الملف ٥٣٧\١٩٢١ الجزء ٢ "بلاد فارس: النفط - تطوير شركة النفط الأنجلو-فارسية لحقول نفط جديدة؛ الحفر للتنقيب عن النفط في دشت قيل؛ اتفاقية شركة النفط الأنجلو-فارسية مع خانات القشقولي" [ظ‎‎١‎٩‎٥] (٢٥٤/٦٢)

10
Sir A Wilson had a difficult task in dealing with such an avaricious, unprincipled
and astute 'mountebank ; it is not to be wondered at that the result of the contest w as
' the circumstances not as satisfactory as could be desired. ^ ^
H. G. CHICK.
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Enclosure 5 in No. 1,
pr^’ 1
Bit
Cofisiil Cluck to the Political Resident, Jiushii c.
g ir ^ Shiraz, May 24, 1922.
I HAVE the honour to transmit, for your information, with one ^spare copy,< a
translation of the agreement concluded by tlm Anglo-Persian Oil Company with
Soulet-ed-Dowleh, Sardar Ashair, on behalf of his son Muhammad Nasir Khan, the
Ilkhani of the Kashgai, as also a record of proceedings drawn up by Sir A. Wilson.-*
Sir A. Wilson arranged at my request to deliver copies personally to His Majesty’s
Minister.
You will note the supplementary agreement giving the conditions on which the
Ilkhani (he., Sardar Ashair) confirmed the agreement with the Kashkuli Khans.
Hadi Khan, who was not empowered by the other khans to the purpose, appears to
have signed out of unwillingness to annoy Sir A. Wilson and alarm at being for the time
in the presence of his enemy; he has since expressed the opinion that the other khans
(who have joined Ali Khan, brother of Sardar Ashair, and are still demanding of the
Governor-General their emancipation from Sardar Ashair’s domination) would not
countersign the terms, or have any more faith in the latter's attitude towards the
clan than he has himself.
Sir A. Wilson informed me that he was personally by no means satisfied with the
present settlement; after two days in the company of Sardar Ashair he regarded the
latter as quite unreliable in his performance of the terms of it; gave him till next
spring perhaps before he again became a nuisance to the company and the effect of
the present meeting w r ore off; and would regard it as a blessing were Sardar Ashair
ousted from his position and a fresh Ilkhani appointed. The Persian adviser to the
oil company, Khan Bahadur Mirza Muhammad, C.I.E., is further extremely doubtful
whether the Persian Government will accept the agreements as they stand.
I was not present at the negotiations, as His Majesty's Minister concurred in my
view that it would be better to remain behind the scenes. Owing to Sardar Ashair
ignoring the repeated advice ol the Persian Government to pay his respects to the
Prince Governor-General, the negotiations took place at some 15 miles from Shiraz,
and the Governor-General took no part in the discussion^although the draft and final
agreements were shown to him), so that the opportunity suggested by Sir P. Loraine
for me to seek an invitation from the Governor-General to be present with His Imperial
Highness did not arise.
Apart from the critical question of the reception by the other Kashkuli Khans of
the new arrangement, their willingness to submit to Sardar Ashair, and his own treat-
q- ^ ie C ^ n ^ ie 11 ex ^ ^* ew mor dhs, the main drawback to the new agreement,
which Sn A. Wilson understands as well as I do, is the position which would supervene
on a change of Ilkhani an event that in the natural course of things must occur
within three years, if not sooner. For Sardar Ashair refused to allow his brothers to
e parties to the terms or to admit the de jure ilbegiship of his nephew ; and it will
neie oie e wit m t le lights of the brothers if they accede to povrer, to refuse to'
mi orse the terms made by Sardar Ashair. In the peculiar relationships of the ruling
ashgai family, such a clause as u heirs and successors” of the Ilkhani can have no
binding effect on the anti-Soulat Party. Practically there can be no finality to agree
ments with such a tribal organisation as the Kashgai, unless and until the ilkhaniship
abolished cind the government of the tribe separated into sections and brought
r the contro of ttm i
Mffi£ Under f! C0ntr0 f °! $1 Provincial Government—a proposal which His Majesty's
Minister reports to exist at Tehran. 11
comnmw 0 Am VieW h f ’’T and ^ t . hat > consi dering the local situation in Fars and the
tive with slnlY a'I A r of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company’s representa-
the result ohtainprl air a , ,0 ' Present juncture was unsound and inopportune, and that
ned may lead to further complications Owino* to the unexpected
personal support g „.„ by the Minialer rf w „ l ^ waTfor .He
* See Enclosures 1 to 3.