Coll 28/111(2) ‘Persia. Kermanshah – Political Diaries.’ [‎5r] (9/150)

in the Kermanshah area sent telegrams tq> the hnah, tne Majlis
and the Prime Minister affirming their loyalty and readiness
to fight if required in view of the events in Azerbaijan (cuf,
paragraph S above)
13. The situation in tne MALHUH (or hAVAiiDPUR) tribe
j^s complicated by the dismissal of iuiUSRU’ QUJAVIAJ from the post
Governor of ShiJrlABAi) (c.f. para 4 above). He had just' succ
eeded in coming to terms with his tribal rivals, the a^'ZaMIS,
(c.f. December uiary par 10) and by establishing friendly
relations with neighbouring tribes had built up a position
which contributed materially to the secutity of the area south
west of Hermanshah and on the main road from Hermanshah to
Qasr-i-Shirin. While his appointment to Shahabad in the first
place was a mistake on the part of the Tehran Government, his
revocation after fi#e months' tenure of the post was an even
greater mistake. Khusru Khan came to Kermanshah on January 6th
on his way to Tehran but his departure called forth loud com
plaints from the tribal headmen, in deference to which he re
turned to Shahabad. The headmen en began telling' the author
ities at Kermanshah and Tehran i no uncertain terms that they
did not intend to accept the new Governor and if he came out
to Shahabad it would be at his own risk and peril and they
would not be responsible for the consequences. As a result of
this opposistion the new Governor had not ventured to proceed
to his post from Kermanshah when the month ended.
14. In the SIHJiiSI tribe the case against the ex-Bakhsh-
dar, Kerim Khan Barkhurdari, for alleged sale of Government
rifles still drags on in the Military Court and the Governor-
General, despairing of finding a really good candidate for the
po,st, has decided,-not without consulting H.M. Consulate, to
appoint KHaH BA^iiTlArt, who, until recently'’* was
exiled at the request of the British authorities. His record,
however, is by no means a bad one, and there is a chance that,
being a man of property, he may not fleece the tribesmen to
the same extent as did Kerim Khan barkhurdari while at the same
time he is definitely far less dangerous to peace and security
than t£e only other possible candidate, AbGhij^ KHAN SIKJaHI-,
who has been intriguing as hard as he possibly sran ever since
he was permitted to return to Kermanshah*
15. In southern Kurdistan the situation was quiet.
MAHMUD KHAN KANI SANANI, who had made his submission and been
sent to Tehran, died of pneumonia in hospital there. The Kurds
were at first disposed to regard this as another Persian trick
but later it was established even to their satisfaction that
his death really was due to natural causes, and their confid
ence in Brigadier HUMAYUNI was restored, Mahmud Khan’s son,
MUHAMMAD HAIDARI, who is in SAN. ,.AJ, has asked to be granted
his late father’s rank of Colone. in the Persian Gendarmerie
but has been told that he is on probation at present, his
promises of good behaviour and service to the Persian Govern-
•ment having not yet reached the stage of performance. If he
carries them out, he may hope to be rewarded with his father’s
rank* One hundred and fifty rifles have been surrendered by
the Kani Sananis but they still hold some. In REZAB HASSAN
KHaN REZiiBI has not yet actually come in to Sanandaj but he
has returned from ’Iraq and is at present living in, one of
his villages, while a Persian Colonel with a few men is
stationed in REZAB. Hassan Khan’s son, MUZZAEFAK is in
Sanandaj, however, and General HUHAYUNI has reason to feel
satisfied on the whole with the situation in the aUrOmaN
TAKHT tnough he does not entirely exclude the possibility of
troubles tfciere in the spring.
/16, In the