'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎180r] (366/396)

FOR THE TEAR 1919.
51
■and ourselves he acts as intermediary. The district is peaceful and prosperous,
and it is a matter ^ foi satisfaction that it has been unnecessary durin" the
year under report to invoke the assistance of the Military. Isolated cases of
highway robbery have occurred, but in no instance has the offender escaped
eventful retribution. The British Government has been paying in subsidies
to K ; ir, f a . m0nth l v mc P- equivalent to approximately £520, but it is
anticipated that owing to certain improvements in Revenue collection and
disposal, together with the stoppage of some of the more important sources
of leakage, the greater part of this burden will shortly be shouldered by the
Persian Government. I shall refer further to this subject under the head of
'Revenue Applications, positively embarassing iu number, have been
received from the heads of the Qalaqand, i^aharvvand, and JBairanwand tribes
to settle in Arabistan. Always provided that these tribes are prepared to
forego their nomadic habits, there would be ample room for them along the
banks of the Kherkeh, but that is a provision we cannot expect to see fulfilled
except by an infinitely gradual process of absorption. They say that there
were in far off days, so many towns on the bank of the Kherkeh that a cock
could fly from Shush to Ahwaz from roof to roof without setting foot on the
ground—but they say so many things.
I should like to record here the very great value in dealing with Luristan
of the policy of the closed door or what may he termed a double blockade
If the gates of Bizful and Khurramabad are definitely shut to the Lur tribes,
they must inevitably submit. They are dependent for so many of the minor
luxuries that*have, by process of time and a bastard civilisation, come to be
reckoned as necessities, on towns. The only towns to which the Lur tribes
to which I am referring, havkiW access are Dizful and Khurramabad. The
closing of the gates of Dizlul has an instantaneous effect in the winter and
spring, an effect that would be rendered doubly marked if the Khurramabad
gates were simultaneously closed. The pacification of these tribes and their
early submission could, I feel confident, be brought about with a minimum
of expense and in the space of a few months by the establishment of a firm
government at Khurramabad. Merchants of that town whom I have had the
opportunity of meeting, are most insistent in their requests for the appointment
of a Political Ollicer at Khurramabad. Indeed, it would be no bad policy
for the Assistant Political Officer Dizful to make Khurramabad his summer
station. Dizful area is shortly after Nau Hoz entirely freed from the presence
of migratory tribes and could, if necessary, be supervised from Ahwaz, a compe
tent Head Mirza being of course retained there permanently. This is pre-sup-
posing the additional presence at Shush of British Officer-in-Charge of the Levies.
Saifullah Khan, one of our subsidised chiefs, was indiscreet enough to fire
a revolver at his cousin Ghulam Heza Khan another subsidised chief, and was
also indiscreet enough to miss him. This at a tea party. His somewhat naive
excuse that he really aimed at some one else proved unavailing, and he was
sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Folice. —I cannot sufficiently commend the present chief of the Dizful
Police, Mirza Hassan. A man of humble beginnings, he has by sterling
worth brought himself to the fore. The Police are efficient to a remarkable
degree, and it is a pleasure to record that there has been but one case of
theft during the year under report, and the thieves were at once arrested and
the property recovered. The murderer of Hajo Ghafur was apprehended by
Mirza Hassan himself at considerable personal ^isk. The " Jarchi Milliat
however, accuses Mirza Hassan of the actual'crime. The Shushtar Police
are efficient but cannot compare with the Dizful force, and were it not for the
energy and perseverance displayed by Mirza Ali, the Head Mirza there, their
discipline would become lax in a very short time. The Shushtar head of
Police lacks the vigour and initiative of Mirza Hassan.
Bevenue. —Arabistau has suffered severely in the past from corrupt
revenue officials, the corruption starting from the top and working downwards
throughout the entire ^taff. Shortly after assuming charge of Dizful, it become
very apparent to mo that revenue collections, made entirely by virtue of the
presence in th^ place of a Political Officer, were not reaching their correct