Page 558 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

09 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF TUB PERSIAN GULF
The tribal history of the year under review has nothing to shew but
rebellions and constant inter-tribal warfare. In the month of January Amur
Agha of the Agha Jirri rebelled against the Bakhtiari Governor ot Bchbehan
and successfully defied his every effort to ooeroe him till he was brought to
heel by a force of Bahamai and Shukrullah Boir Ahmcdi Kuhgelus, whom the
Governor of Bchbehan instigated to attack him. In the spring of 1910, the
Aoting Ilkhani and Acting llbegi summoned headmen from the Tebi and Boir
Ahmedi tribes to appear before them at Malamir, and their non-compliance
was made a pretext by the Bakhtiaris for the despatch of an expeditionary
force against the former tribe. The conduct of the operations against Ali
Murad Khan of the Tebi, was at first entrusted to Ilussein Khan of the
Ahmedi Bahamai, who are in touch with the Ilkhani Branch of the Bakhti-
afis, but on Sultan Ali Khan, Shahab-us-Sultaneh, being appointed Governor
of Bebbehan, owing to his jealousy of Hussein Khan’s successes and further
on account of the fact that Ali Murad Khan of the Tebi is in touch with the
Haji Ilkhani family of the Bakhtiaris, of which Sultan Ali is also a member,
Hussein Khan was superseded in the supreme command by Sultan Ali Khan,
who at once made peace with Ali Murad Khan and invested him with a robe
of honour. This action on Sultan Ali Khan’s part led to a rupture of the
already strained relations existing betwe:n the Acting Ilkhani and the Acting
llbegi of the Bakhtiaris, which resulted in Sultan Ali Khan’s recall from
Behbehan and the withdrawal, in May. of the expeditionary force from the
Tebi territory, without accomplishing anything "more than embroiling the
Ahmedi Bahamai in an implacable blood feud with the Tebi. The failure
of this expedition, which was a golden opportunity for the Bakhtiaris not
only to make themselves masters of a tribe, which harasses the Bakhtiari
(Lynch) road continually, but also gradually to subjugate all the Kubgelu
tribes, may be traced directly to the intense and ever present hatred of the
two Bakhtiari families the one for the other.
Consequent on the blood feud, which arose as above stated, between the
Ahmedi Bahamai and the Tebi (Sarhaddi), these two tribes were engaged in.
internecine warfare all through the summer, the advantage being on the side
of the Bahamai. Later, in autumn, they were joined by some of the Tebi
themselves under Mulla Waili, Siawash, and Khan Ali Khans and the inves­
ture of Qala Racsi, in which fort Ali Murad Khan had taken up his stand,
was commenced, and tbe year closed with desultory fighting still going on.
Among the events of lesser importance may be mentioned (f) the deten­
tion of three hostages from the Kuhgelu for the good behaviour of their sub­
tribes by the Bakhtiari Khans in the High Country—on internal dissensions
breaking out among the Bakhtiari Khans in the summer, these hostages were
set free—and (ii) the policing, during the summer of the Sarrak-Pul-i-
Amarat section of the Lynch (Ahwaz-Ispahan) road by the Babamai, under
the orders of Hussein Khan.
Lastly* among the matters worthy of note may be mentioned the proffer of
assistance by the Boir Ahmedi, under Mulla Kobad, to the Sowlet-ua-Dowleh,
when he was threatening to invade Bakhtiari territory in the vicinity of
Ittiam (Jais, and the attack near Shulgistan by members of the same tribe on
Mr. Bill. His Majesty’s Consul, Shiraz, when en route to Ispahan, in the
spring of 1910,
Northern Arabistan has been in an un­
Northern Arabist&n.
settled state during the period under
ire view.
The district in the vicinity of Dizful has been the scene of constant raids
by lue Sagwand and Dirakwand Lurs and tbe Kbasrij Arabs, and the towns
of Dizful and Shushtar have been the scene of intermittent inter-moballa
(quarter) fighting. In the former town the most serious outbreak was subse*
quent to the arrest of the Amad-ud-Daftar by Muhammad Jawad Khan,
Muntazzira-ud-Dowleh, on a charge of refusal to pay taxes. In Shushtar the
trouble was greater and of longer duration. Trouble commenced to brew id
January between the various mohallas, the cause of which was the enmity ot