Page 307 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOR THE YEAR 1914. 53
July there wero serious complaints by tho* Bam Khans against the Doputy-
Governor Ismail Khan which resulted in his dismissal.
Tho elections for the Majlis were the occasion of serious disturbance in
Dam. Tho Nazim-ut-Tujjar was one of tlio successful candidates, hut his
return was challenged by the Khans who accused him of undue influence and
fraud in obtaining votes. Thorcupon the Nazira and his supporters closed
tho bazaars and flocked to tho British Telegraph Office to take bast. The
situation became so threatening that the Governor-General and His Majesty’s
Consul with a mixed force of Gendarmes and Bakhtiaris had to proceed to
Bam. As persuasion and remonstrance wero equally unsuccessful in drawing
out the Bastis it became necessary to expel them by force. Tho staff were
successfully got out of the Telegraph premises and these were surrounded
by the Gcudarmes and Bakhtiaris who began to close in on them from all sides.
As soon as the Bastis saw that no more nonsense was going to he stood they
began to stream out of the Telcgrajih compound and make for their homes.
The desired object was thus being bloodIcssly obtained when, unfortunately,
the Bakhtiaris on one side got out of hand and opened fire without orders, a
few lives bciug thus unnecessarily sacrificed. The Nazim was caught and
narrowly escaped summary execution. The Governor-General hesitated at
inflicting the extremo penalty and carried him back to Kerman as a pri­
soner. The departure of the Nazim restored quiet and the year finished with­
out further incident.
No event of general public interest occurred in Kerman during the year..
The outbreak of the European War did
Thc aJalra of Kcnuan City.
not cause any general excitement, and
■even the entry of Turkey into the fray did not work up any interest in it.
At first a few Persians hoped that Germany might drive Bitssia and England
out of Persia or so occupy them that they would have no time to think of
Persia, but as soou as they saw that the atteutiou of neither was in any way
lessened they gave up thinking about the War. The War naturally seriously
affected the Carpet industry, as the European firms were immediately in
monetary difficulties and had consequently to cut down orders and advances
of money to the weavers The position became very difficult and was made
more so by the action of the Karguzar who persistently encouraged the weavers
in a foolish policy of refusing either to honestly work off the advances which
they had received or to return the advances. Though heavily overstocked
the firms as a matter of policy tried to keep the industry working part time
at any rate but naturally refused to advance money for work which they
knew would not be done. The consequence is that a number of the weavers
are piling up broken contracts and claims for advances made on them, while
the firms can get neither their carpets nor their money from the weavers.
His Majesty's Consul tried to-effect the removal of the Karguzar but without
success aud matters remained at a dead-lock. The Karguzar, Moliam-ul-Mulk,
arrived here in debt, and contracted more debts on arrival; ho from tho first
showed strong anti-European feeling, and before the end of the year all the
European firms had withdrawn all cases from his Court and refused to institute
any new ones.
What with Baluch raiders driving off the flocks and transport animals
and the War dislocating imports from abroad all food and other necessaries
of life advanced greatly in price. This coupled with a serious contraction of
money naturally caused a good deal of distress by the end of the year.
Tho Gendarmerie did not open the year very auspiciously. With a little
forethought and elementary tactics they
■Tbc Gomiarmerio.
might have given the Baluchis a lesson
which they would have remembered for years. They chose, however,
to rush off without guides, supports or even a proper supply of ammunitions
they blundered on to tho Baluohis without intention in a strongly defen­
sive position from which they .were unnblo to dislodge them, and
having exhausted their ammunition had to retire under cover of night
thereby allowing tho Baluchis to withdraw unmolested and able to boast
•that the attack had bcon successfully driven off. This was naturally a serious
•blow to their prestige. Their unsuccessful attompt to elbow the Governor-