Page 541 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

POE THE YEAR 10XT. 23
fell: this infuriated Mirza Khan, and during tho course of the arubse*
pan
uni fovd both he and Islam Khan were killed. The only result of these
nia was to strengthen Bahrain Khan, who was thus left in undisturbed
eIioffflent of tho Bampur rovonues and also practically, the independent
Governor of the distriot.
Tho chief trade routes to Kerman, in the order of their importance,
are;—
Condition of Roads.
(1) From Bandar Abbas; vid Rudbar-Jiruft in winter and Daulatabad-
Baft in summer.
(2) From Tehran vid Yezd.
(3) From Khorasan, usually rid Naiband in the Lnt.
(4) From Bara and Narmashir.
Tfith the exception of (2), there was -very little robbery within Kerman
borders on any of these reads during the year. In the spring the Baharluo
gbowed signs of activity on the Baulatabad:Baft road but the organization by
the South Persia Rifles of levies at Baft with posts at dangerous points along
tbe route soon put a stop to it. The levies at the latter posts were abolished
later in the year, but by that time the organization of the Saidabad-Tarum
route further east, forming a kind of cordon against the robber tribes of Pars,
had its effect in defending both the Paulatabad and the Jiruft route against
attack from that direction. Only one robbery on tho Khorasan road, that
of a large Birjand caravan at Haur, in February, by Pai Qalehis and Shehr
Babakis, came to the knowledge of His Majesty’s Consul.
On the Tehran road, on the other hand, serious robberies by Lashanis,
Tutakis, Chaharrahis, Shahr Babakis, Pai Qalehis, etc., occurred at tho rate
of four or five a month until the end of August when successful operations by
the South Persia Rifles put an end to them for the rest of the year. The raids
culminated in the blocking of the road at Darwaza and the Kermanshahan
Pass by two parties of Lashanis, each 200 strong. On 23th August South.
Persia Rifles infantry and a squadron of cavalry from. Kerman made a rapid
movement against the La whan is in co-operation with the Bakhtiari road guards.
Id four actions on the 28th and 29th they inflicted severe blows upon them,
recovering large quantities of transport and loot, killing or wounding about 30
robbers and capturing a considerable number of rifles. A few days later the
South Persia Rifles infantry destroyed Dehaj, the village in the hills above
Anar which the robbers used as their base, and brought the headmen and a
quantity of stolen property into Kerman.
At the beginning of October further operations against the marauding
tribes were undertaken by Colonel Farran with one squadron cavalry, one platoon,
infantry and one section mountain artillery. The expedition visited Javazm,
Khabr. Marvast, Herat-i-Khurrah and Shahr-i-Babak, at all of which places it
destroyed forts and seized all rifles, ammunition and stolen property found in
item; but' none of the robber bands waited to try conclusions with the
Sooth Persia Rifles or oppose their march, and as they had- had ample time
to remove themselves and' most of their flocks and property- out of reach,'* the
positive results of the. expedition were not so ‘markediaa those- of the August-
Septemher operations. * .
During the last four months of the year the Tehran road was left severely
3lone by the robbers, posts and caravans arrived regularly and even the
jkmocrats had to admit that the “atrocities and aggressions ” of the South
Rifles had had a result most beneficial to Kerman.
A» a result of seme five months’ agitation on the part of His Majesty’s
. Consul, the Kerman-Bandar Abbas postal
■ _ *" WT10ft’ service, which had been exceedingly
and slow during the winter, was improved and, bv April, was working
reasonable regularity and despatch. The route usea until then went vid
*matabad and Balt to Saidabad (Sirjan) and thence vid Raisinjan to Kerman.
*** ^tailed a considerable detour, and on representations from ffia Majesty’s