Page 444 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

20 PERSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT

passed entiroly into tlio hands of tlio Germans and Democrats. As tlio former
wero j busy maturing their plans for an advance into Baluchistan and Afghan­
istan, they appear to have left the Democrats an almost free hand to
mismanage local affairs. The Sardar Zafar nominally retained his position as
Governor-General, but was alternately cajoled and bullied by the Democrats,
and ho made no effort to assert his authority, as he could probably easily have
done;
The affairs of the province, and especially as lying nearer to hand, of the
town, were controlled by a junta tho principal and most active members of
which were tho Karguzar, Muhara-ul-Mulk, tho liais-i-Muarif, Saiyid
Mustafa Khan, Sultan Muhammad Khan, Commanding tho Gendanuerio, and
tho Kais-i-Tahdid (Superintendent of tho Opium Department) Mirza Husain
Khan. Tho Nazim-ut-Tujjar might almost be allowed a place in this galaxy,
hut for some reason he was a little unjiopular in the most select Doraocrat
circles. Tho names of the Shari’at-Madar, Agha Mehdi, Rais-i-Baladiyah,
and the Amin-ul-Islam also deserve to be inscribed in the roll of Persian
Patriots.
Tho following are a few of the principal events that occurred during the
six months between the departure of the British in December and their return
in the following June. Tho sources are Persian narratives, and Persians are
poor clironologists, so the soqucnco of events is in many cases somewhat
uncertain.
Certain Democrats were promptly deputed to go to the office of the
Imperial Bank of Persia and bring away tho cash. There was some 40,000
tomans of u Inch half was given to the Sardar Zafar.
The Germans sent one Ali Asghar, Naqqash, a former employd of the
Oriental. Carpet Manufacturers, Limited, to raise a force of sowars in Shiraz, and
they were reinforced by the arrival of the German Seiler with some Austrians.
The carpets of the Oriental Carpet Manufacturers, Limited, were then seized
by Zugmcyer and handed over to Bruggmann, who despatched a large quantity
to Yezd.
The Democrats soon began to wish to reap the fruits of victory, and they
were also doubtless in need of funds in order to keep their followers together.
They therefore arranged with the Sardar Zafar to appoint four Committees to
give effect to their desires.
No. 1 was a Committee of Adjustment for the management of domestic
affairs and included some respectable and non-Democrat members, such as the
Sardar Nusrat and the Mukhtar-ul-Mulk.
No. 2 was a Commission to raise Aanah or war tax.
No. 3 was for the enlistment of local forces and the acquisition of arms
and ammunition.
No. 4 appears to have been a Financial Commission, which framed a
budget for the Revenue Department that was naturally never given effect
to.
The Germans received further reinforcements from Shiraz, and Zugmeyer
then despatched a party to Khabis which was intended to proceed across the
Lut to Sistan. It started off, fell in with robbers, was roughly handled and
forced to retire again on Khabis. Reinforced by Seiler it started oat again but
once more met the same fate and suffered some casualties. It is rumoured
that the attackers in this case were “ British ” troops.
The Democrats' administration was not entirely happy ; they were
harrassed by rumours of impending attacks by the Russians, their " Commis­
sions" failed to procure the desired supplies ot cash, arms, and men, even when
assisted by stratagems in which the Sardar Zafar played a personal part, and there
was a good deal of half open half concealed opposition fomented by the Sardar
Nusrat and the Mulla Jaraal-ud-Din. The Sardar Nusrat (if ho and his friends
may be believed) constantly tried to induoo the Sardar Zafar to assert his authority,
take the direction of affairs into his own hands and suppress the Deipoorats, but
subservience to the Democrats brought pecuniary bonofit, or else the Sardar
Zafar was really too timorous to oppose them as he could well have done with