Page 525 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

ADMN. REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1910. 20
of the Misbah with a large force, joined forces with several Rudban and Rud-
ani Khans, and several alTrays took place between them and the Misbah s men.
The Condition of Minab remained extremely disturbed during August ana
September when His Excellency Darva Bcgi proceeded there: Darya Bep
was compelled to return to Bandar Abbas, in October, owing to the Baharlu
raid, but Misban-i-Diwan was subsequently again sent to Minab with about
150 tufangcliis, and finally succeeded m driving off Ali Khan and his support­
ers : since then no further disturbances have occurred there. The Misban-i-
Diwan’s action however was extremely unfortunate : so far from any British
claims being settled, the whole district remained in an extremely disturbed
condition for three months, many petty robberies took place, and gardens were
destroyed etc., though fortunately no serious depredations were reported.
Moreover Ali Khan, who, if properly handled, would probably have proved
fairly tractable, has been practically converted into an outlaw, whose main
object is to revenge himself on the Deputy Governor.
At the opening of the year Mullah Abdul Rahman, Misbah-i-Diwan was
Deputy Governor, but early in January,
Local officials.
as the result of some complaints made
against him by one or two influential merchants in connection with a case in
which they were claimants, he was dismissed, and took “ bast ” at the Consu­
late. There was a temporary interregnum until the arrival of the Darya
Bcgi, at the end of February, when Mansur-i-Diwan, Ilis Excellency’s Ferash-
Bashi, was nominally appointed Deputy Governor. His Excellency remained
here till 2nd June and before leaving made peace between the merchants and
the Misbah-i-Diwan, and reinstated the latter. He has remained Deputy
Governor up to the close of the year. He is extremely venal and cor nipt,
and quite unscrupulous where profit to himself is concerned : at the same time
he is possessed of a good deal of ability of a rough-and-ready kind, and is the
only man in the place capable of maintaining order, as has been several times
shown. He is moreover friendly disposed towards the Consulate, and willing
to co-operate in any matter which does not affect his own pocket.
A somewhat anxious situation was created here at the beginning of the
voir. There were then some 300 Afghans
Arms Traffic.
hero, and, owing to the effectiveness of the
measures taken for the suppression of the illicit traffic- in arms, their attitude
to the Consulate became openly hostile. The Consular guard was accordingly
increased, at the end of January, to 30 men, and the Afghans were given notice
to leave the neighbourhood of Bandar Abbas within a- week. The presence
of a man-of-war in the harbour induced them to comply with this order, and
they left for the interior within the specified period, they subsequently had
several affrays with Bashakardis and’others on their way up country, a thing
which, from our point of view, is in no way to be regretted, as it renders the
people of the country through which they have to pass on their way to the
coast actively hostile to them. In September orders were received that the
Government of India had sanctioned a grant for certain alterations which
would render the Consulate buildings more easily defensible. These altera­
tions were commenced before the end of .the year, and arrangements were
made for strengthening the Consulate guard at short notice. Up to the end
of the year, however, no Afghan caravans had reached Bandar Abbas.
In November an underground connection was made between the cable-
Toiegraphe. boase and the Consulate, with a view to
tin,. i.ttrmpttd b, cutting ,£££3^"”"*““" ^ “ any

Charge of the Consulate was held by Captain M. E. Rae, I.A., up to the
British Consulate. May 1909, when he proceeded on
by Captain H. V. Bisooe who remaned" nctrje SfKosSfTh"
M. de Graeve has been Director of Persian Customs here during the
Customs. whole year with the except ion
of two
.be. t"d,£K