File 345/1908 Pt 1 'Mohammerah: situation. British assurances to Sheikh.' [‎6r] (16/416)

Morad Khan (Hayat Daoud).
Hosein Khan.
Murad Khan (killed in fight Lira vis).
Khan Ali Khan (of Hayat Daoud).
Murad Khan (of De Lam).
Haidar Khan
(Hayat Daoud),
40 years.
Hosein Quli
(of Rudhilleh),
35 years.
Mohammed Khan
(of Charusi),
38 years.
Hussein Khan (Dilam).
Allah Keram Daughter
Khan. (married Ahmed
Khan, of
Genawa).
Khan Ali Daughter
Khan. (married to
Allah Keram
Khan).
Abdul Hussan Ahmed Khan.
Khan (Genawa).
As regards the influence of Haidar Khan over the surrounding districts :—
1. Between Genawa and Dilam comes the fertile Lirawi territory under Haii
Hassan Khan who, shortly before my arrival at Bunder Rig, had picked a quarrel with
the tribes living round Zeitun under the leadership of Eimur Agha. the Ak
Ghehre and Jugatain : and during my stay news arrived of the killing of Sheikh Kazim
of the Lirawis by his opponents. Both sides were appealing to Haidar Khan to settle
the dispute. The letter of safe-conduct, which the khan gave me for the Khan of*
Lirawi (his brother-in-law) was ,distinctly of the nature of an order.
2. Ismail Khan, of Shahbancara, a large district adjoining Hayat Daoud to the
south-east also appealed to Haidar Khan to settle a quarrel which he had with the
important Kashguli branch of the Kashgai tribe. On the other hand, a few days
previously Mohammed Hassan Khan of the Kashgulis had sent twenty-five horsemen
all the way across the mountains to Bunder Rig, with a letter asking the good offices
of Haidar Khan in the same affair. (N.B.—Mohammed Hassan Kashguli had purchased
last year from the Persian Government the lease of the district of Mazara for 6,000
tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. : a certain Seyyid Jaafer of that district, late deputy for Shiraz in the Medjliss,
afterwards misrepresented to the Government that the district belonged to him, and
made over the lease to the Khan of Shahbancara in return for his help. The Kashguli
chief justly demands that either his 6,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. should be returned, or the district
handed over to him).
3. Haidar Khan is in constant correspondence with the Kashgai chiefs.
The armed force at the disposal of Haidar Khan comprises, as far as I could
ascertain, in normal times: Hayat Daoud, 1,500-2,000 tufangchis; Rudhilleh, 700
tufangchis; besides the contingents from Genawa and Lirawi, the numbers of which I
do not yet know.
Since the death of Haidar Khan’s father, sixteen years ago, the influence of the
Khan of Hayat Daoud has undoubtedly grown. The present chief is a very pleasantly-
spoken, quiet man, much liked by his tribesmen for piety and justice. In boyhood he
and his brother Mohammed Khan were retained as hostages by the then governor of
the Gulf ports, and were brought up with the 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. dragomans. Both he and his
brothers still mistrust the Persian Government so much that they will not venture out
of their territory. That, however, did not prevent him acceding to the request of the
Derya Begi in May 1909 when he dispatched over 400 armed men to Bushire to enable
him to make his expedition to Tangistan.
Relations of Haidar with British. —His relations with the 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. have been
very friendly for years, and the courageous personal assistance which he gave the
resident and His Majesty’s ship “Highflyer” in arresting pirates at Genawa in 1908
will be remembered. It seems not improbable that his policy is to gain the favour
and goodwill of the British authorities in order to consolidate his own position in time
of need. His friendship is worth cultivating. He is the owner of Kharg (Garrick)
Island. No railway passing from the direction of Arabistan towards the south to
Bushire, or behind it, could avoid passing through Hayat Daoud territory.
His Views. —Like all the other ruling khans of these parts, he seems to take a
gloomy view of the prospects of the Persian Government being able to recover any
administrative power over the outlying and tribal districts of Pars. I am not at all
sure that these khans would not be altogether displeased if this prove the case,
[2668 g— b] B 2