Page 176 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883_Neat

8 ADMINISTRATION BEI»ORT OF THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL

Fare, in addition to liis already extensive charge, which comprises
Ispahan, Yczd, Barojird, Lurislun and Arabistan. It was announced
that the Zil-cs-Sultan's youthful son, Jelal-ed-Dowlab, would be 6ent to
reside at Shiraz as nominal Deputy Governor, under the tutelage of an
oflicial titled the f< Sahib-i-Diwfln/' lately employed under the Ileir-
apparent at Tabriz, a brother of the well-known Shiraz notables, the
Kowwam-ul-Mulk and Nussccr-ui-Mulk. This further extension of the
Zil-cs-Sul tan's power has naturally excited a good deal of comment as
to its significance; hut the Prince has earned of late years a name for
administrative ability and impartiality combined with strictness and
energy, which leads people to hope his rule over Fars will be successful.
In the interim, between the deposal of the Mo'temid-ed-Dowlah and
arrival of the young Prince, the government of the province is admin­
istered by the Kowwam-ul-Mulk, who, in spite of the anticipations of
disor lcr, has succeeded in suppressing any attempts in that direction.
The Mo'temid-ed-Dowlah's son and able assistant, Prince 'Owais
Mirza, Ihtisham-ed-Dowlah, Governor of Behbchan, has also been
relieved, aDd bis successor is uot yet known.
The Mo'tomid-ed-Dowlah has been .Governor-General of Fare since
August 1S76, and so bas enjoyed an unusually long tenure of office.
His administration bas been in many respects eminently successful, it is
said particularly so as regards himself. His first act was to depose and
disgrace the Mushir-ul-Mulk, formerly the all-powerful YVazeer for
Fars, and this was speedily followed by stern and ruthless suppression of
robberv and all unlicensed (the qualification is necessary) crime through­
out the province. The roads soon became perfectly safe, and. have
remained so over since. As regards other results of this Prince's admin­
istration opinions are divided. All admit that the revenues were col­
lected to the last farthing, no matter how bad the season, and that
perhaps one-third in excess of the assessments was levied throughout
the province. But, on the other hand, the Prince allowed no interference
of others, and himself watched the revenue branch of the administration
closely, so that it is thought by some that, as compared with the admin­
istration of more lenient but more careless governors, the balance has
been to the benefit of the population by the extortions of rapacious
middlemen being kept in cheek. However this may be, it is a fact that
the province is much depleted, and in many districts visibly on the down­
ward track. In fertile valleys one passes villages once numbering their
hundreds, now reduced to five or six squalid huts. Inquiry as to the
causes of this always elicits the same explanation—t( zulm."
One act of the Mo'temid-ed-Dowlah's seems to have been almost
universally condemned by the public opinion throughout Fare—^the
execution of Shaikh Mazkoor Khan of Rangoon, which was briefly
alluded to in last year's report. The commiseration which the fate of
this rebel Khan received, arose from the fact that he was notoriously
driven into rebellion by sheer desperation. When formerly a prisoner
at Shiraz, the Shaikh bought his release by promising to pay a sum far
beyond his means of raising, and when pressed, met force by force and
fled to a mountain fortress. • Lured out by treachery, he was forced,
though sorely weuuded, to ride post in fetters to Shiraz, where ominous