Page 677 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

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75 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF
Mirza Jalal Khan was Director of Customs until the 17th of September
when he was relieved by M. Fourman,
Custom*.
the new Belgian Director from Bandar
Abbas.
In March, the Customs Department received orders to credit all their
receipts to the Imperial Bank of Persia, and the special privilege which
Messrs. Lynch Brothers’ Ahwaz agency hitherto enjoyed of paying their
Ahwaz customs dues in Tehran by draft was withdrawn.
At the commencement of the year Amanulla Khan, the rebellious son of
. the Wali of Pusht-i-Kuh, was in rebel­
lion against his father. Peace was
made in February and Amanullah Khan took up his residence with his father
at Kunjian Chamm.
In June, Amanulla Khan again conceived the idea of deposing his father
and taking over the administration of the country himself. He was encour­
aged in this idea by the “ Ghulams ”—or Kaka Siah—the descendants of
slaves brought into the country by the ancestors of the present Wali who
have gradually acquired wealth and great influence in the country. The
“ Ghulams ” hoped to be liberally rewarded by Amanulla Khan when, by
their help, he would be established in his father’s place. An opportunity
presented itself when the Wali loft his summer headquarters at Deh Bala
I on a shooting expedition with a small escort. Amanulla, promising rewards
to the Y/ali’s ’Aiuala left at Deh Bala for their support, started off with a
large following to meet his father who was returning from his shooting
excursion. On seeing him he explained that he had decided to take over the
government of the country and had him quietly escorted to the chief Qaleh
where he was placed under guard.
Immediately the plot was successful and Amanulla Khan established as
ruler, the Ghulams and others who had helped him commenced to clamour for
their promised rewards. Some demanded villages and others remission of
revenue on their lands. The new Y/ali put oil these troublesome claimants
as long as possible, but, feeling his position insecure and fearing that one of
his late supporters would rise against him and oust him in turn from the
rulership, he thought it better to retire from the position, reinstate his
father and make the best terms possible for himself.
Accordingly he approached bis father, acknowledged his incapacity to
rule the country and asked his forgiveness for his treatment of him, and
requested him to resume the rulership. The Amir-i-Jang as usual forgave
his son and resumed the administration.
A month later Amanulia again began interfering in the Governorship
and intriguing with the Wali’s enemies. The Wali then had him forcibly
removed to Holiran, on the Kermanshah border, where he was ordered to
remain without his followers. He was there until the close of the year and
interfered no more in the affairs of Fusht-i-Kuh. 1
In August, the Salar-ed-Dowleh, who is a son-in-law of the Wali. wrote
to the latter asking him for his support and promising him the Govenaarship
of Arabistan when the ex-Shah, Muhammad Ali Mirza, should be reinstated
on the throne. The ex-Shah also sent a telegram through Salar-ed-Dowleh
requesting the Wali to help the latter in his campaign against the Medjliss.
The Wali complied with these requests and sent his second son, Ghulara
Shah Khan (Sardar Ashraf) at the head of some 1,000 horse and foot to join
the Salar. This force accompanied the Salar to Saweh and dispersed to their
homes after his defeat at that place.
The government of the Amir Mufakhan was distinguished by the estab­
lishment of more law and order in the
I LumUn.
country than had been experienced for
many years previously. When this official arrived in Luristan with some
guns, about 600 Bakhtiari followers and a few Government troops he
found the Bairanwand in rebellion and it was only after some fighting that