Page 526 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

8 ANNUAL REPORT OP TEE FERBIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

Bastak.—Nothing of any importance occurred in tbo Bastak District
during the year. The Soulet-ul-Mulk, Khan of Bastak, and his son MuhammJ
Kcza Kban, still remain loyal supporters of His Excellency tho Qawao^n)
Mulk.
The whole of tho Shib-Kuh coast remained very peaceful during the y^.
and the only incident of note being n ’
Shib-Kuh. seizure of the fortress of Chiru, with th*
port, from Shaikh Ibrahim Hammadi to whom it was given by His Excelled
the Darya Bcgi in 1916. His Excellency the Darya Bcgi having taken it frojJ
the Obcidalis as a punishment for having assisted the assassins of the la^
Besidency Agent, Khan Bahadur Agha Badr and liis two brothers to escape
This was a most regrettable blunder on the pa«t of His Excellency the Qawam!
ul-Mulk, who was undoubtedly misled by Muhammad Reza Khan and hi*
father the Soulet-ul-Mulk, Chief of Bastak, who were inclined to favour the
Obcidalis. His Excellency the CJawnm-ul-Mulk, however, did not reinstate
the Obeidali Shaikh, but placed Chiru under the Soulet-ul-Mulk, which, however,
amounted to virtually the same thing.
(A) The most important event of the year was the establishment of a wireless
station at Lingah. Tho old Jask instal*
Liog&h town and district.
lation was transferred bodily and erected
at Lingah by Mr. W. J. Hopkins of the Indo-European Telegraph Department
The station was opened on the second of October for official traffic, but it was
not until the 22nd of December that permission was given for the acceptance
of private telegrams. The local public were very naturally pleased when
sanction was granted for the acceptance of general traffic, owing to the facility
offered thereby to trade in general, especially, a9 regards the pearl trade, ai
they were thereby enabled to keep in touch with the market rates prevailing
in Bombay.
(B) A serious dispute arose between the local Deputy Governor, Abdul Rasool
KbaD, and Scivid Shubbar, one of the Shiah priests, which led to the Sain'd
sending his sons and a crowd of scally-wags icto the bazaar, on 26th liar,
and severely assaulting several persons, including a blind Saiyid, a follower
of the opposition Shiah priest. The Deputy Governor thereupon tried to arrest
some of the culprits, who took “ bait" with Saiyid Sbuhbar, and this culminated
in numerous rifle shots being fired and the Saiyid collecting all his followers
and proclaiming a "Jehad" from his mosque. His Majesty’s Representative
anticipating some such trouble endeavoured to smooth matters over from the
start, pending a reference of the case to Bushire, but- the Saiyid adopted an
unreasonable and pig-headed attitude, and broke all his pledges. When matters
had reached this stage, the local Deputy Governor visited Bis Majesty’s Repre­
sentative and proclaimed himself helpless to do anything, adding that he could
not rely on his own tufangchis.
A deputation from Saiyid Shubbar also visited His Majesty's Represent*
tive presenting numerous demands against the Doputy Governor. His Majesty'*
Representative saw that unless he adopted a very strong attitude against the
Saiyid, matters would go from bad to worse and undoubtedly lead to riot sad
bloodshed. He therefore dismissed the deputation and warned them' that
the Saiyid’s madness would get him and his followers into very serious trouble,
and that he would be held personally responsible for what had already happenef
and that the consequences would' be all-tbe-more serious for him, if hi*
crowd was not immediately dispersed, or if a single further shot were fired.
This had the desired effect; the crowd was iirmediately dispersed and thj
deputation returned with promises from the L aiyid to behave himself,
guarantee his followers would also. He also begged for promises of pardon n®*
admitted he had acted foolishly.
It was, however, considered that the presence of one of His Majesty’s
would have a salutary effect on the town {especially as the Vioe-Confjdjy
guard at the time only consisted of five men, 14 having been aent to I***}
as an escort for prisoners), and in response to a wire, H. M. S. “ k*’*1*?0!-
arrived the following evening with Rear-Admiral D. St. A. Wake, C.Ljl>
board, but as everything was then quiet, the Admiral proceeded to Bushire. w