File 2297/1919 ‘Persian Gulf Residency Monthly Reports. 1912-20.’ [‎151r] (306/1044)

CONFIDENTIAL.
litical Resii
Summary of News of 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 ths Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for the
month of January 1917.
PERSIA.
Muhammareh,
The branch of the Imperial Bank of Persia, Mnhammareh, has traded so
successfully during the past year that it is proposed to pay the local staff a bonus of
20 per cent, on the year’s salary in addition to their war allowance, and exchange at
3 • 67 krans to the rupee,
Ispahan.
No diaries have been received from Ispahan during the month as the state of
affairs on Bushire^Shiraz road has prevented any posts coming through.
Shiran
«
Situation has apparently become more or less normal again. The rebels are
contenting themselves with the possession of Kazarun and apparently are not
infesting the road nearer Shiraz. Fath-ul-Mulk was despatched, about the 18th,
with a small force to try and occupy Kazarun though the success was doubted
Price of bread has been reduced by the handsome subsidy to the bakers by Colonel
Gough, and by rains and heavy falls of snow which promise a good harvest.
Soulat remains, as always, an object of considerable suspicion. Qawam left
early in the month for his Baharlu expedition. He is believed to be at Fasa at the
time of writing. Reports have been received that Obeidullah and the German
agitators who escaped from Kerman have been displaying considerable activity
ofthe borders of the Pars and Kerman Province ; that Obeidullah is trying to raise
a force to attack the British and is financing himself by drafts on Dorab. Another
rumour states that an emissary of Obeidullah’s has been sent to the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates.
b”s is doubtful and enquiry is being made. Qawam is being pressed to arrest
these agitators.
<,„ fi i m v a Pershad who has a long history of agitation and sedition, was
by Milfewy » January. H,
anticipated the sentenpe by poisoning himself on January 21st. .
Salim Khaia who has given a lot of assistance to German agitators at Shiraz,
who is also self-styled Turkish Consul there and whose fathep was Turkish Consu a
Lingah, is now a prisoner of the Persian Govern .
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Sykes is proposing to recruit Bakhtmns for the
South Persia Rifles. It is thought that they will provide ^better type of gendarme
tCn the P^sent troops who seem to have a large sprinkling of democratic and
disloyal elements amongst them.
The obvious danger of “.^“8 isJ^^tLe
“howevercanTe avoided “by “drafting the Bakhtiari recruits to Kepnan cf
elsewhere. , . ^ ,,
,. rn • TRp marl remains in the chaotip control ol the petty
Bushire-Shiraz road. in Kazarun, and for a time Kazarun
£3* K^'S^Tb.rSS'S”- i. ***. *-•« “ * k «
Coast by special weekly courier to Lmgah.
' WaS smp S s is still at Ahram and is said to be highly delighted with the Kazarui,
coup,