Page 344 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

44 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF TIIE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

was thrown into chains over a dispute with the Sinjabi tribe. On return­
ing, however, be had been granted the title of Salar-i-ikbal and a grant of 300
sowars against tlie Kennanshah revenue. It may be remembered that this
was the youth who was so insolent to Major Baird and in consequence had
to apologise to me at Kasr-i-shirin.
Finding the Sartip Muhammad Ali at Kermanshah, lie decided to put
an end to his pretensions by kidnapping him. This, accordingly, he did,
but it was, unfortunately for him, the 1st day of the mourning of the Ahia,
and the wife and family of Muhammad Ali rushed to the masjid weeping and
crying for justice. The townspeople and the priests took up the cry and the
Deputy Governor—the Governor was out of the town and his son was acting—
was forced to take action, an opportunity for which he was really glad for
he had no means of forcing Daud Khan to pay his revenue.
Telegrams were sent to Tehran and the people, in accord for once,
determined on action.
The Governor sent a message to Salar-i-ikbal saying that the Sartip—
who had been sent out of the town—must be given up. All that this resulted
in was an impertinent reply. The Deputy-Governor then sent telling him
that the situation was serious. This, Salar-i-ikbal secure in the strength of
his sowars, was unable to understand and sent a second rude reply. Azam-ud-
dowlch then gave orders that the son of the Kalhor chief was to be seized
and imprisoned. The latter, who was in a strong position in the house of
Amin-ul-mamalek, the Kalhor agent, opened fire. He had, however, under­
estimated the fact that the blood of the people was up and indeed he had
every right to consider their spirit a ncgligablc quality, but on this occasion
he was wrong and he was besieged with great vigour on the 18th October.
Salar-i-ikbal succeeded in defending himself for the day with some loss,
including one of the chief Khans of the Kalhor tribe, Khan Baba Khan
Shiani. It is very possible that Salar-i-lkbal took the opportunity to kill the
Khan himself, since he was getting too powerful for Daud Khan to be able
to coerce.
The Kalhor party had, however, laid in no provisions, and the following
day they thought it wiser to surrender on the proviso that the Mujtahids
of the town swore on the Koran that no injury should be done him, Salar-i-
ikbal agreed to pay all arrears of revenue and to have Muhammad Ali
returned to his family. These terms were acceded to on the understanding
that they only held provided the Kalhor tribe gave no further ground for
complaint in the interim.
The following day there was a small fight between sowars of the Kalhor
tribe and some of the Sinjabis who had been called in to support the town.
The Kalhors were with the assistance of the townspeople beaten oft with
the loss of a few men on the Kalhor side.
During these affrays, a considerable number of bullets were flying about,
the Consulate office was struck, bullets fell in the garden and the Russian
and Turkish Consulates and also the Russian Doctor’s house were hit.
Daud Khan was extremely angry with his son for his foolishness, but
he eainc to within one march of Maliidasht and settled the matter by paying
up his revenue with arrears and leaving a younger son as hostage in place of
Salar-i-ikbal. Ilad this hostage been kept, it would have been well but,
unfortunately, Zahir-ul-mulk returned to the town and immediately released
him, presumably thinking it was wiser to be content with the money he had
got, for he knows it would not be wise for him to be permanently on bad
terms with the Sardar-i-muzaffer. A governor taken from a local tribe
naturally thinks of himself, and not of the people of the town; the latter
Jiad therefore wasted a good effort and had lost some lives in order to pnt
some 25,000 tomans in the Governor’s pocket.
Captain Lorimer had arrived at Kermanshah en route to Ahwaz, via
Puslit-i-kuh, and I sent oft a letter from him and one from myself to tno
Wali. My messenger, a Consulate courier, was seized by certain member