Page 192 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

M PERSIAN Gpitf APHm61RATtON REPOET

some of the Boluch chiefs. No result-3 of any consequence wore arrived
regards Baluchistan. From Bam the Amir moved on through Narmasni a*
vid Mil-i-Farhad into Rudbar and Jiruft. The local chief of Rudba/^
Zargham-i-Nizam, declined to trust himself in his camp, but negotiations’f!*le
place which resulted in the Zargham’s paying up the balance 0fY
revenue for the preceding year, some 13,000 tomans, as well as pro ^
amounting to 7,000 tomans. He also came to a working understand’1'**
with the Amir for the preservation of order in the district.
Amir-i-Mufakham then proceoded to the Aqta Afsliar country. Hero he f0u ,
that ready money, for the payment of the arrears of revenue, was not availabl
He referred to His Majesty’s Consul and Mr. Lecoffre who advised him to arr °
and bring in the principal chiefs and leaders of rebellion in the Afshars tribSt
Ghunj Ali Khan and the Sowlot-ul-Mulk. This he declared he was
strong enough to do. The Afshars tendered a nominal obedience, and it J/
alleged by the Amir that they eventually paid up the last year’s revenue8
gave undertakings for the arrears of previous years and for the good govern’
ment of their country, and restored the bulk of the property stolen by tlicin
in the preceding year. In return the Amir appointed one of themselves
Hath All Khan, as Local Governor and took three persons as hostages. In (be
meantime the Amir had been negotiating with and threatening the principal
recalcitrants of Sirjnn. Matters here did not go so smoothly for, on bis
entering their country, mqst of these persons fled to the hills where they made
a display of rebellion. Some show of fighting took place and, eventually, the
chief ringleaders were secured, Hussain Khan, I3uchaqchi, two sons of Kajaf
Kuli Khan, and the Eashid-us-Sultan. Hussain Khan' was released on parole,
the Sirdar Nusrat going surety, and, as was to he expected, broke faith and
escaped. The Amir proceeded with the remainder of liis prisoners to Kerman,
which he reached on July 5th, leaving the Sirdar Nusrat to settle matters
with Hussain Khan. The fugitive was not recaptured but in some weeks of
negotiations the Sirdar’s forts are said to have resulted in security being
obtained for the payment of the forfeited penalty. If it was ever recovered
nothing is known of what became of it. From the point of view of the
general security of the province the expedition had been a success, and it was
with this object only that His Majesty’s Consul had recommended and prosed
for it. * If there was little fighting, and that ouly in Sirjan, no reverse was
sustained by the Government force, while the province was reduced to a state
of order, and the Amir’s prestige was firmly established. Had the expedition
not been undertaken it is probable that the unrest, still simmering after
the rebellion of 1912, would have rapidly gained strength and led to the
establishment of complete anarchy in the districts and on the trade routes.
On the other 1 and, as a means of collecting revenue, the expedition cannot
be called a success. Considerable sums of money were doubtless collected
by the Amir but the bulk of them went into his own capacious pockets, wliile
movable property of all kinds is said to have been despatched by him froui
Sirjan to his home in Kamara.
All that he paid in or accounted for to the Revenue Agent in Kerman
was 28,935 tomans.
The Amir-i-Mufakham and the Revenue Department.—During the
progress of the Amir’s expedition frictipn had gradually been growing JJP
between him and Mr. Lecoffre aud the Revenue Agents in the districts, lho
latter, especially the Ihtisham-ul-Laslikur in Jiiuft, complained that the Amir
disregarded them and appointed Local Governors to whom he granted tli
privilege of collecting the revenue as their chief emolument. The Amir on jj
part complained that the Revenue Agents disregarded him and assumed *
the'powers of independent executive officers. Aftor his return to Kerman *
Amir frequently aadiessod His Majesty’s Consul in, this strain and accused ai •
Xiecoffre of wanting to bo “Sultan” of tho Province. There was J
enough ia appearances to make this charge difficult for a third person
jneefc. Mr. Lecoffre is a self-centered man with large ambitions apo a s .
what narrow mind, and. his vanity makes him consciously a,l<1 . s
unconsciously magnify the importance of his office and scope of nfa ’
$till more aiffioult was it to indulge ip any general defence of his su ^
natee, who are mostly tho oreaturcs of Ibrahim Khan, himself an unciou