"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٩] (٣٩٦/٣٤٤)

FOR THE YEAR
29
Lieutenant-Colonel G. L. Earran, D.S.O., M.C., was in command of the
Kerman Brigade till February. He was then succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel
M. H. Lucas, D.S.O. In November, Lieu tenant-Colonel Lucas was appointed
temporarily Inspector-General of South Persia Rifles. In his absence Major
0. C. Crick, I. A., officiates.
In April, Colonel Orton, Inspector-General, South Persia Rifles, accom
panied by Major Gardener and Barr, paid a visit to Kerman.
Service in the South Persia Hiflcs is growing in popularity amongst the
local notables, etc. The following are now Persian officers in the Brigade :—
Saijid Mohamed Khan, son of Deputy Governor of Sirjan.
Mehdi Khan, brother of the Afsbar Ilkhaoi.
Ali AVbar Khan, nephew of Sardar Mujallal.
At the beginning of the year, the Bam Detachment under Captain Coffey
^ u . . .. .. r ,1 c; 4.1 p did useful work in keeping Narmashir,
The chief activities of the S^utli Persia Rifles, -p. i -r> n p p • • !
Jiruit and iludbar tree trom incursions of
Baluch raiders. This detachment also completed the construction of a rough
motor road from Bam to Rigan and a few miles beyond. Owing to the
approach of the hot weather, work bad then to be stopped.
The settlement of the case of the murder of the late Ressaidar Ahmad Yar
Khan was mainly due to the efforts of Major Crick and Captain Coffey loyally
assisted by Sardar Mujallal. A strong detachment of South Persia Rifles under
Lieutenant-Colonel Lucas, D.S.O., left Kerman in May for Ispahan. This
column was away from Headquarters for nearly three months. The result of
South Persia Rities activity led to the capture of Reza Jeozani and Jaffer Quli,
the famous robber brigands of the Ispahan Province.
In August, owing to the activity of Arab robbers on the Daulatabad-Baffc
road, a small column under Captain Coffey was sent out.
This column was soon able to clear the road of these robber bands and to
allow trade to pass with safety.
The column returned to Kerman in October and since then no raids of
any importance have occurred.
In October, a column under Lieutenant-Colonel Lucas, P.S.O., left Head
quarters for Shahr Babak with the intention of capturing Kajaf Quli .Khan
and other well-known Shahr Babakis who were in the habit of assisting the
Parsi robbers in their raids on the Yezd and Meshed routes. By a forced
march of over 60 miles Lieutenant-Colonel Lucas succeeded in surprising and
capturing Najaf Quli Khan and Ghulam Ali Khan, a very creditable perfor
mance. His Majesty's Consul was anxious that these operations should have
been extended to Hirat-i-Khureh, Mazinjan, etc., but owing to political
unrest in Pars Province the occasion was not considered a suitable one. On
the return of this column. His Majesty's Consul proposed to His Majesty's
Minister that the Shabr Babak district should, if not permanently, be tem
porarily placed under the Governor-General of Kerman so that effective steps
might be taken to stop these robber bands constantly harassing trade with
Yezd and Meshed. Unfortunately the Persian Government was unable to
accede to this request.
In October, one squadron of Cavalry under Captain Cochrane proceeded
to Gakum to protect the Military road from Bandar Abbas to Saidabad and
will remain there for the winter.
Owing to the closure of other routes in Persia, especially during the early
part of the year, Kerman trade flourished.
rl,rade • Unfortunately, on the other hand, trade
was hampered by the heavy cost of transport which varied during the yeai
from 90 Tumans to 80 Tumans per Kharwar and later on by the great irregu
larity of exchange. The Kran exchange has varied from 180 to oOO pei 100
rupees and the sterling rate from 28 Krans to 22^ Krans.
The approximate amount and value of the main articles of trade imported
during the year from Bandar Abbas to Kerman and Bam^ excludxng goods