Page 521 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

POE 1UE TEAK igif. 3
oV tbo side of Muhammad Khan, but. at ono time Muliamruad Ali Klian
ttainod euch a measure of success that ho was able, in April, to occupy Mian
ifotal, one stage from Kazjrun o.i the Shiraz side, and offer it to 8ir Percy
Sykos* for occupation by tho South Persia Rifles, an offer. which was not
accepted. However, by the end of Juno, Nasir-i-Diwan was in possession of
jffuhammad Ali Khan's own village of Shahpur, and by the end of the year
goulot-cd-Dowleh, having dismissed Muhammad Ali Khan from the post of
jCalantar, had pursued tho recalcitrant Kaahguli.into Kuhgelu limits. . Heat
the same time asserted his authority over the whole section by imprisoning
Muhammad Khan, so that the ambitious of both these chiefs were in abeyance
at the end of the year.
Tho lower sections of the road were similarly in dispute between the
galantars of Khisht (pro-British), Xur Muhammad Khan of Daliki (originally
anti*British, but subsequently somewhat chastened), and the rival Leagues of
Tangistan on the one side and the Hayat Daud confederacy on the other. Tho
principal event of the year was the expulsion of NTur Muhammad Khan from
the Konar Takhteh plain, and the occupation of the top of the Kotal-i-Mallu
(the nearest of the totals to Bushire) by a loyal Kadkhuda of Konar T&khteh.
This was followed by a serious quarrel between Daliki and Borasjun, as a
result of which Nur Muhammad Khan began, in September, to divert traffic
to the Shabankareh-Shif route, and finally entered into a comprehensive agree­
ment with the Khans of Shabankareh and Angali to oppose the Tangistan
league in every way, and protect trade on the Shlf-Daliki stretch. This was
a serious blow to the rebel confederates.
In the coastal plain itself, intermittent hostilities continued between
Shaikh Hussain of Chahkutah, supported by Zair Khidhar, and to a less degree
by Ghazaofar-es-Sultaneh, and Ahmad Khau of Angali, without any decisive
result. There was similar indecisive fighting between Ghazanfar and Shaban­
kareh. Zair Khidar also had his own troubles, being attacked by a combina­
tion of Tangistan headmen during May and June.
In spite of all these difficulties, trade continued to find its way, often by
devious paths, and exposed to ever-increasing exactions, between Bushire and
Shiraz, and in spite of the general distress caused by a bad harvest and high
prices for necessaries, clearances of goods showed a steady increase over the
figures for the previous year. An amusing instance of Satan rebuking sin was
a circular letter from Nasir-i-Diwan to the rebel Kuans threatening them with
his h >stilit.y if they did not moderate their exactions on the muleteers.
Wassmuss continued to make Ahrarn his headquarters, and did not leave
it except for a short visit to Ahmadi, in
Qerman activities
March, and a move to Khawiz during the
heat of the summer. He was joined, in April, by ’ Deltmar, Oertel, and
Bruggmann, who appear to have received hospitality from'Soulet. and to have
been sent by him to Ahram via, Khurmuj, the residence of Jamal Khan of
Dashtl Dettmar, however, died of fever at Khawiz, in August, and, on the
18th September, liruggmann was arrested close to Bushire Town, while attempt­
ing to escape, from the country.
The force made steady progress* throughout the year, confining its activities
w. p™ mainly to drill, and organisation for the
Persian element and to the establishment
of law and order by the Indian troops attached on the Bandar Abbas-Kermau,
Bandar Abbas-Shiraz, and Shiraz-Ispahan road?, in the latter case as far as the
Pars boundary. The Bushire road was held over for future treatment A
number of criminal sections of the Khamseh tribes were successfully dealt with.
The situation in this quarter was normal; there was continuous dia-
Bobbaban and Kabgi'ln. ^ about BehWathrOUgtlOUt
the year, except for a short period between
larch 24th and May 2nd, when two of the younger Bakhtiari Khans mndw a
^oort and predatory sojourn in the town. This year the Khans deputed were
nlar Akram, son of Sardar Zafar, and Salar Bahadur, sou of 8ardar Muhta-
then Ilkhani. Their visit was not lucrative, very few of the Kuhgdln
*7~an8 obeying their summons. One exception was Abdullah Khan Ohunun.
ho was detained until he paid Tomans 4,000; an example which did not