Page 429 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

I

TOR THE YEAR 1910. 5
From Fasa the Qawam sent liis son-in-law, Nazim-ul-Mulk, to Bandar
Abbas to ask for the assistance of the British Government in guns, munitions
iul cash. Nazim-ul-Mulk reached Bandar Abbas on the 29th January and,
ftftcr a good deal of telegraphic correspondence, it was arranged that the Qawam
should himself come to Bushiro and consult the British authorities, and that,
if he had a suitable plan for recapturing Shiraz, help would be given to him.
Tho Qawam accordingly came to Lingah (the Baharlus having blocked the
road to Bandar Abbas), and from thonca to Busbire where he arrived on the
2dlh February. He had a meeting with Sir Percy Cox at Bushiro and it was
finally arranged that he should receive an advance of £50,000, about £30,000
of which was given at once, one Turkish Field gun, 2 Turkish Mountain guns
and some Turkish machine guns, together with a considerable quantity of arms
and ammunition ;-1,000 rifles and 2 million rounds of ammunition were to be
gent from India to Lingah for him.
The Qawam left for Lingah in tho “ Pcrscpolis ” accompanied by tho Darya
ilegi, on. the 8th March. He left Lingah for Bastak and Lar on the 17th
JIarch, and had a triumphal march up to the neighbourhood, of Shiraz, no one
daring to oppose him and all surrendering. When drawing near Shiraz lie had
a meeting with the Soulet—who apparently did not wish to bo believed behind­
hand in assisting the Government, now that their forces were getting the upper
hand—and it was arranged that Soulet should co-operatc in tho movement on
Shiraz by sending a force of sowars up from the south. On hearing that the
Qawam was carrying all before him, Fath-ul-Mulk, one of his adherents and
an officer of the Gendarmerie, seized the Town of Shiraz on behalf of the
Government on 8th April.
Unfortunately the Qawara was killed by a fall from his horse while out
bunting ouur about 21st April, and hisson, a young man of about 25, succeeded
him and was given his father’s honours and position by the Persian
Government.
The late Qawam-ul-Yulk was made Acting Governor-General of Fars in
succession to the Mukhbir-us-Sultaneh on 1-lth September 1915, and though he
proved unequal to coping with the Gendarmerie and wns unablo to prevent the
capture of tho British Consul and Jolony at Shiraz, yet he was undoubtedly
friendly to the British and was bent on preserving Persian neutrality, suppressing
German agitators and restoring order in Fars. Hisson ,vas quite inexperienced
and somewhat headstrong, and liable to be misled by the Soulefcaud evil council­
lors in his own entourage. The Qawam's death at this juncture, therefore, was
a great loss.
The new Q.awam aud Soulet entered Shiraz on the 24th April. A number
of Germans and Austrian aud “ Democrats” were imprisoned, and a few
persons, chiefly adherents and servants of the late Qawam who had gone over
to his enemies, were executed.
After this affairs in Shiraz soon became more or less normal and the new
Qawam remained as Deputy Governor-General for the Farman Farina who had
been nominated Governor-General, until the arrival of tho Sardar Muatazad.
As indicated above, from tho beginning of the year until tho middle of
April, Shiraz was in a state of almost com­
Shu&z.
plete anarchy. The Nasir-ul-Mulk had
been made Acting Governor-General by the rebels but the German “ Consul ”
Seiler and the rebel Gendarme officers and Democrats did what they liked in the
place. Consul*” Seiler was virtual Governor and tho people soon found that
* German regimd was by no means ideal. Most of the well-to-do people were
forced to pay largo sums for tho local administration on various pretexts If
it was not possible to convict them of pro-British or pro-Russian sympathies,
they could easily bo charged with being adherents of the Qawam, or of having
money belonging to him or his adherents deposited with them, or of having
anti-“ Democrat ” proclivities, etc., etc. As the Germans and Gondarmes
had the power it wns easy to fleece nearly everybody. Herr Roever,
a German morchant in 8hiraz, was made “Bank Manager" and, having
installed himself in the office of tho Imperial Bank of Porsia, colleoted
various outstandings of the Bank by force. People having drafts or bills duo