). His n
proceeding was to move out with a force of 800 men to collect revenu *
overawe the malcontents. Hc had also promised most solemnly to rcc°' •
the British claims relating to the Ispahan road. He received many w p
before he set out, and was generally believed to be aware of the lac j
leader of the malcontents, Asghar Khan, had sworn on the Koran aj
in revenge for the Qavam. Hc was, however, a man of most unusua pcisc»
courage, which was doubtless the reason of the ascendancy w 1 . if
obtained in Fars, and hc went out determined to distmguisi Khan
suppressing the Arabs. He was received in a friendly way by A g