Page 63 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOB THE YEA.B 191* 58
The unsatisfactory conduct of the Sardar-i-Nusrat, in regard to the murder
gudu'l-Nu.nt and hi. .elationa. °f Parsis and the anti-foielgn
demonstrations, was mentioned in last
yea r’s report.
Jn February, he was summoned to Tehran and eventually complied with
summons, his brother remaining in Kerman. The Aal-us-Sultan used
ftll liis powers of intrigue to have him brought back, and throw his influenoe
into the scale against the new Governor, the Amir-i-Azam. Colonel Haig,
writing in February 1912, says that this faction had, during the last two yeara
at least, exercised all its influence against the appointment or retention of an
efficient Governor Genoral and that the destruction of its power should be
0f great advantage to Kerman.
During and after the rebellion the behaviour of the family appears to have
been at best ambigous, and Colonel Haig believed them to be in league with
the Afshar and Buchaqchi robbers. It has already been noted how, during
the Adl-us-Sultan’s tenure of power, he allowed these tribes to commit excesses
in the town, and connived at the release of their leaders from prison. He1 also
conducted a persecution of those who had been supporters of the Amir-i-Azam.
Eventually the Sardar-i-Nusrat returned with the Amir-i-Mufakham having
made his peace with the Legation and having probably been sufficiently bled
by the Persian Authorities to make him more discreet for some time to come.
He and his brother attempted to ingratiate themselves again with the Consul.
To their appeals Colonel Haig responded that bye-gones should be bye*gones at
the same tune expounding to them, for their future guidance, the doctrine of
“by their fruits ye shall know them.” No further cause to complain of the
family arose during the year. They owe their local influence to money, not
force of character, and had previously been regarded as good friends of the Con­
sulate.
Owing to the circumstances the Consulate and Indo-European Telegraph
Department were in considerable request
Cases of Bast.
as places of “bast” or sanctuary. The
following cases may be mentioned :—
In February, the followers of the Muin-i-Diwan, Deputy Governor of
Jabal Bariz, took " bast ” at the Indo-European Telegraph Department Office,
Bam, as a protest against that official’s arrest by the Governor General.
In April, the Amir-i-Azam’s Private Secretary took “ bast ” at the
Consulate.
In May, the Amir-i-Azam took “ bast ” in proximity to the Consu­
late.
In July, some 30 or 40 persons who had been on the side of the Amir-i-
Azam took “ bast ” in the Consulate from the persecutions of the de facto
Governor, the Adl-us-Sultan. These cases gave a considerable amount of trouble,
and in some instances Parsi subjects were given letters of protection from the
Consulate, on which they will probably seek to trade in the future.
In October serious disturbances broke out in Sirjan, and the Governor,
the Mirat-us-Sultan, was expelled from the
Sirj&iL
town. The Amir-i-Mufakham sent the
Hirat's father, the Sardar-i-Nusrat, to reinstate him. The rebels successfully
defended themselves, and negotiations were entered into. These were inter­
rupted by further fighting when, the sinews of war failing, on the part of the
Government forces, a truce was made.
The Afshar chief, on his release from imprisonment in Kerman in July,
determined to try conclusions with the
The ▲'•ben. new Ilbegi of the Afshars, the 8owlet-ul-
JJulk, Afshar, for which purpose he called in the assistance of Fare robbers.
appears, however, to have got the worst of it and to have had to reoognise
*ae obnoxious Ilbegi. Neither he, however, nor Farajullah Khan, Governor of
fch&hr Babak,’ obeyed the Amir-i-Mufakham’s summons to Rafsinjan.
The state of affairs and parties in Baluchistan does not appear very clearly
_ from the Consulate records.
BUoAUo.