"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٦‎٧] (٣٩٦/١٤١)

g0 PERSIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORT
agreed that His Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul should accompany the Kbans
to the high country with the object of supporting them if their brother Khans
proved fractious. Mr. Grrahame had already made over the control of Bakhtiari
affairs to His Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul, on his return to Ispahan ia
April.
Owing to a large robbery by Kuhgelus at Kaleh Medresseh, in May, which
called for a long delay at Malamir, His Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul and
the ruling Khans did not reach Chahar Mahal till the miudle ot •July.
position on arrival there was as folio vs;—The news of the Turkish invasion
had just been received and had given a fresh lease of life to the German
campaign which had its nucleus with the party under Kardoff, the German
" Charge d Affaires," who was enjoying the hospitality of Zargham-es-Sultaneh
at Paradumbeh.
The Khans, although they had undertaken to turn out the Germans hy
force of arms if necessary, would not come up to the scratch, as they did not
like to tackle the fort at Paradumbeh without artillery. As the Turks
advanced further into Persia, Amir Mujahid, Ilbegi, with a view to possible
developments, determined to get the Germans away from Zargham, with whom
he had an old standing enmity, and get them lodged with his own friends.
His idea being that if the Turks got the upper hand, he would indirectly come
in for a share of the kudos attaching to harbouring the Germans. He arranged
this move with success and, by the beginning of August, Kardoff and his
following were safely lodged with Amir Mujahid's sister, Bibi Miriam, at
Surishjun.
In the meanwhile, by playing on the bad feeling between Amir Mujahid
and Sardars Zatfar and Muhtasham, the latter readily fel] in with the idea of
raising a Bakhtiari force, ostensibly to turn out the Germans, but in reality
to deal a blow at Alujahid. When the latter realised this, he hurriedly
arranged that Kardoff and his party, who had by now been joined by a
following of 300 or 400 Bakhtiaris under Salar Masoud, Bahadur-es-Sultaneh
Salar Azam, should leave Surishjun for Deh Kurd.
The loyalist force of about 800 sowars which had in the meanwhile
collected at the bidding of Sardars Muhtasham and Zaffar, slowly advanced
towards Mi Kurd, but it was obvious that the Khans were determined that
no collision shjuld occur. The main object was, however, achieved as the
German party, who had counted on using Chahar Mahal as a base from which
to recruit a force preparatory to an advance on Ispahan, was forced to move
into the Ispahan Province where they were attacked and broken up at Tirun,
on September, 1st, hy a detachment of Cossacks from. Ispahan. There then,
lemained the question of punishment of the Bakhtiari Khans who had assisted
the enemy. Surishjun was the first estate chosen for confiscation. Amir
Mujahid resorted to every possible expedient to prevent the confiscation of
his sister s property taking place, but without success. The confiscation of
other estates followed automatically.
- trx I n ^ e ptember a certain Mirza Farukhi arrived w r ith a message from the
m phian to attack Ispahan but avoid, if possible, coming into collision
with the Bntish. ^ A deputation of the Khans, headed by Sardar Patch, asked
His Brit an ic Majesty's Vice-Consul whether the British would be prepared
0 con sic er a Bakhtiari attack on Ispahan as a purely personal matter between
the Prussians and the Bakhtiari.
In October the feeling against Amir Mujahid came to a head and he
rXstl His unpopularity was chiefly due to his
ehi.sal to pay his share ot the Bakhtiari pensions to the minor Khans Owinff
X LtfoT t 6 not possible'to take
Ma^e rvi 0 fl r a rTV a n f» W i "? 1 ,,, 4 ', 11 when His Britannic
1 be! bin VeT; T 1 iTf , Tebran two candidates for the
nomination of ^ g Quli Khan. We insisted on the
Murtaza Ouli K hTr ^'! ? fif f- P ■ n 0 PP osi tion of the Khans.
h. trfg't T .ns
should succeed in taking Sultanabad. lurks lf th y