Page 86 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

76 PERSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Khan, has not indulged in his usual rebellions against his father, and the Wais
felt sufficient confidence in him to release him in October from his virtual
imprisonment in Huliran.
In July Salar-cd-Dowleh fled from Kermanshah, on the arrival 0»
Farman Farina, and proceeded to Dch Bala where he asked the AVali to aid
him in expelling Farman Farma from Kermanshah. The Wali refused to d0
so and Salar-cd-Dowleh left for Luristau and Kurdistan.
In the month of February the Wali, on learning of the strained relation,
existing between the Shaikh of Mohammerah and the Bakhtiari Khans, offered
to assist the former in the event of hostilities. This offer was declined by the
Shaikh as there appeared at the time to be no danger of a rupture. In the
end of April when hostilities had actually broken out the Shaikh reminded
the Wali of his promises of support. The Wali replied that he had left f0r
his ’Haq and was not in a position to arrange to send a force for the Shaikh’,
help.
The Shaikh’s subseqent policy in regard to the Bakhtiari Khans in break­
ing off his friendly relations with the Haji Ilkhani family and attempting
to establish a friendship with the Ilkhani family without keeping the Wak
informed of his intentions caused some annoyance to the latter and at the close
of the year the friendship between the two chiefs had undergone considerable
cooling off.
Luristan.—Chaos has reigned supreme throughout Luristan during the
year. The Lur chiefs have come to regard themselves as practically indepen­
dent of the control of the Central Government, and a hard task awaits anj
Persian official who may be appointed to quiet the country in the future.
All those appointed to the Governorship of Luristan during the year were
Lur tribal chiefs with the single exception of Sardar Said, and this individual
did not succeed in entering Luristan at ali.
To the tribal chiefs their appointment as Governor-General made no differ­
ence whatever. They did not attempt to interfere with their neighbouring and
friendly tribes, and devoted their whole energies to enriching themselves at
the expense of the townspeople of Burujird or Khoremmabad as the case
might be.
Needless to say the result of this state of things has been disastrous to the
commercial prosperity of the province. The trade of the two chief towns—Bum-
jird and Khoremmabad with Dizful in the south and Hamadan and Kerman-
shah in the north—has practically ceased. Such rare caravans as have passed
over the trade routes of the province have done so under the protection of
tribal escorts hired at exorbitant rates.
In September the Resident in the Persian Gulf urged upon the Government
of India the necessity of deputing an officer to Dizful with the object of improv­
ing our knowledge of Luristan and extending our influence in the province.
The proposal was still under consideration by the Government of India at
the close of the year.
Bakhtiari.—At the commencement of the year under report the acthrf
executive Chiefs—Salar-i-Ashraf and Muntazzim-ed-Dowleh—were in the Bakb*
tiari low country. They were joined in February by Sardar Ashja who had
just been dismissed from the Governor Generalship of Ispahan.' This indivi­
dual,“although holding no official position, constituted himself supreme chief
and directed the policy of the acting Khans until his recall to Tehran in Hay*
Besides his intrigues with the Haji Ilkhani adherents of the Bahmai Kughelus
which rendered it impossible for Amir Mujabid to establish himself at Behbeban.
there is no doubt that he was the moving spirit in the events which culniinat-
ed in the forcible expulsion of the Sheikh’s representative from Shush tar.
On the departure of Sardar Ashja for Tehran the Amir Mujabid, who had
just returned disappointed by his failure to establish himself in Behbehan, com­
menced a campaign against the senior Khans the sole object of which was to
coerce them into appointing him to a lucrative governorship in Persia.
It was an easy matter. The Amir had no difficulty in persuading tlie
young Khans that they were being hardly used by their senior comrades. He
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