"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٩‎٥] (٣٩٦/١٩٧)

ANNUAL EEPORT OF THE PERSIAN GTJLE POLITICAL RESIDENCY
bGGn commuted a.t low arbitrary rates fixed separately for each estate or grout)
of holdings by special firman. Of late the Persian Government have been
insisting on universal commutation at current market rates, an innovatioii
which would cause much hardship and which His Majesty's Consul and
Kurdistani, successfully for the time being, opposed. Another important
matter was the farming of the opium revenue by the Persian Government to
a .Russian protege called Tomaniantz This involved not only the very serious
loss to the Kerman Eevenue Department of the opium taxes, but the possibil
ity of extensive Eussian interference in the affairs of ^ the province. Bis
Majesty's Consul made representations to His Majesty's Minister on the subject
with the result that tne Persian Government excluded the provinces of South
Persia from the contract with Tomaniantz.
Subsequently the Tomaniantz contract was annulled for the whole of
Persia and a new system inaugurated whereby the collection and handling of
opium revenue in all Provinces were taken out of the hands of the local
Einancial Departments and entrusted to a Central Opium Department. The
Tehran Government hope thereby to secure for themselves a larger propor
tion of the provincial opium revenues than reached them under the old system.
In Kerman province, for example, this source of revenue is worth from 300,000
to 400,000 Tomans, but only some 7,000 or 8,000 Tomans 0£ this reached Tehran
during the last financial year.
The co-operation of His Majesty's Consul with Kurdistani in Eevenue
affairs, instead of eliciting the gratitude of the Persian Government, appears to
have provided the anti-British elements at Tehran with an additional grievance.
On 14ith July the Ministry of Finance issued an order, addressed to the Sistan
Finance Office but obviously aimed at Kerman, warning provincial innancial
Agents against all direct official communication with representatives of foreign
powers. Shaikh-ul-Mulk kept these orders dark till 18th October, just after
the departure of Major Lorimer, when he sent a copy of them to His Majesty's
Vice-Consul. When, again, Mirza Habibullah Khan arrived from Tehran,
in November, to take the place of Shaikh-ul-Mulk as Financial Agent, he lost
no time in hinting to His Majesty's Vice-Consul that he had instructions from
Tehran to have as little to do with His Majesty's Consulate as possible. To this
His Majesty's Vice-Consul has no objection, as he is convinced that without a
definitely recognized share in the financial administration of the province,
His Majesty's Consulate can do little or no good by iiueriering in the working
of what is at present a hopelessly anomalous and unpractical system.
Kamal-us-Sultan held the office of Kar^uzai throughout the year. Though
Karguzar. week, feather-headed ard inconsequent
to a degree, he has on the whole done hii
best to retain the goodwill of His Majesty's Consulate. The permanent
element in the Karguzari is the Assistant, Mirza Habibullah Kban, a quiet,
elderly man of some ability and considerable local knowledge and experience,
who undoubtedly exercises a steadying influence on Kamal-us-Sultan. His
Majesty s Consul had little fault to find throughout the year with the conduct
by the Karguzar of the numerous cases referred to him. On two or three occasions
indeed when the dismissal of the Kargnzar was mooted. His Majesty's Consul
strongly opposed it, expressing satisfaction with Kamal-us-Sultan and depre
cation of a change, lest worse might befal.
In the autumn, like most of the other Kerman officials, the Karguzar
showed^ signs ol bending before the Democratic blast, and his attitude became
less satisfactory.^ While socially and in private correspondence more friendly
than ever, officially^ he began to give His Majestv's Vice -Consul trouble in
various matters; while he sent to the Persian Government several telegrams
unfavourable to the South Persia Eifles and in other ways tried to acquire
merit with the Democrats. This attitude was, however, largely the result of
pressure from Tehran, especially in the question of the status of the Sooth
Persia Eifles {vide below).
. an( ^ a ? a ^ n i 11 December the Karguzar was severel y taken to
tasK by the Minister for Foreign Affairs for not reporting British "activities
and aggressions," for giving information to His Majesty's Consulate regardiog
Oemocrat affairs and for not being sufficiently " impartial." At the same tiisc