'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎92v] (191/396)

12 ANNUAL REPOED OF THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL RESIDENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India.
north of Bandar Abbas) and succeeded in carrying off all the animals consist-
ino- of 390 camels, 41 donkeys and 8 ^ mules 200 ot the camels were the
Dronertv of Government tbe remainder being hired animals. A small quantity
of Government stores was also carried off by the raiders.
The situation in Minab gave grave cause for anxiety. On the 3rd June the
Chief of the Guard of the Deputy Governor, Minab, ^\as muidered by Tahirzais
at the instigation of Mir Barkat, Kalantar of Biyaban. The Deputy Governor
letaiiated by killing three Tahirzais and capturing 280 of their camels. Mir
Barkat. promptly raised a lashkar and marched on the town of Minab which
was within an ace of being captured by him.
It was necessary to restrain Barkat till reinforcements could be sent to
the Deputy Governor of Minab. At the request of His Majesty's Consul
H. M. S. " Bramble " was sent to Kohistak to show the flag, and the South
Persia iiifies despatched 100 men to the assistance of the Deputy GoTernor,
Minab, who was thus enabled to drive off Barkat at a most critical time. In
the meantime a small expedition was organised by His Excellency tbe Governor
of the Gulf Ports with our assistance in ammunition and money. His Excel,
lency proceeded by sea in the Persian Gunboat k< Persepolis"; and the Deputy
Governor of Bandar Abbas, who had taken over command of the force at Minab
marched by land to Sirik, the principal village in Biyaban, which was entered
on August 10th by the combined force. Mir Barkat declined to fight his
patron, the Governor of the Gulf Ports, and retired to Bashakird where the
Government troops were unable to follow. Negotiations then ensued, but
Mir Barkat refused to accede to the Governor's terms which were to band over
the murderers of the Chief of the Guard and to pay up his arrears of revenue.
The Governor thereupon appointed Mir Gul Muhammad (son of Mir Hazi the |
late Kalantar) as Kalantar of Biyaban and withdrew his force from Biyaban
leaving 30 riflemen to support Mir Gul Muhammad. Later, Lieutenant-
Colonel Trevor visited Biyaban where he met Mir Barkat and succeeded in
obtaining from him a promise to pay up two years' revenue and to restore a
7-centimetre gun which he had captured in the fighting at Minab. Mir Barkat
soon afterwards fulfilled his promise and the Governor of the Gulf Ports
le'nstated him as Kalantar.
The expedition may, on the whole, be considered a success for it saved
Minab, one of the richest districts on the Persian littoral from falling into the
hanas of Mir Barkat, and it proved to Mir Barkat that the Persian Govern
ment, supported by us, was still powerful enough to punish him for his
rebellious action. The fact of the Government forces marching through his
district and occupying his principal seaport was a great blow to his prestige
and there is no doubt his followers suffered great hardships in the retirement
to Bashakird.
Notwithstanding the unsafety of the caravan routes, particularly between J
Trade Kerman and Yezd and Sirjan and Yezd
and the high freights by land and sea, the
trade of Bandar Abbas continued to increase. Hie shortage of steamers from
India was made good by large numbers of sailing boats which brought
large quantities of merchandise from India.
Prom about the middle of the year arrangements were made for the
British India Steam Navigation Company's subsidiary mail steamers to call
once a fortnight on the voyage out from Karachi. Limited quantities of
merchandise were imported by these steamers.
Steamers of the Bombay and Persia Steam Navigation Company, the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Steam Navigation Company and the Line of Chartered Japanese
Steamers continued to call from Bombay till about the middle of the year
when the calls were discontinued.
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company increased the depth of their boring from
British in'erest8. 1,300 to 1,800 feet during the year Owing
t to the difficulty in obtaining steainer 8
to bring the necessary oil fuel from Abadan for the working of the engines the
work of boring was greatly delayed. In the latter half of "the year, however,
arrangements were made by the Admiralty for the necessary tonnage ta he
made available.
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ips The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47.
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