Page 85 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOR THE YEAR 19i« 75
Rack of these Governors on appointment! nominated certain local notables
peputy Governors at either Burujird or Khorcmmabad but these deputies
. no case succeeded in making their influence felt outside the towns to which
in were appointed.
they
Baklitiari.—Najaf Kuli IChan, Samsam-es-Sultaneh, and Ghulam Husein
]Clian» Sardar Muhtcsham, continued as Ilkhani and Ilbegi of the Bakhtaaris
during the year under report. They were, however, absent frpm Bakhtiari
territory throughout the year, and the tribal administration was carried on by
j[uniazzim-ud-Dowleh and Salari-Ashraf, the former as Ilkhani and the latter as
jlbegi- the cliaos which resulted from the lax and corrupt adminis­
tration of these two young chiefs the senior chiefs were in July obliged to
deprive them of their appointments and, under pressure from Hi« Majesty’s
legation, appointed Sardar-i-Jang, of the Haji Ilkhani family, to the Hkhanipnip
0f °tbo whole tribe. Hurtcza Kuli Khan received the appointment of Ilbegi
but Sardar-i-Jang was empowered to change the Ilbegi if he thought
advisable provided the appointment was always filled by a member of the
flkliani family.
Kuhgelu.—At the commencement of the year Amir Mujahid was nominally
Governor of Behbehan and the Kuhgelu tribes hut had not taken over his
appointment, Bahadur-i-Diwan continuing to act as Deputy Governor of the town.
In March Amir Mujahid finally left Ispahan for Bchbehan arriving at Malamir
on the 25th March. He halted for 10 days at the latter place to collect sowars,
cl cetera, and reached Bamuz on the 5th April. He remained at Ramuz about
a month when, owing to the intrigues of the Haji Ilkhani family with the
Kuhgelu, he was forced to abandon his appointment and return to his house at
Shamsahad.
In July Sardar-i-Jang was appointed to the Governorship of Behbehan and
Kuhgelu and deputed Amir Mujahid to the governorship of Behbehan and
Kuhgelu. The Amir arrived at Ramuz on the 18th October and entered Beh­
behan on the 15th November.
Monsieur Fourman was Director of Customs in Nasiri till June when he
was transferred to Mohammerah. His
Costoins.
place was filled by Monsieur Bouckaert
who remained in charge till the close of the year under report.
In the commencement of the year Messrs. Lynch Brothers notified mer­
chants that they would he charged warehouse fees for goods remaining on their
seifs for a longer period than seven days. This notification was necessitated by
the fact that merchants had adopted the practice of not taking delivery of their
goods when, owing to closure of the road or scarcity of transport, they were
unable to forward up country. Messrs. Lynch Brothers’ * seif ’ is, by an arrange­
ment with the Customs Department, considered a bonded warehouse and the
merchants by leaving their goods there avoided paying customs* dues.
The Customs Department insisted, under their regulations, in charging
ground rent as before on uncleared goods and the merchants thus found them­
selves called upon to pay two ground rents on the same goods.
In October a meeting was held, at which the chief merchants, the Director
of Customs and Messrs Lynch’s agent were present, to discuss the matter and it
^a$ decided that the question should be referred to Tehran with the recommen­
dation that the Customs should in future charge half of the ordinary ground
rent fees and Messrs. Lynch Brothers an equal amount: thus making the total
fees payable by merchants on uncleared goods the same as at other Gulf ports,
ho reply had been received to the Customs Director’s recommendations at the
elose of the year.
No friction was experienced between the Customs Department and British
frrois during the year under report.
Pusht-i-Kuh.—Pusht-i-Kuh like Arabistan has, during the past year,
been one of tho few comers of Persia
Condition of Conntrj. which has remained unaffected and peace­
ful during the chaos which has reigned elsewhere. The Wali, Amir-i-Jang,
^ administered his territory with his usual firmness and ability with the
that his people have remained quiet and contented. His son, Amanniiah
L ft