Page 385 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

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FOR THE YEAR 1915,

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CHAPTER VI.

ADMINISTRATION report for the arabistan consulate
FOR THE YEAR 1915.

Major A. P. Trevor, C.I.E., held charge of the Consulate from the bogin-
. ning of the year to 9th April 1915 when
Personnel.
he was relieved by Lieutenant-Colonel
R. L. Kcnnion.
Captain J. G. L. Ranking held charge of the Vice-Consul ate at Ahwaz up
to April 1915, whon he was relieved by Captain E. Noel, who held charge ;
until the end of the year.
There was no Consular Surgeon throughout the year.
Assistant Surgeon C. H. Lincoln was appointed Acting Vice-Consul,
Mohammerah, from 11th November 1915.
His Excellency Sir Khazal Khan,
Local Officials.
K.C.S.I., K C.I.E., has remained ruler of
of South Arabistan and the various Arab tribes inhabiting North Arabistan.
The Shaikh’s eldest son Chasib was his Deputy at Ahwaz till April when
his nephew Hanzal took his place.
The Governorship of Arabistan was nominally held by the Nizam-us-
Sultaneh till the end of the year when, owing to his defection to the pro-
German and rebel Persian party, he was dismissed, the Government being
thence forward in charge of the Shaikh of Mohammerah.
Waqar-ul-Mulk, Deputy Governor for Arabistan, arrived and took charge
of his duties in November.
Ikram-ul-Mulk, Karguzar of Mohammerah, with his brother Mutamid-ul-
Wazara left for Bushire en route to Tehran on three months’ leave and has not
returned since.
Mirza Jawad Khan, Tehrani, late member of the Belgian Survey party of
the Mohammerah-Khurramabad Railway, was appointed Agent of the Karguzar
in April and held the post till the end of the year.
His Excellency Lord Hardinge of Pens-
Principal Events.
hurst, Viceroy and Governor-General
of India, arrived at Abadan in E M. S. “ Northbrook ” on 3rd Pebruary, and
after making a short halt there and paying an unofficial visit to the refinery,
proceeded to Mohammerah, where the u Northbrook ” anchored for the night.
His Excellency the Shaikh and Haji Rais-ul-Tujjar, had the honour of
being received by IBs Excellency the Viceroy on board the warship, on which
occasion His Excellency Lord Hardinge invested the Shaikh with the insignia
of the K.C.S.L, and Haji Rais-ul-Tujjar with the O.I E. °
When the year opened, the general outlook in Arabistan was very
unpromising. Mohammerah itself was quiet, but, with the exception of the
Muhaisin, there was general restlessness amongst the Arab tribes. 8haikh
Hanzal had been sent by the Shaikh with an Arab force to Ahwaz to keep
order, but it seemed likely that as soon as the expected advance of the Turks
from the west took place, he would he unable to control the situation. Early
in February a small British force was sent up to reinforce the Shaikh’s
Arabs and an intrenched camp was made at Ammiyeh, opposite Nasiri on the
bank of the Karun. The object of the force was to forestall the occupation of
Ahwaz by the Turks who had been roinforced by a large body of Arabs under
Ghazban, the result of which would have been the enemy occupation of Northern
Arabistan and the oil-fields. By the middle of the month, owing to the preach*
lnS of local mullahs, ohief of whom was the notorious 8haikh I sa of