'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎18v] (41/143)

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I,
avaricious more than cruel, and entirely selfish. He seems incapable of any
generous sentiments and one seeks in vain in his acts for any trace of compas
sion or mercy- It is only fortunate that, for the furtherance of his own
designs, he has found it convenient to exercise his redoubtable pow r ers towards
introducing peace and security into the country. 1 In pursuance of the latter
aim he exacted a demonstration of subjection from Farhan Assad of the
Ka’ab Dubais, Haidar of the Kathir, and several other Chiefs.
Tow r ards British interests the Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Mukarram did not show himself
partial, although they benefited indirectly by the re-establishment of order.
He however always masked his practical unfriendliness by clouds of hypocri
tical verbiage.
In April 1907, he was made Governor of Luristan and ’Arabistan com
bined and left the following month. His relations with the Shaikh had re
mained cordial to the last and the latter was in consequence induced to accept
responsibility for Northern ’Arabistan in his friend’s absence. The depar
ture of the Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Mukarram was hailed wuth truculent joy by the people of
Shushtar and Dizful, and the Shaikh and his subordinates, thanks to their
association with him, were by no means acceptable to the townspeople as
Governors- Khuda Karam Khan Chahar Lang and Saif-un-Nizam were
therefore put in by the Shaikh as his deputies at Shushtar and Dizful res
pectively. The arrangement was not however particularly successful. The
Shaikh made no effort forcibly to establish his authority, excusing himself on
the grounds that if he dealt with the Shushtaris according to their deserts he
would gain nothing and w^ould certainly be taken to task by the authorities in
Tehran.
The charge of Northern ’Arabistan remained in the Shaikh’s hands more
by default than by any definite arrangement until November 1908 when Haji
Saif-ud-Dauleh, brother of ’Ain-ud-Dauleh, and grandfather of the wife of
Shaikh Khaz’al, 2 arrived from Tehran. ’Arabistan on the w r hole remained
quiet, although the perennial enmity between Haidar of the Kathir Arabs and
Farhan Assad of the Bait Sa’ad culminated in hostilities, in which the
former, assisted by the Sagwand, managed to establish his superiority. It is
probable that he had the support, or at least the assent, of Shaikh Khaz’al who
had previously forbidden him to resort to arms to avenge the constant out
rages and robberies w r hich were perpetrated on his followers by the raiding
parties of Farhan. The last named chief is a standing menace to the peace
of Arabistan and it is greatly to be regretted that neither the Governor of
Shushtar under whom he nominally is, nor the Shaikh of Mohmmerali who
exercises practical control over him, has seen fit to take decisive measures to
put an end to his maleficent activities. He has caused the murder of nearly
all the principal men of the once powerful ’Anafijeh tribe and did the latter
not enjoy the powerful protection of Shaikh Khaz’al, there is little doubt that
they would have been practically exterminated.
Farhan was forced to flee and sought refuge at Gotwand. Thence he wa
induced to come and see Shaikh Khaz’al, and was allotted land near Wais
but tie made off to Gotwand again and later re-established himself in Deh Nai
again. Again forced to flee he joined the Bani Turuf, whom he incited t
rebel against the Shaikh of Mohammerah. Eventually on the collapse o
Bam Turuf rebellion he again came in to Shaikh Khaz’al who with a lenienc
which undoubt^ly amounted to_ weakness permitted him to take up his abod^
at Kut Nahr Hashim with Saiyid Na’ameh. 3 He returned however to hi
H,,? ' n ’ i” , al , Kl . s P? nt 1910 intriguing with the Bakhtiari against th
A a,kh and indulging m unprovoked hostilities with the ’Anafijeh and Saiyii
Naameh. The rebellion with the Bani Turuf mentioned above commence,
in June, when the Shaikh was obliged to send a small force to deal with H
ocal representative Assad Khan. This individual fled to the Bani Turof am,
the expedition was more or less abortive. As usual the Shaikh endeavoure,
to avoid hostilities and attempt to settle the matter peaceably by the Irts o
1 Riza Qull Rhan s subsequent behaviour in 1911 In Fursfuli.r .
a Jamil-es-Saltaneh : she died early in 1909. ^ rC ° U * ^ 1S e8 *' lma te of his character,
3 This farce waa reenacted in 1911.