File 2297/1919 ‘Persian Gulf Residency Monthly Reports. 1912-20.’ [‎103r] (210/1044)

CONFIDENTIAL.
Confidential Summary of News of
Gulf for
His Majesty’s Political 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. in the Persian
the month of May 1918.
PERSIA.
Mohammerah.
Nasmllah Khan, Boir Ahmadi, arrived from Bushire on the 8th, as the guest
of Shaikh Khazal. On the 14th they visited Basrah, and two days later Nasrullah
returned to Bushire.
Ispahan.
The latest diaries reeeivd show a lamentable condition of famine and lawless
ness in the town and province. “ Between thirty and forty corpses are found in
the bazars (of Ispahan) every morning ” and “ it is not possible to walk through
the principal streets without seeing the corpses of people who have sunk down and
died from starvation and exhaustion. ” From Kashan more than one case has
been reported in which children have been killed for food, and there are said to be
450 deaths there daily.
This state of things is largely due to systematic closing of the roads by robbers,
among whom Riza Juzdani continues to be one of the most conspicuous ruffians.
Towards the end of April he was driven into the Bakhtiari country by a Cossack
force under Colonel Khabaroff which went out to open the Faraidan road, but any
good which may result from this is not yet apparent. His Britannic Majesty’s
Consul-General however succeeded in obtaining orders from the Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. and Illbegi
directing the Bakhtiari Khans to deal with him, which they may possibly be more
likely to do since he has been plundering Bakhtiari villages.
It is characteristic of Persian patriotism that the acting Governor, Muwaffaq-
ed-Dowleh, has been conducting an agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for the receipt and distribution of
Juzdani’s loot by night to the members of a select syndicate in Ispahan, which
included Prince I’tizad-es-Sultaneh. A Jew who was acting as intermediary has
been arrested at the instance of His Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General.
Tehran has appointed Samsam-es-Sultaneh as the new Governor-General,
and he despatched his son Murtaza Quli Khan, Bakhtiari, to act as deputy. The
latter arrived at Qum on April 27th.
Shiraz.
During the month the growing opposition to the South Persia Rifles developed
into open and organised hostility. In April the forcible diversion of local transport
for the use of South Persia Rifles reinforcements from Bandar Abbas, and the
prompt execution of several South Persia Rifles deserters, particularly that of an
offRer and five men at Ispahan— outside the sphere of action of the Fars Brigade-
had caused an irritation which was easily exacerbated by active democratic influence
from the capital, no doubt assisted and largely inspired by German agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .
In the scond week m May Colonel Grant conducted a punitive expedition
against the Niriz tribesmen, who had been raiding caravans, and inflicted heavy
casualties on them. About the same time the Darashun Qashqai came into
conflict with the South Persia Rifles in the neighbourhood of Khan i-Zenian, which
was soon afterwards closely invested. On May 22nd Soulat openly declared war on
the South Persia Rifles and Indian troops_ with them. He was attacked three
days later by a column from Shiraz,’ and driven . back to Khaneh Khabis with
considerable loss ; but on the same day Khan-i-Zenian was treacherously surrendered
by its garrison, who murdered the officer in command, Captain Will, and a British
sergeant.
In the meantime desertions from the South Persia Rifles continued, and it
became more than ever evident that most of them were quite untrustworthy By
the end of the month the headquarters staff and a considerable force oi South Persia