"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [و‎‎١‎٣‎٩] (٣٩٦/٢٨٤)

FOR THE TEAR iQlg.
43
CHAPTER VII.
administration eeport for the ahwaz vice-consulate
FOE THE YEAR 1918.
During the absence of Caftain E. W. C. Noel, C.I E., on special duty
Personnel. Captain EG. 15 . Pee], Assislant Political
Cllicer, lield charge of the current duties
of the Vice-Consul from 11th January to 1st April when he was relieved by
Captain C. J. Edmonds from Dizful. Unfortunately Captain Edmonds fell
sick on 1st May and had to be invalided and Captain Peel officiated from that
date until the end of the year.
Mr. A. J. Sequeira and Khan Sahib Mirza Muhammad Eahim continued
as Head Clerk and Head Mirza, respectively, throughout the year.
Sub-Assistant Surgeon Atta Muhammad continued to be attached to the
Civil Hospital Ahwaz throughout the year.
In Arabistan proper no events worth chronicling occurred during the
Gen0raL year which was one of unusual prosperity
and contentment.
Shaikh Maula superseded Shaikh Mizail as the Chief of the Chaab Dubais
Arabs near Shush.
Prices ruled high during the early part of the year but came down with
a rush when the harvest was assured.
The Bakhtiari Khans have agreed to pay revenue on the whole of their
Arahistan estates including Aquili and Ram Hormuz as from Nau Uuz 1919
Early in 1918 it was reported that the Direkwand tribes intended to
ri . { , i T ., attack the «agwands under Sartip Khan.
Dizful and LuriBtan. ^ i p i
r lo prevent this SJ squadrons of cavalry
were held in readiness at Dizful for three weeks and two Aeroplanes flew ever
the Baharwand Camps. As there was no further hostile demonstration the
troops were withdrawn.
Prom July onwards a fine of three tomans was levied on every load
leaving for Khurramabad as a punishment for the big caravan robbery last
year.
Pour or five caravans went up using the Papi and Qalawand routes.
The last caravan numbering about 1,000 animals left in July and used the
Baharwand route. The Mir Ali Khani issued from Mungarreh and plundered
the whole of the caravan which contained little Dizful or Khurramabad
property and the Sagwands are reported to have recovered most of the loads.
Thanks to the drastic treatment meted out to the Kalantar family last
Shushtar. y ear j ^ iere ^ ave ^ eei1 110 farther distur
bances in the town.
Cordial relations were maintained by successive Assistant Political Officers
with the Governor-General, more specially during Vikar-ul-Mulk's tenure of
that office.
The Miyanab Canal has been cleaned out at a cost of about 4,000 tomans
which is gradually being recovered by the sale of the water.
Subject to payment by the Bakhtiari Khans of the revenues of their
Arabistan estates, the force of 50 Bakhtiari sowars formerly maintained in
Shushtar has been allowed to return. Their pay is debitable to Arabistan
revenues.
Sardar Zaffar and Sardar Ashjaa continued to hold the office of Illkhani and
Bakhtiari Illbegi respectively throughout the year.
The beginning of the year found the Tehran Khans generally hostile
both to us and to the policy of the Illkhani and Illbegi. The latter, whose
hopes of material support from the British Government had been disappointed