Page 600 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

20 ANNUAL RETORT OP THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL RF.B1DEKCT

in July, in spite of .repeated hints from tho Consulate, he consistent!
avoided taking any action in the more important cases and has only recent/
begun to show signs of reasonableness. Mirza Habibullnh Khan, who has been
connected with the Karguzari for many years and was Assistant Karguzar
under Kamal-us-Sultan, officiated during tho interval between his departure
and Mujallal-us-Sultaneh’s arrival. The latter brought his son-in-law Mirza
Mehdi IChan a clever but inexperienced and not over-trustworthy youth of
about 20, ns his Assistant and turned Mirza Hahibullah Khan out: as thii
would have meant a complete break in continuity and endless trouble, Ilia
Majesty's Consul succeeded in obtaining tho reinstalmcnt of tho late Assistant
as * Commercial Muavin ”, Mirza Mehdi Khan remaining on the “ Political ”
side.
Other Kerman Officials.—Mirza Habibullah Khan administered the
Financial Department throughout the
Titmncitl DepartnooL
year. He is an independent and secre­
tive person with no social tastes, but energetic and capable. His efforts at
collecting the arrears of revenue of the last two or three years were sufficiently
successful to secure for him an unpopularity which he seemed thoroughly to
enjoy. His policy throughout was to have as little as possible to do with
politics in general or His Majesty’s Consulate in particular. In September,
following their usual plan of sotting one official to spy upon another, the
Tehran Government appointed Rafi-ul-Wizara, Inspector of Opium Excise, to
act as Inspector of Finance, and probably Rowing to this Mirza Habibullah
Khan applied for a transfer shortly afterwards. At the end of the year orders
were received for his replacement by Muhindis-ul-Mamalik, Shaikh-ul-Mulk
as usual officiating until the latter's arrival.
The Prince Governor’s music-master, Mirza Mahmud Khan was“Gom-
mander-in-Chief of the Armies of Kerman
NiUtsrj Department.
and Baluchistan” until his master's
departure, when Sardar Nusrat at once began to agitate for his old post. The
influence of his enemies at Tehran, however, was too much for him in spite of
the support, of His Majesty’s Legation, and after the Department had been
administered by Iqbal-ui-llulk for four months Prince Nasir-ud-Douleh,
nephew of Prince Farman Farina, came from Tehran in July to take it up.
The young Prince was reported to be merely a bird of passage and to have
ulterior designs on the Governor-Generalship : however this may be, he took
his duties seriously and continued drilling and organizing his men in earnest
until his recall in November. Thanks, however, to the temporary Democratic
eclipse at Tehran consequent on the final collapse of the Central Powers, the
Sardar at last obtained the appointment he desired, nor is he likely to lose it
again.
The Department of Education and Religious Bequests was held by
Democrat Agba Yabya throughout the year. That of Justice remained in the
hands of Jallal-ul-Mamalik until April when the Mustaufi-ul-Mamalik Cabinet
recalled him and appointed Yumn-us-Sultaneh, who arrived with the new
' Governor-General in July. Rukn-ul-Adila came at the same time as Rais-J-
Beday.it (Court of First Instance). Yumn-us-Sultaneh, who is very proud
of his legal studies in Paris, came full of schemes for reform, none of whieb
matured. He was handicapped by the absence from the Provincial Budgt*
of any provision for the Department of Justice, even for the pay of the. Headr
a fact which speaks for itself. He quarrelled with the Governor-General ve^T
soon after his arrival and was never quite reconciled to him, with, the iesn*»'
that orders for his recall came at the end of the year. His successor is not y»
known.
The Opium Excise administration, which had v previonsly been in■
hands of the Financial Agent, was taken from him in March when Bafi-p|
Yizara arrived as Inspector of Opium Excise. Later Asaf-ul-Mamalik, 80°"*°*
law of Makhtar-ul-Mulk and a noted Democrat politician, came from Tehran
to administer an * Opium Department *. These appointments marked
mental attempts on the part of the Central Government to exercise du^\
control of the .provincial opium revenues. His Majestv's Consul has
unable to obtain definite information on the subject, hut it appears to