"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٦‎٧] (٣٩٦/١٤٠)

FOR THE YEAR 1916.
55
With the adrent of summer conditions the despatch of sheep to the Tigris
line necessarily came to an end (7,287 sheep were sent from Arabistan to
Amarah). Anarchy at Shushtar and Dizful was steadily on the increase and
it became apparent that something would have to be done if it was intended
to tap the district for supplies next winter. On July 2Sth Mr. E. B. Soane,
who had been up to now Assistant Political Officer at Shush, moved across to
Pizful and in a very short space of time assumed the complete administrative
control of the town and the surrounding country.
At Shushtar the Governor, Ain-ul-Mulk, who had been in office since July,
found himself quite incapable of coping with the notables of the town. On
December l^th Captain Edmonds moved up to Shushtar as Assistant Political
Officer and succeeded in getting the local situation well in hand without much
difficulty. The removal of the leading bad character, Bahir Khan, to Basrah
contributed largely towards the introduction of a much healthier element into
the local situation. The improvement in the general situation in North
Arabistan was not, however, complete without some fighting taking place. The
general results were that the leadership of the Sagwand tribe passed entirely
into the hands of our nominee Sartip Khan. The Arab Shaikhs Haider Ghafil,
Furaiyeh i Faisal and Haider Talayil who had looted Shaikh Farhan, were
badly worsted, and their tribes given to Shaikhs Khuraibit, Finian Sabon and
Fulayeh, respectively —
At various' other times the following changes were made in the Shaikh-
ship's of the tribes :—
Shaikh Mackenzie vice his father Mushatat of the Surkheh.
Shaikh Muzail vice Mola of the Chaab-i-T)ubais.
Saiyid-el Ahmed vice Mouzan of the Chaab.
Khazair vice Finian of the A1 Buwayir.
At the beginning of the year the Khans had just arrived at Malamir
accompanied by Dr Young Sardar
Bakbtiari - Muhtasham, llkhani and Amir Mujahid
Ilbegi were still friendly, but the first signs of dissension were already
apparent.
The question of the Bakhtiari agreement, which had been for some time
simmering, now began to take definite shape. In the first week of February
Mr Grabame, accompanied by Dr. Young, proceeded to Ramuz to enter into
specific negotiations with the Khans.
Eamuz, which had been sedulously cultivated by German agents, proved
a hot-bed of anti -British feeling. Before the party had been there a week a
popular commotion arose in the coarse of which Mr. Grahame and Dr. Young
were mobbed. The ostensible cause of this movement was the arrest at
Band-i-Qir of a Eamuzi caught distributing seditious literature to the men of
our detachment.
It was not found practicable to push on with the agreement as the political
situation in the north was so unstable that the ruling Khans were strongly
averse to taking any action which might not be ratified by their brothers
in Tehran. Under these circumstances the matter was allowed to drop till the
Khans in Tehran signed the agreement in May, when the llkhani and Ilbegi
ratified the action of their brothers.
From Bamuz the Khans left for Behbehan when they undertook desul
tory military operations against the Kuhgelus, which eventually fizzled out
over a personal scjuabble between the llkhani and the Ilbegi. The noto
rious firebrand, Saiyid Isa, was, however, captured and after some haggling
handed over; and was sent to Kuwait. In May the Khans met the Chief
Political Officer ami the Shaikh of Mohammerah at Ahwaz. .A seeming recon
ciliation was temporarily patched up between the llkhani and Ilbegi and
an agreement was come to and signed in regard to the position at Diztul and
Shushtar. The Khans agreed to recognise the authority of the Governor-General
and we in return promised our good offices in the recovery of the pay foi their
Sowars who were employed as road guards and police at both towns. It was also