Page 537 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

POE THE YEAR 1017 1$
Tj0lcnt campaign was conducted against him iu the Tehran pajiort. These
developments frightened him so much that he sent ifc his resignation and had
\ bo dissuaded by His Majesty’s Vice-Consul and assured of British support.
J? c0 then bis attitude has been marked by indecision and vacillation, but haa
been more amenable. His position between the devil and the deep sea is
cortainly not a comfortable one.
The Department of Justice (Adliya) was administered throughout the
year by Ilaji Jalal-ul-Mamalik, a venal
Othor Kerman officials. . . . ,
and incompetent p orson with the Outward
appearance of a publican, but consistently friendly to the Consulate
Majd-cMslam arrived in January to take up the post of Superintendent of
Education, but his appointment! was strongly opposed by enemies in Kerman
and he was not finally appointed till April. In November, however, the
Tehran Democrats, who look upon the Education Department as their special
preserve, succeeded in replacing Majid-ul-Islam by Agha Yahyn against the
^iihes of His Majesty’s Consulate. The new Rais-i-Mu’arif is a noted Demo­
crat who was one of the members of the Majlis returned for Kerman at the
last election.
The headship of tho local Military Department was held by Sardar Nnsrat
and of the Road Guards (Qarasuran) by his brother Adl-us-Sultan, until the
end of the year when, as desciibed above, the Prince Governor removed them
both in pursuance of his private feud. They were replaced by the Prince's
music-master and by a nonentity called Zahir-ul-Huzur respectively.
The Municipality (Baladiya) and the Police were both administered by
‘•'Prince’s men,” the incumbent in the latter case, Nasir llizam, being an
ex-farresh boshi of the Governor-General’s household. Both proved them­
selves convenient channels for the flow of cash into the pockets of the Prince
tnd his Secretary, but apart from that their departments do not appear to
Iisve been more than usually mismanaged.
The Deputy Governorship of Sirjan. was held throughout the year by
Micza Mahmud Khan, who has given
Tbe District*.
complete satisfaction to the British
military authorities at Saidabad and may be regarded as a valuable ally. He
was particularly useful in connection with the operations against Hussain
Khan and the ear-prisoners, and with the march of the Shiraz reinforce­
ments through his district in the early spring. Owing chiefly to Mirza
Mahmud Khan’s failure to pay regularly 200—300 Tomans monthly douceur
demanded by the Governor-General, he was several times during the year in
danger of being removed from his post on one pretext or another. On each
occasion however His Majesty’s Consul intervened successfully on his behalf.
Shaokat-usrSuRan and other Saidabad notables are also actively friendly.
Bam and N annas hi r have been ruled during the year by Sardar Mujallal,
\ son-in-law of Sardar Nusrat, though during most of the time he resided in.
Kerman and administered the district by proxy. Sardar Mujallal is a pleasant
2nd well-disposed man of no very marked ability, but energetic and genuinely
anxious* to keep his district in order. He has frequently been actively helpful
to His Majesty's Consulate and the South Persia Rifles.
The Aqta Afsharwas held', by' Muht-ashiimud-Dbwleh, unde of Sardar
r* tr^ until June, when he was removed for oppression with'the concurrence
°f Hia Majesty’s Consol. His final downfall was caused by & 1 bast9 taken
against him at the Baft Telegraph Office by the people of Deh Sard, who
that he illegally extracted Tomans 1,300 from them. His place was
Jj**0 by Asaf-ul-MuLk, then Revenue Agent at Baft Like ths Deputy
TpverDor of Sirjan, Asaf-ul-Mulk has been in constant correspondence with
r1* Majesty’s Consulate 6ince his appointment, and relies largely upon British
i2?°rt‘ tlie summer when the Daulatabad-B&ft road from IUtwUi.
Obas was in constant use by military caravans, telegraph construction parties,
ahl * worked bard to keep them supplied, a matter of consider-'
difficulty owing to the drought and the destruction of tho previous season'fc
P* by ioonata.