Page 87 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOR THE YEAR 101J. 77
•ntcd out that, while the senior Khans were busily engaged in enriching them*
£jvCS at the expense of the State all over Persia, tho interests of himself and the
our*ocr 5cncra^01? been totally neglected and they had been afforded no
Opportunity of taking their part in the general robbery : they had even been
X^ged with tho unromuncrative duty of tribal administration thus setting free
[jjeir Bouior relatives.
Having, with these arguments, got the younger Khans on his side the
Ajjiir next approached the tribesmen. Little argument was needed with them.
Realizing that the chiefs were divided among themselves they took the law into
their own hands and anarchy soon prevailed throughout Bakhtiari territory.
Having thus succeeded in stirring up the country, the Amir sent a deputa*
tion composed of Sardar Patheh, Munazzam-ul-Mulk and other junior Khans to
Ispahan to discuss terms with the senior Khans in Tehran by telegraph. Tphio
senior Khans were already alarmed at the news they had received of the state of
jHfairs in their country and feared that the tribes, once thoroughly out of hand,
they would have difficulty in re-asserting their old authority. They were at the
panic time being pressed through His Majesty’s Legation to restore security for
British trade on the Bakhtiari road which had been closed to traffic since the
ascent of the *11 in June. They therefore bestirred themselves, dismissed the
acting Ilkbani and Ilbegi and appointed Sardar-i-Jang, a man of exceptional
energy and ability, supreme Ilkhani of the Bakhtiaris and in addition Governor
of Behbehan and the Kuhgelu, for a period of five years. He was armed with
considerable powers and specially empowered to deal with the young Khan
party as lie thought fit. Tomans 4.5,000 were placed at his disposal which the
Khans had borrowed from the Imperial Bank of Persia.
In the beginning of August Sardar-i-Jang reached Ispahan from Tehran
and was there met by representatives of the Amir Mujahid’s party. These
representatives informed the Sardar that they were prepared to forcibly resist
his march to Chighakhur (the summer administrative capital) unless he first
came to terms with themselves. After much discussion the Saidar succeeded in
bringing the Amir’s representatives to a reasonable frame of mind and'induced
them to return to the Amir with letters promising that he would try as far as
possible to satisfy the just aspirations of the young Khan party. Captain Grey
also sent a message to the Amir explaining that he had been specially deputed
to accompany the Sardar and to assist him in his mission, that the Sardar's ap­
pointment to the Bakhtiari Hkhaniship had our support, and that any action on
his part which would hamper liini in the execution of his duty would incur the
severe displeasure of His Majesty’s Government
Sardar-i-Jang left Ispahan for Cliahar Mahal on the 24th August accompa-
ried by Captain Grey and a special escort of Indian Sowars. A few marches
oat of Ispahan messages were received from Amir Mujahid to the effect that he
md the young Khans accepted the assurances of the Sardar regarding the
atisfaction of their claims and that he had abandoned all thought of forcible
assistance. •
A few days later all the Khans assembled at Chighakhur and the grievances
the Amir’s party were gone into and a settlement satisfactory to all parties
arrived at. The Amir himself was induced to again accept the Governor-
^P of Behbehan, it being arranged that in the spring he should be relieved
by a younger Khan and proceed to Yezd as Governor. Of the Junior
Ahans some were despatched to Yezd, others to Tehran and Ispahan and a few
^ployed in Bakhtiari territory. All the appointments afforded opportunities
** moderate mudakhil (squeeze).
The rival Khans once satisfactorily disposed of, Sardar-i-Jang haul no diffi-
in getting the tribesmen in hand. They were by this time heartily sick
5 lawlessness which had reigned during the past fbOr'months and'welcomed
r®turn of the Sardar whom they b6th like and trust.
,. He set to work with energy to recover and return looted property, settle
reputes, punish offenders and' safeguard" the Bakhtiari road and, within a mo'hth,
Bakhtiari country was as quiet and wbll governed as it used to be before the
abandoned their rfile of tribal chiefs to become the ’ dictators of Bereftl.
This state of affairs continued until tie dose of <the! yea^ uijdei report.^