تقارير إدارية من الخليج العربي ١٨٨٣/١٨٨٤ – ١٩٠٤/١٩٠٥ [ظ‎‎٦‎٨] (٦٠٢/١٤١)

12
ADMINISTRATION REPORT OP THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL
Deputy Governor of Behbahan, and the current duties of the Bushire Government were there
upon, in May, entrusted to Haji Ahmed Khan Sirtip, whose name has figured in preceding sec
tions of this report.
67. Owing to the previous yearns scanty harvest, prices rose at Bushire to nearly famine
pitch, and the outtying districts were in an unprosperous, consequently an unsettled condi
tion. This was aggravated by intrigues conducted from Shiraz, in view to compassing the
dismissal of Nasir-ul-Mulk from his position of Governor.
68. In the course of these differences several changes of District Zabits were made,
and serious disturbances were at one time apprehended.
69. In July His Excellency Haji Nasir-ul-Mulk returned from Shiraz to Bushire by the
Firozabad route, bringing in his train Jemal Khan, Chief of Dashti, and having an escort of
400 sowars and 200 infantry soldiers.
70. The Nasir-ul-Mulk^s stay on the coast was, however, brief. The intrigues of his
brother, the Sahib Diwan, and the other influential members of his family prevailed, and His
Excellency had no choice but to resign the Government and hasten to Shiraz. Whatever com
plaints may have existed against Haji Nasir-ul-Mulk, I am bound to acknowledge his invari
able personal and official cordiality and obliging assistance to myself and to this Residency.
71. His successor was Prince Nowzer Mirza, grandson of Hasan Ali Mirza, Pirman-
Firma of Fars, who, on the death of his father Fath Ali Shah, became an aspirant to the
throne of Persia. This new Governor arrived at Bushire in August, and established cordial
relations personally and officially with this Residency ; intrigue was speedily at work against
this Prince, who in October left the town and tendered his resignation on account of strong-
censure telegraphed by the Amin-es-Sultan on mendacious information. He was, however,
persuaded by His Royal Highness the Jelal-ud-Dowlah to remain at bis post for the time.
Subsequently, on the recall of His Royal Highness the Zil-es-Sultan, and consequent change
of Government in Fars, His Excellency Nowzer Mirza was recalled to Shiraz to make wav for
the newly appointed Governor of the seaport Towns and Districts, Muhammad Hasan
Khan, Sa'ad-ul-Mulk.
72. In the month of November Mirza Muhammad Khan, Motemed-el-"Wizarah, the Agent
of the Persian Foreign Office at Bushire, having become entangled in matters of custom house
accounts, was imprisoned in his house, and deprived of food for two days, by ar local official
placed over him. In fear of his life the Foreign Agent managed to force the guard placed over
him, and fled to the British Residency, where he took " bast," or sanctuarj', pending appeal to
his Chief and Government. After much delay and correspondence, it was arranged that he
should proceed to Tehran for investigation of his case. He was dismissed from his post, and
his successor is Najaf Kuli Khan, a person of no standing nor of much experience.
73. Bushire was visited in October by the Austro-Hungarian training corvette " Fasana,"
and in December by the Italian despatch gun-vessel Rapido.
74. In the spring of 1887 Captain Yonblumor, a Russian officer of Cossacks, now in the
Shah^s employ, visited Ispahan, Shiraz, and Bushire on a tour of inspection.
75. A Russian ex-officer of Cossacks, named Notovitch, visited Bushire in the winter, and
caused some excitement in Persian circles by his free utterances of alleged designs of Russia
against England, and the projects entertained by that power in concord with Persia for acting
against us in the direction of the Persian Gulf, on the expected early occurrence of war
between the two greater States.
76. In March a jewelled sword of honour was formally presented to Haji Ahmed Khan
Sirtip in presence of several Persian officials, on which occasion a Royal Firman was read.
The nature of the services performed by the Sirtip to the Persian Government will be
gathered from perusal of other sections of this report.
77. In the previous year's report it was stated that, although the population of Lingah
Lingah and Bunder Abbas and were in favour of their Arab Deputy Governor, Shaikh
Islands ' Kadtheeb, his tenure of office was precarious. So it proved.
The Persian authorities, in pursuance of a recently adopted policy, had resolved on the abolition
of the system of Arab Governors at Lingah, and the abasement of the ruling Arab family.
78. Haji Ahmed Khan was entrusted with the task of capturing Shaikh Kadtheeb, and
on the 11th September succeeded in surprising the Shaikh and effecting his object with very
slight loss of life.
79. Shaikh Kadtheeb was carried to Bushire, and the property of the family virtuallv con
fiscated. A Persian official has been since placed in charge of the ordinary administrative
duties at Lingah. The present Agent is Mirza Hedayet Khan, a man of moderation and
sense.