File 948/1909 'Persia: Situation in the South; Condition of the Roads. Attack on Mr Bill. Road Guard Scheme.' [‎322v] (649/744)

The proclamation, or even the inception of a constitution does notin itself
offer any probability of the slightest improvement in the safety of the Bushire-
Shiraz and the Bunder Abbas-Kerman routes. It must take years to bring Pars
back to a condition of reasonable security and prosperity.
It is evident that the continuance of disturbance along those arteries of
trade, while diminishing trade in goods of
Danger of encroachment by Russian trade. British origin, tends to open markets like
Yezd, Shiraz, Kerman, Ispahan to the descent of Russian trade from the
north’: and His Majesty’s Consul at Kerman has recently complained that
Russian cotton-goods have been displacing British because of the insecurity on
the Bunder Abbas route.
The local chieftains along the 180 miles of the Bushire-Shiraz road have
become independent of the Governor-
Extortion by Khans along roads. General of Pars and are in a constant state
of warfare with each other. The posts are tampered with and robbed every few
weeks.
Despite the specific engagement entered into by the Persian Government
in the Commercial Convention of U03, Article 4, “ Rahdari ” is extorted by
armed tribesmen along the route in ever increasing amounts. A statement of
these exactions is appended. A sum of one kran is even^ extracted by the
Kalantar at the gate of Bushire, and when protest was made in 1907 the Local
Governor simply replied that he was powerless as the Minister of Finance still
included this item in the schedule of revenue which the Governors of Bushire
have to make good : if the Persian Government would erase the item from the
schedule, he, the Governor, would cause the levy to be discontinued.
Caravans are liable to be molested at all points and on every route leading
from Bushire.
The deviation by Shitf, situated 9 miles from Bushire by sea, has been
alluded to in all recent trade reports. It is shunned by all British and the
principal Persian merchants on account of its many inconveniences and reputation
for pilferages. The Khan of Angali, desirous of the caravan route passing
through his territory, the exclusive right of which he has for three years past tried
to obtain by large bribes offered to the local Governor, loses no opportunity which
fortune or a weak Governor may place in his way of coercing muleteers by imposts
or by detention of mules into using the Shief-Daliki road. Only lately he exact
ed a fine of 50 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. (approximately ^10) besides “rahdari” dues from an
unprotected caravan of 70 mules, which was approaching Bushire by the main
route which borders on his land.
The “ Imperial ” road, passing through Borazjun, Daliki and up the
t mountains to Kazerun, now in use for many
years past, has been blocked for the last
two months by the great feud which has joined the Khan of Kamarij and the
headman of Daliki and the Khan of Borazjun. Report says that disputes about
the passage of caravans have been the origin of the feud. Fighting has been
heavy, and the narrow passes in the hands of the combatants. The dangers of
the present situation are shown by the recent firing on the Russian Acting
Consul-General, although he w r as travelling with an escort of Cossacks. The
telegraph office at Konartakhteh has been a centre for operations.
In 1908 the unrest was focussed a little further on between Kumarij and
Kazerun: 1907 was marked by troubles in the Kashgai tribe between Kazerun
and Shiraz and by a series of postal robberies.
The main route being so hampered for traffic native merchants in Shiraz
have been of late endeavouring to arrange with the Kashgai Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. for the
transport of caravans by the Firuzabad route, which in its course to Bushire
traverses Dashti territory, a district inhabited by a very lawless population and
Tangistan. The absence of the telegraph on this route and the likelihood of
robbery occurring without the slightest chance of compensation being obtained,
and other difficulties in the shape of dearth of forage, provisions, and caravan
accommodation make British merchants very chary of trusting their goods to it.