‘REPORT ON THE MISSION TO SEISTAN, 1897’ [‎27r] (58/134)

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murder of one Darwesh Khan near Tabas; taking the first case to be the same as the other till
lately, the beggar’s death had been quite lost sight of.
It now comes to hand the Darwesh (beggar) case is altogether different and the following
is a brief account of particulars :—
Some 2 ^ years ago a Darwesh came to Birjand, declaring himself to be a newly converted
Moslem and told the people he was an Armenian Christian convert, and that as the people of
Yazd would not allow him to preach conversion there, he left Yazd and had come to Ghain to
permanently establish himself in Birjand if permitted to do so.
The Shaukat-ul-Mulk, Governor of Birjand, it is reported, treated him very kindly, and
the Birjand people collected a subscription of some 2,000 Krans and gave it to him.
For three mouths he lived at Birjand and then suddenly disappeared.
During his stay it is said he had been over every inch of Ghain and Neh country, and in
March last when on his way back from Neh he was murdered, and the records, etc., found on
him were brought to Hyder Kuli Khan, Governor of Neh.
It is now said that the supposed Armenian convert was none other than a Russian spy,
and that since his murder the Russian officials have, while working secretly, not left a stone
unturned to get to the bottom of the murder. In March, on hearing of the murder, the Birjandi
people all suspected that the deceased might be the same new Moslem convert.
In April a disguised Russian official actively but quietly prosecuted his search in Neh and
Birjand, and has now reported the murder to have been perpetrated at the hands of Hyder
Kuli Khan, the Governor, who has been charged with the affair, and being summoned to
Tehran had left Neh for there on 26th July. The records, letters, etc., found on deceased
were also called for, but it is reported they are not forthcoming.
(2) A few days ago a messenger from Zil-es-Sultan on his way to Tehran was arrested-
He bad in his possession documents of a compromising nature from Zil-es-Sultan to an address
in Tehran disclosing a plot to assassinate the Shah his brother.
Zil-es-Sultan has, it is further reported, been summoned with all his family to the capital.
(3) Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Rukun-ul-Daula, the newly appointed Governor of Khorassan and Seistan, is
reported to have died on his way to Meshed a few days ago.
(!•) On authoritative testimony it has come to my notice that the Russians have sanc
tioned 5,000 tumans (Rs. 18,750) to build a pucca 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. at Birjand.
(5) Mirza Haji Mahomed Khan, Russian news- writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , Birjand, who had gone to Meshed,
has not returned up to date.
( 6 ) The Russian weekly Mail from Seistan left on the 18th instant, this time not by
ordinary runner, but by special messeuger, with directions not to post at Birjand, but to pro
ceed with urgent despatch to Meshed.
(7) There are seven entertained employes for the carriage of the Russian dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. from here.
I can only attribute the foregoing urgency of despatch to the following, as in other
respects things are quiet here now.
( 8 ) Haji Muhammad, who was referred to in a previous letter, dated 20th May, as having
gone to India vid Seistan and Robat, is on his way back, and last week wrote a letter from Mir
Jawa (three stages from Robat east) to one Gbolam Khan in Siadak, warning him to be pre
pared to accompany him (the Haji) to Meshed on his arrival.
(9) Disputes about the water rights have arisen on the Perso-Afghan frontier. Since
the Helmand has changed its bed to that now called the Rud-i-Parun (abrupt-How), there
remained but very little water in the old Helmand bed.
The people on the west, i.e., Persians, having cut several irrigation feeders from the main
canal, as also did the Afghans on the east bank, and the actual amount of water being as above
shown considerably diminished, some of the Afghan feeders became useless and supplied no
water. Dost Muhammad Khan of Karko Shah had excavated a channel {vide copy of letter
of the Lady Ali Akbar forwarded to you) opposite that of Afghan channel which step—as per
letter quoted — was tacitly agreed to by Afghans, but at first objected to.
Accordingly the rabi season as far as crops were concerned passed off quietly, there being
sufficient water then (March) in the river for all parties.
Now with the fall in the river the kharif crop of the Afghan naturally suffered, and they
stopped Dost Muhammad’s channel, which the latter and his followers very naturally resented.
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. Khan Jahan whose property abuts on the spot now under dispute being unable to
conciliate matters, Akhundzada, Governor of Kang (Afghan), with 200 troops arrived^on the
scene and is in camp on the frontier to square matteis, so as not to have the next 3® ar ® ra ‘ n
crop a failure. Two other Sardars from here proceeded to the trontier yesterday, each with an
escort to arrange a settlement amicably, if possible.
I fancy the Russian news- writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. now has sent off an exaggerated report on Seistan-Afghan
frontier troubles, hence urgency of despatch.
(10) A movement is now on foot by Russians for establishing themselves further south
to get the Governor of Birjand into trouble.