'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎215r] (434/610)

No. 88. ZAFAR-US-SULTANEH. Azlzullah Mtrzd.
See No. 35.
His connection with Khalkhal began with his command of
the “faui”. He used his opportunities to acquire 1/ villages
in the Sanjabad, and 10 or 12 in the Shahrud district, which
have now met the same fate as Haji Faraj Sarraf s property
and been appropriated by the Shatranlu chiefs.
No 89. AMIR AFSHAR, Jahdn Shah Khan. (See also
history of Khamseh in Chapter I, p. 85-8.)
He claims to have been bom about 1825 but 1845 is more Perso^
probable. Son of Hasan All Khan Afshar. Has one surviving
son 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. Fatih (All Asghar Khan) of no calibre and addicted
to opium, son-in-law Muzaiyin-us-Sultan m Tehran with
whom he is on bad terms. ;
Amir Afshar lives at Karasf, 25 miles South West of Sul-
tanieh, and 40 South of Zinjan, owns about 70 villages between
Abhar and Garrus, i.e., in Southern Khamseh and surrounding
districts and is the most powerful Khan in that province. His
only rival is 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. Asad-ud-Dauleh (No. 90), the land-
owner of Northern Khamseh, who however is no match for him.
He is the chief of the branch of the Afshar tribe in Khamseh
(see Chapter VIII), but does not control the Afshars of Sa m
QaTeh or the Afshars further South in Kharagan. It is Amir
Afshar who has made his branch of the Afshar tribe well-
known and not vice, versa.
Amir Afshar is said to have intrigued with the Turks in
1915 16 sot into trouble with the Russians and fled to Baghdad,
where he was at the time of the British occupation. In March
1918 he returned to Zinjan under our auspices and was govern
or for a year, but his performances fell short of his promises of
assistance to General Dunsterville against the Turks. Since
the defeat of the Turks he has professed friendship with us, but
in 1919 was believed to be in secret correspondence with the
Jangalis. He was summoned to Tehran by Vusuq-ud-Dauleh,
with whom he was on bad terms, in the spring of 1920, but
afterwards again became Governor of Khamseb, where his
feudal power is so strong that the position of any governor is
rendered impossible. The Tehran Government is too weak
to enforce authority and the Amir’s influence is required to
coerce the lawless Turk! population and to prevent an outbreak
of anarchy as in Khalkhal.