'Report on Sistan and the Country Between It and Mashad' [‎10v] (25/118)

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Next morning the acting Governor^ Naib Abdurrahman Khan, called
on me.
He is a rather tall and thin man, of perhaps 50 years of age, agreeable-
looking, and apparently very anxious to please, but a man of little
authority.
Both at Birjand and here I noticed that the chief is everybody and the
rest nowhere. He brought the pillars of the state with him. They consisted
of a yawar (captain) called Mir Ali Beg and a munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. .
I showed him the Amin-es-Sultan's letter, which evidently impressed
him, and told him I had come to see Ali Akbar Khan, and was also going to
enquire about the possibility of opening up a post route between Meshed and
Quetta, which might also prove of assistance to caravans plying between
Sistan and India.
I did not say anything about the gholam until next day, when I returned
his call and secured a private interview. He then told me the gholam
had accused me of having taken some important letters which were intended
for himself,— that is, Abdurrahman Khan,—and had invented some other
lies about me.
I told him the facts of tbe case and gave him a slip of paper which 1
had taken from the gholam before dismissing him. It contained the usual
order to kadkhudas of villages to give me supplies, mentioning my name.
I then demanded the gholam’s dismissal and asked for another, which he
granted me.
I could see he was anxious to do what he could, but he was afraid of
offending the Amir of Birjand, as he is himself a Birjandi and keeps his
family there.
He told me that Ali Akbar Khan was secretly at enmity with his
brother, and I explained to him that all this hostility had emanated either
from the Sahib Diwan, Governor of Mashad, or from Ismail Khan, and that
Russian intrigue was at the bottom of it, for they were jealous of our develop
ing trade-routes and thus curtailing their own profits.
I P’ave him a silver watch before leaving, and he was delighted.
This did some good, and I got rid of the gholam, but he remained in
Nasirabad all the time I was in Sistan, and, acting no doubt under the in
structions of the Birjand chief, was instrumental in procuring an order to
all the kadkhudas of villages not to give me any information.
The result was that I was regarded everywhere with great suspicion,
though always treated politely.
I remained in Sistan proper a little over three weeks, working from
north round by east and south to west, and then, returning to Sihkuha, tra
velled round the God-i-Zirreh to investigate the projected post route, about
which I have already sent in a report.
On my return I had intended to explore the Palang Kuh range and the
country west of it in accordance with the general instructions given by Mr.
Elias, and then to visit Ali Akbar Khan at Tabas on my return journey to
Mashad. But on returning to Sihkuha I ascertained that Ali Akbar Khan
had been ordered back to Sistan, and that he was leaving very shortly and
w puld stay some time in Birjand on his w^y.