Page 378 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

24 PEHSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION BKPORT

CHAPTER V.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT FOR TEE PERSIAN MEKRAN COAST
FOR TEE YEAR 1915.

Mr. E. E. Gunter was in political
Personnel.
charge of tlio Mekran Coast during the
year.
It will appear from the reports already submitted that the quantity of
JLnnj Tra(Rt arms and ammunition imported into
Persian Mekran during the year was
1,243 rifles, 10 Mauser pistols and 107,475 rounds of ammunition. The
Afghans, except in a few instances, confined themselves to obtaining the arms
locally througn the Baluchis.
The extension of the period for which extra subsidies had been granted to
Sirdars Saiyid Khan and Islam Khan for the suppression of tho arms traffic,
expired on the 1st October 1915.
In November, the Native Assistant at GwacLur reported that some Rinds
of Mekran, with concealed arms and ammunition from Mohammerab, were
travelling by S.S. “ Barpeta”. Information was given to the Political Agent
at Maskat and the men were searched on the arrival of the steamer at that
port and 30 concealed rifles and 9,670 rounds of ammunition were found.
On the 23rd February over a hundred Baluchis from Dashtiari left for India
per S.S. c‘ Chakdara *\ Subsequently
Periian Baluchistan.
about fifty more left. Oppression by
Mir Din Muhammad was said to he the cause or the exodus.
A quarrel occurred, in March, between Mir Islam Khan’s and Mir Hoti’s
men of Lashar which, after resulting in hostilities, was settled by the media­
tion of Mehrab Khan, eldest son of Saiyid Khan. Tho trouble originated in
an attempted theft by Mir Hoti’s men of five camel loads of cloth owned
by the subjects of Mir Islam Khan.
On 17th April, when returning to Karachi after a tour of inspection,
information was received by me at Gwadur that Khalifah Khair Muhammad
(who had lived in Mekran for a long time) had adopted a hostile attitude
towards the British Government and that his men had attacked Jask Station
and cut the telegraph, line. I returned to Jask Ini. G. T. 8. “ Patrick Stewart”
calling at Charbar on the way to despatch letters to Saiyid Khan. From Jask
letters were despatched to Mir Islam Khan and Mir Mustafa Khan who were
in the neighbourhood telling them to come and see me. They mot me at the
entrenchment outside Jask. Their manner was quite friendly but Islam Khan
asked for arms and ammunition and said that without them he could not
lestore order. Khalifah Khair Muhammad from Jask to Charbar, destroyed
the telegraph line on the way, and then attacked Charbar Station. The attack
was repulsed with the loss of one non-commissioned officer and four men
killed and one man wounded. The enem^r lost 12 killed and 12 to 15 wounded.
A detailed account of this disturbance is given in a report by Mr. F. Pinsent,
Assistant Superintendent, Jask Sub-Division, a copy of which was forwarded
with this office letter No. 332-P., dated 9th August 1916.
For the help he gave in restoring order in the Jask District Mir Barkat
was returned his security of Rs. 3,000 and was given a present of 10 rifle^
2,000 rounds ammunition and Its. 500 cash. With the approval of the Poli­
tical Resident in the Persian Gulf the Telegraph subsidies for tho line from
Jask to Charbar were not paid during the time the line was interrupted.
In June, Baluch Chiefs named Amin Kban, Ibrahim Khan, Dost Muhammad
* Khan, Mehrab Khan and Abdullah Khan of Dizak and Irafshan made on
incursion into British Mckran with 500 men, Tho enemy came into contact