Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎304r] (612/1028)

CHAPTER III.
Summary of Events and Conditions in Ears during the year 1931.
This period passed unusually quietly. The tribes, even if not all perhaps
subdued in spirit, lacked leaders and also ammunition and the means of buying or
otherwise obtaining it. There were no serious disturbances and the central govern
ment continued to increase its hold on the province. However, though the number
of troops was decreased and though the post of Governor General was once again
given to a civilian, the main administrative power outside the principal towns re
mained with the army, which had not been relegated to its more normal function
of merely supporting civil authority.
2. In February the Amir Lashkar, Habibullah Shaibani, left for Tehran, being
relieved as Governor General by Muzaffar A’lam who also continued his previous
work as Governor of Bushire and the Gulf Ports. Muzafiar A’lam held the two
positions for five months and earned respect by his hard work. Regarding the
reasons given for his departure there were a number of rumours, of which the most
likely would seem to have been concerning certain disputes with the military.
Farajullah Rhan Bahrami, who had been Governor General at Isfahan for a
year, was transferred to Ears in the same capacity in August. He is also a man of
industry but the very great part of his work is connected with strictly local matters
such as municipal administration while the control of outlying districts and of the
tribes, has, as has been already stated, remained largely with the military. After
two years of an entirely military regime, the resumption of civil power cannot in
this country be other than gradual. Farajullah Khan however holds what is
still an important position and he is understood to have the ear of the Shah, having
previously worked for some time in close touch with His Majesty.
3. Amir Lashkar Habibullah Khan during the previous year had directed con
siderable operations in difficult country against the Mamassani and the Boir Ahmedi
tribes ; he had not been altogether successful and he made mistakes, but he had
increased the security of the province and the prestige of his command. Ten
months after leaving Shiraz he was, presumably owing to blunders made and jea
lousies aroused here, deprived of all military rank and imprisoned.
The command of the mixed Fars brigade passed to Sarhang Ibrahim Khan
Zandieh, a young officer appointed from Tehran. The brigade was much reduced
in numbers during the year for, as no serious operations were undertaken here, two
regiments were moved elsewhere before the summer.
A small force was sent from Shiraz in the autumn to Dashti, now outside the
province of Fars, to assist in the disarming of that neighbourhood.
4. From the tribes many of the leaders were called to Tehran where they will
probably have to stay for long, against their wills and often in actual want, under
the eye of their royal master. Registration, a necessary preliminary to conscription,
was not started nor were further steps taken about enforcing dress regulations out
side the towns. Disarming was carried out by a number of commissions without
great trouble but with questionable success. Military officers were placed in charge
of all the leading groups. Threats to stop all migration were not carried out.
The connection with the Qashqais of the family of Ismail Khan, Soulat-ud-
Doulah, was very much weakened. He himslf was on friendly terms with Amir
Lashkar Shaibani and early in the year assisted in the collection of arms from his
tribe but in April he was ordered to Tehran and later on practically all his family
and also many of the kalantars of the Qashqais had to follow him there. His son
was relieved of the post of Il-Khani and a military officer, Sarhang Shakir Khan
Tabatabai, was appointed in his place but only joined the tribes at the end of the
year.
The Boir Ahmedi and Mamassani districts were occupied by military posts and
these tribes were increasingly divided up into small sections. Sartip Khan went
to Tehran, and Mir Ghulam, the last of the important insurgent chiefs of the Boir
Ahmedi was killed in the early summer during a private quarrel. Others of the
rebels of the previous year were caught and executed at Shiraz and Behbehan.
These tribes are particularly intractable and can no doubt produce other leaders and
still possess arms but Sarhang Jehanbani, who was mainly responsible for their area,
had no serious risings to quell.