Page 432 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF
22
on the 13th July and oonvoycd to him a formal warning from their Legations
that he would bo hold personally responsible for the damage to foreign per­
sons or property resulting from any attack on Shiraz brought about by him,
and striot orders forbidding any advance by Sow let, Kawam or the Lari
Seyyid wore obtainod from him.
The immediate pressure was relieved by the appointment of Zil-cs-Sultan
which was received with the greatest enthusiasm. On the 18th July, however,
the Sipahdar and Sardar Assad telegraphed announcing their own appoint­
ments as Minister respectively of War and Interior, and Asaf-ed-Dowieh at
once claimed that the appointment of Zil-es-Sultan was cancelled by the revo­
lution. His hopes were however shortlived, Ala-ed-Dowleh being appointed
on the 1st July. The Legation had previously been informed that it was a
sine qua non for Ala-ed-Dowleh’s success that he should paralyse the opposi­
tion which his appointment woifld certainly arouse by an immediate depar­
ture for Shiraz, but unfortunately he hesitated in Tehran until too late. On
the news of his appointment Sowlet announced his determination to occupy
Shiraz, to destroy the enemies of the constitution, and maintain himself by
force of arms against his life-long enemy Ala-ed-Dowrieh. On July 25th his
definite departure for Shiraz with a large force was reported from Abadeh,
and on the 26th Kawam-ul-Mulk left Shiraz for the Arab camp some 40 miles
distant.
As serious fighting in and about Shiraz appeared to be imminent, I
considered it necessary to call for reinforcements for the Consular guar •
arrangements for which had beeu made in anticipation, and on the same ay,
the 25th, at four hours’ notice, the following left Bushire for Shiraz
enant Crosthwaite, I.A., Lieutenant Lang, R.N., Assistant Surgeon 1
I.S.M.D., one Native officer, a Sergeant and three privates ot the Koyai
Marines with an armourers mate, R.N., and a Maxim gun, 5 sowars a
36 sepoys.
In view of the extreme importance of the force arriving before Sowlet
reached Shiraz, it was unfortunately imperative that in spite of the ex re
heat they should press on as fast as possible, and this made the march, a
worst possible season of the year, over a road the difficulty of which is p
verbial, a very severe trial of endurance, which was unfortunately not a?ut h
plished without loss of life, two sepoys dying of heat stroke at Konarta
cn J uly 28th.
Under the extremely adverse circumstances the arrival of the
ment at Shiraz, on August 2nd, must lie considered a remarkably creai a
piece oi work. There were only two actual invalids, both sepoys, who soon
recovered. Meanwhile, Mr. Christmas, Indo-European Telegraph Depa
raent, had gone out to endeavour to delay Sowlet’s arrival until after tha
the detachment, in which he was completely successful, and after the cn y
of the latter, I went out to try and persuade Sowlet not to enter bbiraz
all. He oouId not be brought to this, but consented to delay his entry
three days, during which the situation became sensibly calmer, especiai»y
it became clear that the Arabs were not coming up to the scratch. Even u
on August 5th, he came in w,ith a small body of horsemen, leaving his
body in camp some ten miles out, and after a long conversation wllD
Ministers he announced the appointment of Ain-ed-Dowleh as Cover
General. This remained however unconfirmed and matters remained m s ,
quo till Sahara-ed-Dowlehs appointment on the 12th. During this Pe ,
Sowlet’s relations with the Consulate were of a very friendly character,
though the Kashgais made themselves unpopular by depredation on gar
and crops, their behaviour was not bad on the whole, and there was no sen
fracas. He finally left the neighbourhood of Shiraz on the 14th, on w 1
date, the bazaars were fully opened for the first time since the disorders
began.

Kashgais are at present morn i.n ^W-ami J)ro^ers; a"d the second is that the
re unitcd 1D submission to Sowlet-ed-Dowleh than