Page 356 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

4 PERSIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORT

On the other hand, Ilaidar Khan, who had made himself most unpopular
with the pro-Gormaus and “ Democrats ** by his dotontion of "Wassmuss,
thought it advisable to take advantage of the old feud between Sliabankarch
and the Khan of Borasjun to make an alliance with tho former. An alliance
of friendly Khans consisting of Haiyat Daud, Lirawi, Rudhillah and
Shabankareh thus came about. Ahmad Khan of Angali did not actually join
it but remained friendly and refused to join tho hostile confederacy.
Things being so threatening when the time for tho relief of the detach­
ment of the 102nd Grenadiers came it was relieved by the Headquarters and
wing of the 96th Berar Infantry which arrived at Busiiirc on tho 6th April.
The other wing of the Regiment was subsequently sent to Busiiirc aud arrived
on the 18th May.
On the night of the Gtli-Gth May the Governor, who haa received
news that Haji Zair A li of Tangak was smuggling arms for the hostile Khans,
made an abortive effort to arrest Zair Ali. This individual and his men took
up positions in and around his village and defied the Governor’s men. The
latter therefore asked tho Residency for assistance, and tho Officer Commanding
96th agreed to send some men to assist. On the 6th May, therefore, after
sharp firing, Haji Ali’s village was lushed, and Haji Ali himself having been
wounded took sanctuary in lmamzadch shrine. He remained there for some
weeks but was finally induced, by limitation of his supply of water, to surren­
der to His Excellency the Governor who imprisoned him.
As the hostile Khans outside had been getting more threatening, it was
decided to taKC the opportunity to occupy a commanding point in Tangak
village and the other two villages near by overlooking tho Mashilleh, and thus
the support line was started. This was gradually improved and existed up to
the end of the year ; the line guards the approach to the Island on the Bast,
and runs across the Island about half a mile South of the Subzabad Residency.
Meanwhile ITassrauss had not been idle since his arrival at Shiraz on the
23rd March. He styled himself German Consul, and wassoon able to get plenty
of money. He at once began to intrigue with Mukhbir-us-Sultanch, the Gov­
ernor-General, and with tho Gendarmes. The Mukhbir, being an ardent pro-
German, entered into the business heart and soul. All the Swedish officers
and most of the Persian officers of the Gendarmerie in Kars were pro-German,
and so were only too ready to help Wassmuss.
The Governor-General entered into close communication with Gbazanfar
at Borasjun, and the Gendarme officers at Borasjun and Kazerun became
centres of pro-German intrigue. After two or three abortive efforts frustrated
by remonstrances made by His Majesty’s Legation at the instance of the
Residency and of the Consul at Shiraz, the Governor-General and the Gendar­
merie drove out the Kalantar of Kumarij, who was harmless but not inclined
to assist in their schemes.
A succession of Commandants of Gendarmerie in Fare, Major Pravitz,
Captains Pousette, Oertengren and Angmann all were only too ready to help
the German “ Consul ”.
In May, the Khan of Borasjun took tho opportunity to pay off old scores
against the Khan of Shabankareh by helping the latter’s nephew Agha Khan
to rebel against him. The Khan of Shabankareh asked for and obtained help
from his allies the Khans of Bandar Rig and Rudhilleh and desultory fighting
between the parties went on the whole hot weather, and old Ismail Khan, the
Khan of Sbabankareb, was put to great expense. This fighting was useful to
us as it prevented Ghazanfar’s men joining those of Shaikh Husain and Zair
Khidhar in attacking Bushire, consequently the friendly Khans were assisted
from time to time with small presents of arms and ammunition.
Towards the end of May Wassmuss loft Shiraz and came to Abram,
where he was later on joined by Bohnstorff. On arrival he began to recruit
men and make presents to the two Khans, Shaikh Husain and Zair
Khidhar, with whom he chiefly consorted. Under pressure from him the
Khana increased the forces they had collected and got together a force of some
hundreds of men at Chogadak and Gurak. On tho I2th July news was