Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎387v] (779/1028)

10. The approach of Muharram brought a lull in the struggle both girl,
having agreed to a truce for the period of the mourning observances.* After
truce, the military authorities succeeded in reopening the Isfahan roa’d about th 6
end of June ; and to introduce disunion among the Qashqais an amnesty w 6
proclaimed to all who would cease resistance. Very few Khans accepted "V
offer, but under cover of the amnesty some envoys came in to negotiate T] *
Persian Government unable to overcome the Qashqais by force of arms decided
to make s.ome concessions. They released the Saulat-ud-Dauleh. from his
dungeon in Tehran and sent him to Shiraz by aeroplane on July 10th. He went
out to Ardakan two days later to interview the Khans. The same day a force
of 1,200 men left to reopen the Bushire road, accompanied by 300 Road-Guards
to hold the posts on the road and 200 workmen to repair the bridges, etc., wrecked
by the rebels. This party was not opposed. The road was open all’the wav Pro™
Shiraz to Bushire by the end of July.
11. There is no doubt that the Persian Government’s, decision to make terms
with the Qashqais was hastened by the Bakhtiari rising which broke out in the
middle of July and which found the Isfahan province almost denuded of troops
Sartip Shahbakhti left Shiraz with a large body of reinforcements on July 17tli
to take part in the Bakhtiari campaign. He did not return to Shiraz. Early in
1930 he was replaced as Officer Commanding the Ears Independent Brigade by
Sartip ’Ali Shah Khan, formerly C. C. troops in Kerman. The Sartip has little
power, howeveiy while the Amir Lashkar Shaibani remains in the province with
full pow r ers, military and civil, over all the south.
12. After the recall and disgrace of H. H. Prince Akbar Mirza Mas’ml
(Sarim-ud-Dauleh) no new Governor-General of Ears was appointed. For a
time Ghulam Ali Khan Arbabi, Director of Posts and Telegraphs, was Actum
Governor-General. He was recalled to Tehran on July 9th. Mahmud Khan
Ghaffari was then sent down from Tehran as Assistant Governor General while
the Amir Lashkar exercised all the powers and functions of the Governor-
General (drawing the salary included). Neither Habibullah Khan Shaibani nor
Mahmud Khan Ghaffari had any direct relations with the Acting Consul or
members of the British community during 1929 or the first two months of 1930
They doubtless kept in mind the troubles which had befallen Sarim-ud-Dauleh on
account of his alleged friendliness with the English.
13. With the release of Saulat-ud-Dauleh, a policy of u laissez faire ” was
inaugurated as between the Government and the Qashqais. No peace wms made,
no settlement wms negotiated. The fighting gradually stopped as the more
bellicose Khans came under the Saulat’s influence or realised that there was
nothing to be gained by continuing. Also the Qashqais had exhausted their
reserve of ammunition. The Saulat, though not appointed llkhani, exercised all
! w P Vl erS ° f the R ldiam -. He 1 Or o ams ed the southward migration, which passed
1 110 ,T U k th ? n I ? lmor b reac h es °f the peace. He also arranged for the
o ec ion o j. . io Qashqais taxes, and a Persian Finance Official accompanied the
tribes to their winter quarters and collected the revenue under the Saulat’s eve,
exactlons and extortions wiiich had antagonised the Qashqais
under the military governorship of Sultan Abbas Khan. At the end of the
G1 ieVleW j m ^ arc ^ 1930, the Qashqais were quiet and peaceful
*• ’ J( k! e ’ nor ^ le F have any idea of fighting this summer unless the
n,nr,-/" 1 'w / <n 1 ll J iei1 ^ attempts to carry out its declared intention of disarming
‘ n Qf? os s o m any young children and so much live stock last year,
A j \ y, ' 10Sii sections which had to stay in the ‘ ‘ garmsir ” (hot country) all
ytmV'V 16 • Sllra ^T ’ wa nt time to recuperate before beginning the
struggle again. Also they are still short of ammunition.
ai ^ Qashqai troubles being settled, Ears'w T as at peace
1n CX(: J lor t ie depredations of the Boir Ahmadi tribe, which plundered
i- f • c f v0( <l '( a J aheld as the Baiza district north-west of Shiraz and the Semiran
{ we f 0 l Q limi s h eh. They even crossed the Shiraz-Isfahan road near
W n ail T d ro . } i be , d vdla &es in the west of the Yezd district. Their merciless
f horrified even their erstwhile allies the Qashqais. The Government
had not been able to punish them at the end of the year.
abso Ihere wus fighting, after the main trouble had
worn, v- the i regl i° n i ° f Boraz i l ' n and Ahmadi, but this was faction fighting bet-
f o ? ca olcments rather than revolt against the Government. Ghazan-
rXXtbWlrX ui ° f Borazjun, one of the chief disturbers of the peace,
c ‘ d >c vd ed 011 Bie 27th February, since which date the district has been