Page 479 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

POR THE YEAR 1010. 55

"With the advent of summer conditions the despatch of sheep to the Tigris
line necessarily came to an end (7,287 sheep Mere sent from Arabietan to
jYinarah). Anarchy at Shushtar .and Dizful was steadily on the increase and
jt became apparent that something would have to be done if it was intended
to tap tho district for supplies next winter. On July 2Sth Mr. E. B. Soane,
who had been up to now Assistant Political OflTicer at 8huah, moved across to
pizful and iu a very short space of time assumed the complete administrative
control of the town and the surrounding country.
At Shushtar the Governor, Ain-ul-Mulk, who had been in offieo since July,
found himself quite incapable of coping with the notables of tho town. On
pccenibcr lvth Captain Edmonds moved up to Shushtar as Assistant, Political
Officer and succeeded in getting the local situation well in hand without much
difficulty. The removal of the leading bad character, Bahir Khan, to Basrah
contributed largely towards the introduction of a much healthier element into
the local situation. Tho improvement in the general situation iu North
Arabistan was not, however, complete without some fighting taking place. The
general results Mere that the leadership of the Sagwand tribe passed entirely
into the hands of our nominee Sartip Khan. The Arab Shaikhs Haider Ghafii,
Furaiych i Faisal and Haider Talayil who had looted Shaikh Farhan, were
badly worsted, and their tribes given to Shaikhs Khuraibit, Finian Sabon and
Fulayeh, respectively —
At various'other times the following changes were made in the Shaikh-
ship’s of the tribes :—
Shaikh .Mackenzie vice his father Mushatat of tho Surkheh.
Shaikh Muzail vice Mola of the Chaab-i-Dubaia.
Saiyid-el Ahmed vice Mouzan of the Chaab.
Khazair vice Finian of the A1 Buuayir.
At tho beginning of the year the Khanshad just arrived at Malamir
. . . accompanied by Dr. Young Sardar
,an’ Muhtasham, Ilkhani and Amir Mujahid
Ilbegi were still friendly, hut the first signs of dissension Mere already
apparent.
The question of the Bakhtiari agreement, Mhich had been for some time
simmering, now began to take definite shape. In tho first Meek of February
Mr Grabame, accompanied by Dr. Young, proceeded to Ramuz to enter into
specific negotiations with the Khans.
Ramuz, which had been sedulously cultivated by German agents, proved
a hot-bed of anti-British feeling. Before the party had been there a week a
popular commotion arose in the course of which Air. Grahame and Dr. Young
were mobbed. The ostensible cause of this movement was the arrest at
Band-i-Qir of a Ramuzi caught distributing seditious literature to the men of
our detachment.
It was not found practicable to push on with tho agreement as the political
situation in the north was so unstable that the ruling Khans were strongly
averse to taking any action u hich might not be ratified by their brothers
in Tehran. Under these circumstances the matter was allowed to drop till the
Khans in Tehran signed the agreement in May, when the Ilkhani and Ilbegi
ratified the action of their brothers.
From Ramuz the Khans loft for Behboban when they undertook desul­
tory military operations against the Kuhgolus, which evontuallv fizzled out
over a personal squabble between the Ilkhani and the Ilbegi. The noto­
rious firebrand, Saiyid Isa, was, hoMever, captured and after some haggling
handed over; and mds sent to Kuwait. In May tho Khans met the Chief
Political Officer and the Shaikh of Mohammorah at Ahwaz. A seeming recon­
ciliation was temporarily patched up between the Ilkhani and Ilbegi and
agreement was come to and signed in regard to tho position at Dizful and
ohushtar. The Khans agreed to recognise the authority of tho Governor-Goneral
jjnd we in return promised our good offices in tho recovery of the pay for their
Bowara who wero employed os road guards and police at both towns. It was also