Coll 28/8 ‘Persia; Diaries; Sistan & Kain, April 1927 – 1933’ [‎116r] (242/434)

has refused to recognise him pending
instructions from Tehran.
Abdul Rauf Khan, son of Abdul
Rahman Khan, Sarkatib, arrived at
Duzdap on the 8th and proceeded to
Meshed.
Khair Muhammad Khan, son of Shah
Nawaz Khan, late Mustaufi in Herat
arrived at Duzdap on the 21st from
Meshed and proceeded to Kabul via
India.
Lawlessness.
19. On the 12th, the Sistan Con
sulate Dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. was attacked about
12 miles from Duzdap. The camel
and mail bag were stolen, as also the
camel of a Persian soldier, proceeding on
leave, who was accompanying the mail
sowar In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman. . Fortunately all important mails
had, on this occasion, been sent by the
hand of a consulate official by car, and
a few letters and passports from Duzdap
Vice-Consulate only, were in the bag.
The matter was at once reported to the
Amnieh, who appear to have taken
unusually energetic action, for about a
fortnight later the camels and the mails
were recovered from the neighbourhood
of Gunech, thirty miles from Kwash.
The thief was not captored, but was
discovered to be a member of the family
of ore Karam, son of Gulzar, of the
Baiuchzai, under Reki 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. Idu Khan.
The matter has been reported to the
General Officer Commanding.
Apart from the raids mentioned in
paragraph 18 there have been no serious
outbreaks of lawlessness. The policy of
authorising the Sistan Sardars to take
their own measures for defence, which
was initiated by Sarhang Murteza Khan,
appears to be successful and the frequent
raids on a large scale from over the
Afghan border, have apparently ceased,
although petty pilfering continues.
Communications.
20. Difficulties again arose over the
question of the railway rations at
Duzdap. The Provincial Director of
Customs, without any warning, suddenly
held up the ration train at Duzdap and
demanded payment of customs both for
the rations in the train and for two
years arrears. This official has also
previously held up a consignment of nuts
and bolts for railway use and a supply of
firewood for the pumping engine, but
these difficulties had been overcome
locally. He declined, however, to allow
the ration train to proceed and the
matter had to be referred to His
Majesty’s Legation.
Later in the month the same official
proceeded to the Exchange Post Office
and impounded the mails for His
Majesty’s Consulates in East Persia and
removed them in his private car to the
Persian Post Office. This action was
also taken without any previous notice
and in spite of the fact that the existing
arrangement, whereby bags from India
are opened in the presence of the official
deputed by him, and postal matters for
the Consulates, which is not subject to
Customs duty, is then handed to our
representative was made with his con
currence.
The matter was also referred to His
Majesty’s Legation and t’ie previous
arrangements have now been confirmed.
On the occasion cited the Registered
mails for this Consulate were received
through the Persian Post in a very
delapidated condition. The covers were
all torn and a parcel containing two maps
was damaged, the maps being torn in
half. Inner covers shewed no signs of
having been tampered with and the
contents were in-tact. The damage was
probably due to rough handling en route.
21. Movements of Foreignees.
Nil.
Movements of British Subjects.
22. Mr. and Mrs. Ward of the Mission
at Duzdap proceeded to India of the
12th.
C. K. DALY, Major,
His Majesty’s Consul for Sistan and Kain.
Sistan ;
The 6th March 1930.
Distribution :—As usual.
GIPD—1058(S) F&PD—26-3-30-13.