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18 ANNUAL REFORT OP TUE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL RESIDENCY

CHAPTER IV.
ADMINISTRATION REPORT FOR THE KERMAN CONSULATE FOU
TEE YEAR 1918.
Mr. C. P. Skt-inn, I.C.8., held charge of the Consulate until let December
when ho was relieved by Lieutenant 1
Hi. Britannio'Ujo.ty*. Confute Colonel F. McConagbey, I.A. The P08t
of Hia Majesty's Vice-Consul was vacant until 1st December and held by Mr.
C. P. Skrine from 2nd—31at December.
Khan Sahib Abdul Alim held the appointment of Extra Assistant to the
Political Resident throughout the year.
Political History.—Bis Highness Prince Nusrat-us-Sultaneh, who had
been Governor-General since June 191G,
Govarnor-Genorul.
vacated the post on 18th February and
was succeeded by Hishmat-ud-Doulch, who however did not arrive in Kerman
till July 9th. In the meantime the aged Nusrat-ul-Mamalik, head of the
Zahir-ud-Douleh or “ Khanzada ” family, acted as Governor-General.
The events which led up to the final rupture between Prince Nusrat-us-
Sultaneh and Sardar Nusrat on 8th January are described in the Report for
1917. At the beginning of tho year the former shewed signs of weakening and
readiness to follow the advice of Bis Majesty’s Consul and leave the Sardar
alone. This did not however suit the Democrats, with whose cause the
Prince’s right-hand man, Ihtisham-ud-Douleh, was now openly"identificd. Both
regarded the Sardar, not without reason, as the protagonist of the Anglophil
party and the chief stumbling-block in the way of their ow n political ascendency
and personal profit. They therefore took care to fosler the jealousy and injured
vanity of the hasty, weak and inexperienced young Prince so as to prevent a
rapprochement. Finally, an elaborate plot was concocted by Agha Yahya Rais*
i-Mua’rif, Muin-ush-Sbariya the Extremist leader and probably one or two
other Democrats in consultation with IV tisham-ud-Douleh. The Sardar was
to be threatened with an attack on his bouse at the Bagh-i-Nishat outside the
city by the whole available force of Government sowars and foiced to defend
himself, when he could either be captured and bled, or at any rate proclaimed
rebel. It was hoped that His Majesty’s Consul and the South Persia Rifles
would be persuaded that the Sardor had in fact some such intentions, and that
they would be obliged to give the. Prince Governor a free hand.
The coup was brought off on January SUi but did not turn out quite as ifs
originators could have wished. Sardar Nusrat’s men were tricked, by “agents
provocatears ” into firing the first shot, whereupon the Prince Governor pro­
claimed that he.and three other leaders of the Moderate party wore rebels and
were attempting to overthrow the Government and the South Persia Rifles
and loot the town. Hie Majesty’s Consul and the Officer Commanding, South
Persia Rifles, however, were not deceived, and by themselves occupying the
Bagb-i-Nishat and disarming the'Sardar’s men, made themselves responsible
for the behaviour of the so-called rebels and refused to allow them to fall
into the hands of the Governor-General. The latter fulminated in vain.
He telegraphed to the Shah, tried to organise basts through his Democrat
friends, and issued a proclamation which gave so garbled a version of the
whole affair that HiB Majesty’s CodsuI had to insist on his withdrawing it at
once.
Thoroughly disgusted with his coup manque and Boding himself unable
to get rid of the Sardar, the Prince employed his usual weapon of sending
his resignation in order thereby to bring pressure to bear on the Shoh^ so
Cabinet. His Majesty's Minister, however, as soon as ho became acquainted
with the true facts of the case, refused to allow the Sardar and his friends
be discredited and despoiled, and sent a message to the Prince Governor to tn
effeot that unless he rid himself of ‘‘evil influences” and left the pro-A 1