"تقارير إدارية ١٩٢٠-١٩٢٤" [ظ‎‎٧‎٤] (٤١٢/١٥٣)

, n administration report of the
4i2
Sewed Zia ud Din's coup d'eioi occurred shortly afterwards and the Khans'
anxietv continued to be fed by rumours to the efFectthat Seyyed Zia intended
to crush Bakhtiari with the help of Sirdar Zaflar. Seyyed Zia s Bakhtian
programme was steadily opposed by His Britannic Majesty's Minister in Tehran
and his tenure of office was in any case not sufficiently prolonged to enable him
to carry any of his Anti-Bakhtiari schemes into effect.
Before leaving for the North the IllKhani and IllBegi visited the
Oilfields where they concluded an important agreement with the Company
in regard to the purchase of land required by the latter. They also visited
Ahwaz where they were the guests of the Sheikh of Mohammerah.
His Britannic Majesty's Consul left for Tehran in June and returned to
Ahwaz in October. He endeavoured while in Tehran to negotiate an agree
ment between the Khans and the Oil Company providing for the deposit
of the former's share scrip with the Company in return for a large loan to be
issued to the Khans on the security of the scrip.
The agreement ultimately fell through owing to difficulties in connection
with the deduction of income tax by the British Treasury from dividends
accruing to the Khans.
In the meantime Sirdar Zaffar who was badly in need of funds was
doin^ his best to secure the resignation of the IllKhani and IllBegi and
his own return to Bakhtiari as IllKhani. He was supported somewhat half
heartedly by Amir Jang and Sirdar Muhtasham. In order to end the tension
between the rival parties it was thought best to encourage a trial of strength
between them. Sirdar Zaffar was assisted by His Majesty s Legation in
obtaining a loan from the Bank on the security of his oil shares and left for
Isnahan with Amir Jang with the avowed determination of breaking the
power of Amir Mufakham and Murteza Quh Khan. He arrived m Chahar
Mahall secretly and at once began to arm his retainers, collect revenue and
interfere in every possible way with the administration.
This direct challenge was accepted by the IllKhani and IllBegi and
Sirdar Zaffar was ordered to leave Bakhtiari within 48 hours or fight.
The great majority of the Khans sided with the IllKhani and I^egi
and after further mediation by Sirdar Fateh and Amir Jang Sirdar Zaffar
a creed to stay quietly at his house until a conference of al the representative
Khans could be convened at Ispahan. The conference took place m November
and resulted in a patched up peace between the rival parties. Sirdar Assad
remains at Kerman, Sirdar Ash]aa succeeds his brother Sirdar Muhtasham at
Ispahan and Sirdars Zaffar and Mahtasham are to accompany the IllKhani
and IllBegi to the low country in the approaching spring. Ihe Khans inten
tions are for the moment somewhat obscure, but they are reported to be
brincinc south an exceptionally large number of troops with the intention
of coercmar the Sheikh of Mohammerah into ceding a portion of the lands
of the late Nizam-us-Sultaneh in Arabistan. It is also reported from private
sources that a defensive alliance has been concluded between the Bakhtiari
Khans Saulat-ed-Dauleh and Qawam-ul-Mulk with a view to protecting
their common interests against aggression by the Central Government.
An association called the " Sitarayi Bakhtiari" has been formed by some
of the youneer Khans. Its object is social reform in Bakhtiari and its
programme strongly reflects Soviet doctrines. It is not taken seriously by the
senior Khans.
Kuhgiltj.
In spite of famine conditions in and around Behbehan the Bakhtiari
Governors met with considerable success in dealing with the Kuhgilu tribes.
His Majesty's Consul's visit to Behbehan had been widely advertised and
rumours spread of the despatch of mountain guns Certain chiefs, notably
Muzaffar Khan of Aru held off until His Majesty's Consul a.ctually reached
Behbehan but then came in at once. The only defaulter was Ah Murad Khan
of the Sarhadi Taybi. The Sarhadi 'laybi and the Dushman Ziari, the two
tribes who invariably raid the Lynch Boad were handed over to Sartip Khan
of the Garmsir Taybi and to Shukrullah Khan of the Sarhadi Boir Ahmedi
respectively. All Murad Khan evacuated his fort, Eaisi, which was afterwards