'Report on the Baluch-Persian Caravan Route and Nushki, Chagai and Western Sinjerani Districts' [‎5v] (10/72)

4
the head of the Badtnc, is undoubtedly the true Rakhsiia.ni 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. ; but
owing to his weak and vacillating nature, his opponents, under the leadership
of the Jamaldini Chiefs, *1am Beg and his brother Kaim Khan, have not
been slow to avail themselves of the opening thus offered to increase their
influence at his expense.
4. As to Nushki and its quarrels, I learned much last year, but it was
not until I spent several weeks investigating the origin of the disputes that
T realized how very bitter the feelings between the various Mengal and
Rakhshani factions had grown, and what very little hope of friendly adjust
ment offered.
5 . Nushki forms part of Kalat territory, and hitherto, in common with
other suh-divisions of Kalat, has been administered, or, as t will shortly have
cause to show, mal-administered, in the Khan’s name, by a Naib appointed for
the purpose. The country is truly in a most deplorable condition. Adminis
tration, in tbe proper significance of the term, there is none. While all
Baluchistan has slowly but surely been progressing, and, as in the case of
Kalat, benefiting by its proximity to British administration, Nushki has
stood still, if, indeed, it lias not gone back'wards. Almost the only occasions on
which, so far as I have been aide to ascertain, we have made any attempt to
interpose our autharity in the district have been when some internal feud has come
to a head and involved the-country in desultory fighting. On such occasions,
we appear to have satisfied ourselves by summoning the heads of the factions
concerned to Quetta, and placing their cases before jiryas, but the defect in
this procedure was that the losing party simply treated the jirgas' decisions
with contempt as soon as it got to a safe distance from Quetta. Of late years,
ever since a small punitive thana has been posted at Nushki, the force available
has been too. weak to give effect to judicial findings. Intermittent attempts
have been made by the Thanadar to act up to bis orders, but a rifle shot,' or the
threat of a loaded pistol, has warned him of the folly of attempting imposVi-
bilities. '
6 . The only other occasions of our intervention I cm trace have been
when the Zagar Mengal 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. , in whom the right to levy a tax on passing
merchandise lias been vested for many successive generations, has seen fit .to
heap such burdensome dues on merchandise bound for the Quetta market
as to threaten to extirpate all trade. This action has occasioned on our side the
entry of protests* to be forgotten almost as soon as received. The cause of pur
apathetic policy towards the district is probably to be assigned to the fact tbjat
Nushki and its Dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. form a continuation of Shorawak:, and that, as nothing
exists that can possibly be construed into a well-defined natural boundary, we
were apprehensive of identifying ourselves too closely with tbe country, lest we
should be continually embroiled with tbe Kandahar authorities in disputes
regarding the limits of the Balucb-Afghan boundary iu tbe vicinity.
7. As to the Khan, he appears to have taken hut scant interest in Nttshki.
It must he remembered that the portion of Nushki acknowledging his direct
sway is only the few hundred a res watered by the Katsar Stream, with its
ramifications, and the Dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. lands immediately in tbe vicinity.
As regards the Mengals who lived outside these limits, they have been
subjects of either Khan or Amir, as suited their purposes host; but it is worthy
of note that their leanings as shown by the reference of their disputes, is most
markedly towards Afghan rule. A recent exemplification of the same leahihg
was given us at the conclusion of last year’s Boundary Commission, when all
the leading Tomandars, though in many cases owning lands well within the
Kai at sphere of influence, weie induced to journey to Kabul anil offer their
alleirian e to the Amir, to he rewarded with kkilats and apportioned various
scab s of pay.
8 . The Khan’s Naib appears to have absented himself from Nushki
frequently. He has never attempted to consolidate bis masters rule, but
has been satisfied to view it year by year gradually slippinir from his
grasp, and his contented himself by collecting an ever dwindling
revenue. The Khan’s authority in Nushki has thus daily become more