Page 24 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

14 PERSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT
in the latter part of August arriving at Shiraz on October 16th, without
incident, though a party of 80 sowars sent from Shiraz to meet him w
attached by Buwair Ahmadis at Khaneh Khurreh and fled losing their baggJr
rifles and ammunition.
Ho did not create a favourable impression on first. appointment, his tel©,
grams to local Persian notables conveying an impression of weakness, whiw
Mr. Smart, who had known him at Tabriz, was inclined to consider him too
civilized for so turbulent a province as Pars, though lie believed that, if ^
pressed from Tehran, he would be guided by honest judgment of the l0cai
situation rather than by prejudice: his only personal connection with the
province was the faot that his family owned the greater part of the Mashhad.
l-Murghab district between Ispahan and Shiraz. His Majesty’s Minister wai
not, however, unfavourably impressed with; his bearing, once he had definitely
decided to take up the appointment, and up to the end of the year he appeal
to have succeeded in making good his expressed intention of holding aloof from
either of the factions in Fare. Although from his conversation in Tehran he
seems to have started with anti-Kawami prejudices, he refrained from overt
action against Kawam-ul-Mulk, who had been acting as Deputy Governor
since the departure of Nizam-es-Sultaneh. His attitude towards the other
party was facilitated by the resignation of Sardar Ihtisham from the Hkhani.
ship of the Kashgai, which enabled the Governor-General to reappoint Sowlet-
ed-Dowleh to that post in December, without, hpwever, inviting him to take
charge of the road, or take pait in any way in the administration of the
province.
The Darya Begi accompanied Mukhbir-es-Sultaneh as Commander of the
military forces of the Governor-General: his attempts to cause difficulties
between Muwaggar-cd-Dowleh and the Governor-General have already been
noticed. Though inconvenient they were not unnatural having regard to the
humiliating circumstances under which he was displaced by the Muwaggar-ed*
Dowleh, two years ago. At the end of the year the presence of his old enemy at
Borasjun was causing the Governor some anxiety, which will doubtless increase
until Naoroz has safely passed.
tlirza Ahmed Khan, Ilasud-es-Sultan, held the post of Foreign Office
Agent at Bushire throughout the year:
Kwgarar.
his conduct was conciliatory and gave
no ground of complaint.
Meshedi Abdul Rasul continued in the post of Kalantar and Chief of
Police of Bushire until the beginning of
Kelantar and Kadkhoda.
November when he was arrested by the
Governor. The dismissal of this troublesome but influential celebrity* was a
source^of satisfaction to the Residency as he had shown himself lobe a thorough
rascal in every way, and both in the time of the Darya Begi and of the present
Governor we nad repeatedly had occasion to complain of his hostility and
obstruction in connection with Residency cases, whilst there was no doubt that
he was hand in glove with the arms snuggling element in Bushire and the
surrounding country.
These latter, including Zair Kbadhar the headman of Tansrisfcan, whose
dependants were responsible for fee piracy and murder on a Debai boat
year (vide Administration Report) combined to demand Abdur Rasul’s release,
and on 22nd instant, in order to bring pressure to bear on the Governor,
olosed the Bushire-Shiraz route between AJhmadi and Bushire, with a view t°
deflecting caravans to the prohibited routes via Abram or Shif, in which Zair
Khadhar and his friend Ahmed Khan of Angali were respectively interest® •
Their action delayed an important caravan for the 39th Central India Hors®
at Shiraz, and on 26th November seeing no prospect of any local action being
taken to open the road and the Governor being, from one cause or another,
powerless to act, the Resident suggested to Government that the British troop®
m Bushire should be utilized to clear the road; he explained that the country
was open 'and that nothing but a most salutary effect was to be anticipa
Before a reply was received from His Majesty’s Government, however,, »
road was opened, at the instance mainly of the notorious Saiyid .
Ahrami who, having heard, apparently, that the use of British troops was un