'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎667r] (1335/1386)

Royal Highness having heard that the Oroomiah frontiers were in a very disturbed
stalelddispatched an express courier to the kbal-ed-Dowleh to ascertain the real
Inclosure 3 in No. 77.
Consul-General Abbott to Mr. Thomson.
(Extract.) Tabreez, September 22, 1880.
4 . -uAm rumour prevails here tlat Hamza Aga and Sheikh Obeidullah are
ad)ancingupon U shnei with a large army; that Ahmet Aga Mammash, also a vassal
or the18 ia 1, has, with bis whole tribe, joined the Sheikh, and that the latter demands
from Lersia a cession of territory as far as the River Jaghetoo, south of Maragha. It
is also anil med that the Sheikh s army numbers 30,000 men, who are for the most part
provided with Martini rifles, but that the villages on their line of march have not been
molested, the Sheikh paying for all the supplies he requires.
The Foreign OCico Agent does not attach credence to these alarming reports, and
states that the A cli Ahd had received recent intelligence that Hamza Aga had taken
up his quarters at a village belonging to himself in the Merghever district, and that
the Sheikh had not moved from his residence at Nochea. The Agent hopes that His
Royal Highness will soon receive reliable information from Oroomiah and Souj
Boulak as to the movements and plans of Hamza Aga and the Sheikh, on the return
to Tabreez of the express courier sent to the Ikbal-ed-Dowleh.
The Azerbijan Government arc preparing a military expedition in case of emer
gency, and the Afshar General, Aga Khan, has been selected to command it; but
hitherto only a small number of irregular cavalry has been dispatched from Karada to
Souj Boulak. I also learn that four pieces of artillery are already on their way to
that province, and that troops from this town, from Maragha, and elsewhere are under
orders for the same locality.
The Ikbal-ed-Dowleh has, I understand, represented to the Veli Ahd that troops
cannot be spared from Oroomiah, and that it would not be advisable to denude so
important a frontier position of adequate means of defence against Kurdish invasion.
The above reports regarding the- hostile attitude of the Sheikh towards Persia
must of course be received with every possible reserve. I am inclined to believe that
they are much exaggerated, if not altogether unfounded; but the opinion expressed
by me in my previous correspondence regarding the necessity of counteracting the
dangerous influence acquired by the Sheikh over the Shah’s Kurdish vassals, who arc
his co-religionists, remains unchanged; and the Persian and Turkish Governments
cannot, I imagine, close their eyes to the present position of affairs, which appears to
demand the adoption of proper measures to obviate serious complications in the
future.
Since writing the above I have seen my Turkish colleague, who informs me that
the reports in circulation here regarding Sheikh Obeidullah's hostile movement
towards Persia are devoid of foundation, but that it is true that Hamza Aga, on
escaping from Souj Boulak, proceeded to Nochea, and that he is probably still with
the Sheikh. The Turkish Consul-General also said that Ahmet Aga Mammash had
recently visited the Sheikh, but had since returned to the Persian frontier, and that he
believed Sheikh Obeidullah, whose son, Abd-el-Kader, had lately been at Oroomiah, was
still on very friendly terms with the Persian Government.
Inclosure I in No. 77.
Consul-General Abbott to Mr. Thomson.
(Extract j Tabreez, September 27, 1880.
k THE Bussian Prvt des Marchands, who arrived here on the 24th instant from
Souj Boulak, states that Sheikh Obeidullah's son was at Ushnei where there was a
large gathering of Kurdish Chiefs, including Hamza Aga and 150 others from
different parts of Kurdistan, all of whom had sworn allegiance to the Sheikh.
Armenian and Russian families are reported to be leaving Souj Boulak, so as to
be out of danger in case of a Kurdish im asion.
It is difficult to believe that Sheikh Obeidullah really meditates an advance upon the