Page 447 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOR THE YEAR 1310. 23
In Khabis they plundered the villagers and arrestod the Governor. In
the town they maintained a following of cut-throats and criminals for -whoso
misdeeds they arc responsible, even if they did not instigate them.
Zugmoycr appcara to have behaved with some decency and moderation,
but Seiler ha? left behind him a reputation for violence which may well hare
been deserved, if the story that lio shot with his own hand an Austrian, sub­
ordinate who brought in dinner late is true.
Murder, robbery and violence were however tho special prerogatives of
tbo Democrats and many brother Persians claim to have been the victims of
(heir despoilalion and vindictiveness. In the sacred name of tho cause money,
weapons and property were confiscated or destroyed. Tho title “ Democrats’*
civen them by themselves has unfortunately been universally accepted, but it
is a misnomer. They are in fact anarchists who have no scheme of Government
which they want to introduce, but only desire to remove the slight remaining
safeguards of life and property which tho existing Government provides and
practice, without troubling to preach the doctrine, that * might is right*.
The Kcrmanis describe each other as <c sheep*’ and the mass of them
certainly have no will of their own and have just enough natural 'vice to be
always ready in large numbers to follow any evil shepherd.
There could he no more promising field of operations for a handful of
active unscrupulous “ Democrats **.
A few days after the affair of Saadatabad a telegram was received from
Tehran announcing the dismissal of the Sardar Zafar. He hesitated, but
eventually decided to obey, and, in accordance with a further telegram from
Tehran, Sardar Nusrat took over the Governorship and he himself left for
Bafsinjan.
Mirza Asadutlah IChan, Kurdistani, who had arrived, in spite of Democrat
opposition, early in the disturbances, was now installed as Financial Agent
in place of the Democrat tool, Mirza Ismail Khan, but his day was short for
his appointment was soon cancelled from Tehran and the Banan-ud-Daulah
despatched to like his place. The Bauan arrived about tho middle of July.
A similar fate also overtook the Sardar Nusrat, who had to give way to the
Nusrat-us-Sultanch, the youthful uncle of the Shah, who himself had had to
surrender tbo greater glories of Fars and Shiraz to the Farman Farma.
Appeals were made by the people both to Tehran and General Sykes that the
Sardar Nusrat should he maintained as Governor-General, but they only
resulted in his being appointed Assistant Governor. The Nusrat-us Sultaneh
arrived and was duly installed in the middle of June, a fow days after General
Sykes, who entered the city on the 12th of that month.
General Sykes’ arrival had been looked forward to with some apprehension
by the townspeople, who not unnaturally feared that they might become the
victims, deserving or undeserving, of punitive measures. They were however
soon reassured by the mildness of his methods and the care that was taken to
distinguish the innocent from the guilty.
The above summary of events in which no British subjects took part has
been prepared from Persian narratives, in dealing with which every endeavour
bas been made to eliminate what might have been inspired by private interest
or prejudice. In what follows the ordinary souroes of official reports have
been available.
In tlve first place we may briefly trace the steps by which the right to exist
m this quarter of Persia was restored to the British, and the measures which
have been, and are being taken to maintain order in Southern Persia and to
insure that British influence shall be predominant in tho u British Sphere of
Influence ”,
General Sykes’ force consisting of
1 Section, 23rd Mountain Battery,
1 Squadron, 15th Lancers.
1 Troop Central India Horse,
121th Baluohistan Infantry less *1 Companies,