'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎130r] (266/396)

FOR THE YEAR i9i8.
25
of more than two or three who escaped seizure. For about three weeks the
number of deaths in the town, mostly from septic pneumonia and bronchitis,
must have been from 100—200 per day and as practically everyone in the town
was ill at the same time, all business was temporarily suspended
The entire Consulate staff with the exception of the Accountant, two
Non -Commissioned Officers and one sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. of the Escort were taken ill; one
sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. died. There w^ere no deaths among the European residents, but Captain
1). N. Carr, South Persia Eifles, died at Saidabad on his way from Kerman
to" India on short leave, and four officers (Major Eowle and Captains Martin,
LM.S., Sherwood and Jelly) had to be invalided to India, Of the 19 European
civilians including children, four escaped seizure.
For the Kerman Brigade South Persia Eifles the figures were
as
follows:—
Kerman ,
Saidabad
Narmashir
Case inciderce. Deaths. Mortality.
1,500 (approximate) 91 6 per- cent.
9C0 „ 77 8-5
150 „ 49 32-6
Total
2,550 ^approximate) 217 8-5 per cent.
The total number of deaths in the towm reported by the Police was 1,^60
but these figures are almost certainly incomplete.
Nusrat-ul-Mamalik, the aged head of the Khnnzada family, who had
acted as Governor-General from 17th February to 19th July {vide above), died
on 15th December.
In the districts, particularly Jiruft, Bam and Narmashir, Eafsinjan
and Khahis, the epidemic was far severer even than in Herman, and
all reports agreed that throughout the province it was the worst that had
occurred w r ithin the memory of man. The country people and tribesmen had
no warning of the danger and were quite unprepared. The influenza was
regarded merely as a severe cold, no precautions were taken and agricultural
and other out-door work was proceeded with. The result was that from ^
twenty-five to fifty per cent, or even more of the population of most districts
was wiped out. Fields were left half tilled, transport animals and other
property abandoned ownerless, in fact the life of the province was brought to
a standstill. It will take years for the province to recover from this calamity.
Apart from the cholera and influenza, there was an abnormal prevalence
of enteric and allied fevers throughout the province in ihe spring and early
summer, amounting to an epidemic at Baghin and neighbouring villages, and
also in Bam district.
Excepting for the disturbances of January 8-h described above, the tow^n
was quiet throughout the year.
The Districts,
4/sAar.—Gunj Ali Khan, Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. of the Afshar, died on 18th
August. The succession to the Ilkhaniship
The Tribes. was disputed for a long time between
Hojabr-us-Sultaneh, younger brother of the deceased Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. , and Salar Ashayir,
nephew of Gunj Ali Khan and son of his predecessor Mirza Khan.^ As
Hojabr-us-Sultaneh and his son Nasir Nizam had from the outset been actively
useful to the South Persia Eifles in connection with the Baft Levies, recruiting
lor the Brigade, etc., while Salar Ashayir's brother Muhammad Eafi Khan w r as
strongly pro-German in the disturbances of 1915-16 and raised a force on their
behalf. His Majesty's Consul and the Officer Commanding, South Persia Eifles,
favoured the former's appointment, w hich was announced on 8th October.
Salar Ashayir and his section of the tribe refuse to acknowledge Hojabr's title,
and the former partition of the tribe continues, each section^ keeping to itself
and occupying separate summer and winter grazings. Ilojabr and his section
liave their headquarters at Hushun, 20 miles west of Baft in the hot weather