‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎76v] (157/722)

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time and died there. Hi* son, Bahadur Khan, who has been mentioned
before as one of the prominent residents in Mashhad, succeeded him, but
was shortly driven out. He has still connection and influence amongst the
Turkmans. Allahvar Khan, the present chief, is a man of about d0 years
of yge, active, intelligent, and energetic. He was removed from his chief-
ship* 5 some time ago, but not for any disloyal conduct. His successor,
Daulat Murad Khan, showed himself quite unfit for so difficult a post.
Haring his two years' tenure the Turkmans devastated the whole valley,
shutting the people up in the larger villages. The village of Chupushlu was
taken and sacked, and about 7,000 inhabitants of the valley were said
to have been carried off. Allahyar Khan was sent back by the Hissam-ul-
Sultanah, Governor General of Khurasan, and has restored the country
nearly to its former prosperity. He has two younger brothers, Muhamad
AH Khan and Sayzad Ali Khan, either of whom is fit to succeed to the
chiefship ; and a son, a boy of 1 2 years of age.
Persia’s tenure of the valley of Daraghaz, isolated as it is by the main
Alburz chain, is of little importance to her, save as regards her prestige.
The loss of Sarahhs, for instance, is a far more serious matter than would be
the loss of Daraghaz. The chiefs have, therefore, in times of trouble been
frequently left entirely to their own devices, and have been forced to main
tain themselves by connections with the Turkmans, which have brought
them into closer relations than subsist between those tribes and any other
of the border chiefs. At the same time their subjection to constant
attempts on the part of their powerful neighbours to subvert their feudal in
dependence has throw n them into the hands of the provincial government.
Within the last few years a share of the importance thus derived has passed
into the hands of the Chief of Kalat, and the consequence is a deadly feud
between these two chieftains. These causes have led to their becoming
the medium of communication between the government of the province
and the Marv and Akhal Turkmans; and in this capacity they are safe from
local rivalry, and to a great extent from injury by Court intrigues at the
•capital. In addition to political advantages, the present Chief of Daraghaz
also derives some direct profit from his influence with the desert tribes.
He is able to secure safe passage of caravans to Marv, and to secure the entry
of Turkman carriers into Persia free from molestation, and has thus re-estab
lished the former trade of the Trans-Oxus territories through his own State.
He derives an addition to his own income by levying custom dues on this.
The connection of this present chief with the Turkmans of Akhal and
Marv is particularly close and friendly He was for a long time a fugitive
in their tents and knows all their principal men. Several of the nearest
oh aha are in a manner tributary to him. There are ab ut 50 families of
the poorer sections of the Akhal settled in the ALarc, villages. An Aksakal
of the obah of Askabad, Pasbi Khan, is the chief’s agent with the tribe,
and is able at any time to bring him into communication with the leading
Akxkalas.
Mr. Condie Stephens, writing from Mashhad in January 1883, says that
the prince governor A Prince of the Royal line who also acted as Governor of a large Iranian province during the Qājār period (1794-1925). admitted that no taxes had been collected in Daraghaz
in lft82, and that he had been advised from Tehran not to do so. However,
there is no evidence whatever as yet that Persia has no control over this
State. The ruins of old Parthian and Persian towns are everywhere
visible, and the mud strongholds now occupied by the inhabitants have
Ml been built at Persian expense. Further, Mr. Condie Stephens is of