Page 459 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

rOR THE TEAR 1010. 35

After September thcro was immunity from robbories on the Kerman
8cction of tho Bandar Abbas-Kerman road, though there have been one or
two minor raids on it on Bandar Abbas territory. A large number of big cara­
vans have conic up safely for tho South Persia -Rifles in earlier case3 without
escort?, and the two parties of Indian reinforcements under Lieutenant Fraser
and Captain Wagstaif made their way up safely in August without being
attacked.
In September the South Persia Rifles placed a party of Afshar levies under
a local Persian on the road, with their headquarters at Baft- They appear
to have worked very well and with their help tho delivery of the telegraph
material along tho road up to Kerman was safely carried out. Large quanti­
fies of food supplies have also been, and are still being, brought down from.
Rafsinjan and laid out for the telegraph party at Deh Sard, Dashtab, Baft and
Qala Askar. Up to tlie present this traffic has gone on without contretemps.
The construction of the telegraph line, which has now (3rd Afarcli) passed
Daulatabad, and the work of various road-survey parties has also been carried
out without molestation within Kerman territory. This is a highly satisfactory
state of affairs.
The same unfortunately cannot be said for the Yezd roau which has
seldom enjoyed freedom from Pars robbers, for many weeks on end. A force
of 30 (nomina ly 50) Bakhtiaris was detailed to support the Qarosurcui, who
when present on the scene at all aie themselves suspect, and seems on the
whole to have done useful, if not entirely satisfactory, service, considering its
quite inadequate strength.
In December the Salar Mufakhkliara was appointed to the Governorship
of Kafsinjau. He was given some reinforcements and was specially instructed
to endeavour to restore security on the road He has been active and as suc­
cessful as could be expected. X difficulty lias been the deficiency of ammuni­
tion for tbe local forces. All that was obtainable locally was bought up and
Bis Majesty’s Consul endeavoured, but without success, to obtain fresh supplies
from Maskat and the Gulf Ports Later His Majesty’s Minister held out hopes
of the possibility of supplying some of the many kinds of rifle ammunition
required from Tehran, but the matter has not up to the present progressed
beyond this stage. The bulk of tbe raiding took place between Anar aud Yezd,
but on one or two occasions robberies were carried out as far west as Kabutar
Khan. In one of these the much suffering .Majd-ul-Islam was stripped, to the
malicious delight of his enemies. The raiders appear to be chiefly Lashanis,
Chaharrahis and Tutakis. The so-called “ Babarlu, ” or Farsi raids did not
stop short at the Yezd road. The district of Zarind was plundered by Fara
bands, and a caravan was looted as far north as Chilpaya, at a spot convenient­
ly stated by the local authorities to be beyond Kerman, and in Khorasan,
territory.
Turning to the other end of the Province, relations were strained, at any
rate at the end of the year, between the Zargham-us-Saltanahof Kahnu (Rudbar)
and Nawab Khan Bameri. Exaggerated reports of active hostilities Were re­
ceived, but nothing very serious in fact took place until, apparently in Novem­
ber, Chiragh Khan and Mir Murad Khan, described as leading men of Jalq,
Bizak, returning home with three other men from a visit to the Zarghatn-us-
Saltanah were ambushed by Jallal Khan, son of Nawab Khan. Four of the
party are stated to have been killed and one to have escaped (according to
Major Keyes, vidj his Diary No. lfl, dated 16th December 1916, Murad Khan
was killed and Chiragh Khan dangerously wounded). The Zargham-us-
Saltanah swore vengeance on the murdereis of his late guests, hut it is under­
stood that he has lately entered into pourparlers with Nawab Khan, with a
view to a peaceful adjustment. He wrote to His Majesty’s Consul, obviously
but not ostensibly in this connection, asking for assistance in obtaining cartrid­
ges, and his failure to receive any may have led him to give up tho idea of
!n?n^ 0?no^us'on8 with Nawab Khan in war. The general view of Nawab
Khan in Kerman is that ho has fallen from grace. Whereas he used always
J° bo on the aido of Government, it is said that he, or his sons, have now taken
to lawless courses.