'Military Report of the Nushki-Chagai-Western Sinjarani Country' [‎95v] (195/302)

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and die larger portion at any rate of the date groves of Dehgwar, viz,
Ladgasht, Kalag, Askan, etc.
Formerly, the Rekis possessed the whole of the date groves alon<* the
foot of the Koh-i-Safed and their territories extended doubtless as far up
as Tahlab, but for some generations the Damanis have owned the more
northerly of the date groves, Gaza, Maksotag, Kindi, and Gorani. As, how
ever, the Rekis and Damanis are continually fighting, it is as well not to
accept any statement of their northern border as definite.
Galugah, a ruined fort, which was being rebuilt in 1883 by Azim
Khan, son of the late Azad Khan, is the principal stronghold in Mashkel
and lies to the north-west of the centre of this district.
There are numerous wells in the district of slightly brackish water, and
in the neighbourhood water is always procurable at a depth of 6 feet. The
population consists of about five hundred families, comprising one thousand
and five hundred adults.
The following is taken almost verbatim from a Memorandum by Dr. 0 .
T. Duke, who was sent in January 1884, to inspect this tract of country
and to report on the exact state of affairs, especially wdth regard to the
ownership of this district, as it was believed that the Persians were putting
forward claims to Mashkel with a view to encroaching on Kharan
territory : —
The boundaries of this district correspond generally with those of the Reki tribe * * * * In
addition to Mashkel the Rekis own two villages in Jalk and numerous sections of them are stated
to be scatter! d over lower Pei sia Indeed, the segregation of tribes in this part of the world is a
very difficult matter; the shepherds recognize no limits ; they wander wherever grass is to be
found for their flocks ; one day they are in recognized Persian territory, the next day they are
beyond it. As far as 1 could make out, the government of these districts is still of the crudest
f.rm. On the Persian side the chiefs who have been put down by Ibrahim, Governor of Bam-
pur (since dead), fret under his rrstraint and are intriguing on all sides against one another,
their neighbours and their Governors and occasionally fighting on their own account just as
their fathers did centuries ago.
They understand nothing ot l-npe-ial interests or a homogeneous Persian empire. To them
the Persian Government is Kajar and alien, and they are not Kajars ; their politics are confined
to the ascertainment as to which of their neighbours has the weakest side, or the most open
hand; that hi. is the case can, 1 think, he suihci-mtly made plain by the following account of
the Rekis and of what has passed in Mashkel of late.
The Rekis are stated to be a tribe of Rakhshani Baluch, and the present c'an has from
ancient days lived in Mashkel and Uehgwar. They have never paid tribute to any one, but
have from many generations yielded military service to the Naosherwanis. From Kadi
Shah’s sanad it would seem that in his days toeir forces formed part of the Jalk contingent.
Be this as it may. there can be no doubt that during his long lifetime they have been subject
in a military seme to Azad Khan of Kharan, who has, therefore, been paramount in Mashkel.
The frontier between Mashkel and Persia was defined by the Boundary
Commission under Colonel Sir T. H. Holdich in 1896; the greater part
of Mashkel exclusive of Jalk and some date-groves is now included in
British Baluchistan.
MASHKEL OR DEHGWAR.—Lat 27 0 55'; Long. 62° 55' ; Elev.
Is a very remarkable strip of date palm groves, which, with intervals,
fringe the southern shore of the Hamun-i-Mashkel for about 30 miles.
Water is close to the surface and good, but the soil in parts is extremely
poor. 1 he principal places in this basin are Ladgasht, the residence of
Mirkia, the Reki Chief of Mashkel, Maksotag, Gaza, Gorani, and Kindi.
1 he produce of^these palm groves is given by the Reki {q. v.) inhabitants
to several of the tribes of Sarhad, each of whom in return undertakes to
furnish its contingent of fighting-men whenever necessity arises . (Tate.)