"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٨‎٨] (٣٩٦/١٨٢)

"FOU 1BE YEAR 1917.
took the side of Mubammad Khan, but at one time Muhammad Ali Khan
attained such a measure of success that he was able, in April, to occupy Mian
Kotal, one stage from Kazarun o i the Sairaz side, and offer it to Sir Percy
Sykes for occupation by the South Persia Rifles, an offer which was not
accepted. However, by the end of June, Nasir-i-Diwan was in possession of
Muhammad Ali Khan's own village of Shahpur, and by the end of the year
Soulet -ed-Dowleh, having dismissed Muhammad Ali Khan from the post of
Kalantar, had pursued the recalcitrant Kashguli, into Kuhgeiu limits. Heat
the same time asserted his authority over the whole section by imprisoning
Muhammad Khan, so that the ambitious of both these chiefs were in abeyance
at the end of the year.
The lower sections of the road were similarly in dispute between the
Kalantars of Khisht (pro-British), :\ ur Muhammad Khan of Daliki (originally
anti -British, but subsequently somewhat chastened), and the rival leagues of
Tangistan on the one side and the Hayat Daud confederacy on the other. Tne
principal event of the year was the expulsion of Nur Muhammad Khan from
the Konar Takhteh plain, and the occupation of the top of the Kotal-i-Mallu
(the nearest of the kotals to Bushire) by a loyal Kadkhuda of Konar Takhteh.
This was followed by a serious quarrel between Daliki and Borasjun, as a
result of which Nur Muhammad Khan began, in September, to divert traffic
to the Shabankareh-Shif route, and finally entered into a comprehensive agree
ment with the Khans of Shabankareh and Angali to oppose the Tangistan
league in every way, and protect trade on the Shif-Daliki streich. This was
a serious blow to the rebel confederates.
In the coastal plain itself, intermittent hostilities continued between
Shaikh Hussain of Chahkutah, supported by Zair Khidhar, and to a less degree
by Ghazanfar-es-Sultaneh, and Ahmad Khan of An^ali, without any decisive
result. There was similar indecisive fighting between Ghazanfar and Shaban-
kareh. Zair Khidar also had his own troubles, being attacked by a combina
tion of Tangistan headmen during May and June.
In spite of all these difficulties, trade continued to find its way, often by
devious paths, and exposed to ever-increasing exactions, between Bushire and
Shiraz, and in spite of the general distress caused by a bad harvest and high
prices for necessaries, clearances of goods showed a steady increase over the
figures for the previous year. An amusing instance of Satan rebuking sin was
a circular letter from Nasir-i-Diwan to the rebel Kuans threatening them with
his h )stility if they did not moderate their exactions on the muleteers.
Wassmuss continued to make Ahram his headquarters, and did not leave
it except for a short visit to Ahmadi, in
German activities March, and a move to Khawiz during the
heat of the summer. He was joined, in April, by Dettmar, Oertel, and
Eruggmann, who appear to have received hospitality from'Soulet, and to have
been sent by him to Ahram via Khurmuj, the residence of Jamal Khan of
Dashti. Dettmar, however, died of fever at Khawiz, in August, and, on the
18th September, Jiruggmann was arrested close to Bushire Town, while attempt
ing to escape from the country.
The force made steady progress throughout the year, confining its activities
mainly to drill and organisation for the
South Persia Rifles. Persian element and to the establishment
of law and order by the Indian troops attached on the Bandar Abbas -Kerman,
Bandar Abbas-Shiraz, and Shiraz-Tspahan road?, in the latter case as far as the
Pars boundary. The Bushire road was held over for future treatment. ^ A
number of criminal sections of the Khamseh tribes were successfully dealt with.
The situation in this quarter was normal; there was continuous dis
order in and about Behbehan throughout
Behbehan and Kuhgdu. the year, except for a short period between
March 24ith and May 2nd, when two of the younger Bakhtiari Khans made a
short and predatory sojourn in the town. This year the Khans deputed were
Salar Akram, son of Sardar Zafar, and Salar Bahadur, son of Sardar Muhta-
sham, then Ilkhani. Tneir visit was not lucrative, very few of the Kuhgcdu
Khans obeying their summons. One exception was Abdullah Khan Onuram,
"who was detained until he paid Tomans 4,000 ; an example which did not