'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎654r] (1309/1386)

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Sheikh Obeidullah to one of the American missionaries at Oroomiah, in which he reca
pitulates the subjects of complaint which he has against the Persian authorities, and
says that his son, Abdul Kader, has been sent to this country for the purpose of
obtaining redress for these grievances.
The Sheikh further states that he and all the Kurdish Chiefs arc nowagreed as to
the necessity of establishing a united Kurdistan, in order that they may be in a
position to manage their own affairs without the interference of either Turkish or
Persian authorities. Similar statements are made in letters which he has written to
the Governor ol Oroomiah. There seems to be no doubt from these and from the pro
clamations and correspondence which he has lately sent to various Kurdish Chiefs
along the line of the Persian border that his design is to detach the entire Kurdish
population from their allegiance to Turkey and Persia, and to establish under his own
authority a separate autonomous Principality, • nd that for the attainment of this
object he is endeavouring by threats and promise's to incite all the Kurdish tribes to
join him in open warfare with this country.
Two ol Sheikh Obeidullah’s agents arrived in Tehran on the 29th instant charged
with a letter and secret messages from the Sheikh to Prince Abbass Mirza, the Shah’s
brother, informing him that a large Kurdish force had now entered Azerbidgan, and
inviting His Royal Highness to lose no time in joining the insurgents. Abbass Mirza
has passed the greater part of his life in exile in Turkey ; he is, moreover, himself half
a Kurd, his mother having been the daughter of one of the Kurdish Chiefs near
Oroomiah, and if the Sheikh’s letter had been intercepted before it reached his
hands, His Royal Highness would have found himself very seriously compromised.
As it was, he caused the Agents to be arrested, and reported the matter at once to the
Shah.
The latest authentic information which has reached me in respect to the present
state of affairs at Oroomiah is that on the arrival at Maragha of the Persian troops sent
from Tabreez under the command of the Itimad-es-Sultaneh, a portion of Abdul
Kader’s force withdrew from that district in the direction of Souj Boulak, whence
they advanced by the western side of the lake upon the town of Oroomiah. A body of
Kurds, numbering about 5,000 under Khaleefeeh Mahommed Syed, the brother-in-law
of Sheikh Obeidullah, was encamped a fortnight ago within 24 miles of that city at
Tomai Beradost, and Sheikh Sadik, a son of Sheikh Obeidullah, with 1,000
Kurds, was also stationed at Nerghi in the Plain of Mergheser. These Kurds are
reported to be all well armed with Martinis, obtained by plunder at Bayazid two
years ago.
The force at the disposal of the Ikbul-ed-Dowleh, the Governor of Oroomiah,
is said to consist of only three regiments of probably not more than 500 men
each.
The following reinforcements have, however, been dispatched to the Maragha and
Oroomiah districts since the Kurdish outbreak began:—
A force of regular troops and irregular cavalry, estimated at 3,000 men,
was dispatched from Tabreez under the Itimad-es-Sultaneh, and reached Maragha ten
days ago.
Teimus Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Khan, the Governor of Khoi, with, it is said, 5,000 men and six
guns sent from Tabreez and Makoo, arrived at Selmas on the 24th instant, and was
expected to reach Oroomiah yesterday.
Prom Tehran a force estimated at 4,000 men under the command of Hamza Mirza,
Hackmet-ed-Dowleh, an uncle of the Shah, has been dispatched by way of Bijar, and
it is expected to reach the Souj Boulak territory in a few days. Hamza Mirza has
with him five Austrian officers and 1,200 Persian troops drilled by Austrian instructors
and armed with Austrian breech-loaders and a battery of rifled guns.
Another detachment sent from Hamedan and Gerroos under Hassan Ali Khan,
consisting of two regiments and 700 irregular horse is reported to have reached
Maragha, and to have joined the Itimad-es-Sultaneh’s force.
The Sepeh Salar, having reported that he had prepared two more regiments and a
body of Ardibil irregular cavalry which he proposed sending to Maragha, I suggested
their being sent from Tabreez direct to Oroomiah, and that the Itimad-es-Sultaneh
should also be ordered to advance without loss of time from Maragha by the south of
the lake to the district of Oroomiah, where reinforcements were most urgently needed,
which Maragha might be considered to be comparatively safe now that the Kurds had
commenced to retire on that side, and the Hachmet-ed-Dowleh was about to reach the
neighbourhood; and this suggestion was telegraphed to the Sepeh Salar by the Shahs
orders.