"تقارير إدارية ١٩٢٠-١٩٢٤" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٥] (٤١٢/٣٧٤)

hf; lias kept friends with this Consulate. He is out to get as much power as
lie can for himself. But he is also keen on his profession, keeps his men hard
at work and up to a reasonable standard of discipline. The record of the year
was a successful one from the military point of view. The expedition against
ZargLam-us-Saltaneh achieved its object without loss of blood. Zargham-us-
Saltaneh, after remaining in hiding for some time, was brought into Kerman by
Amir-i-Shaukat, the Deputy Governor, and then made terms with the Governor-
Oeneral and the Officer Commanding. He returned to Rudbar after some time,
shorn of all power. Said Khan of Jiruft had also fled when the troops, about
700 in number, came his way. In his absence his property was looted and he
was forced to come in and make terms as Zargham-us-Saltaneh had done.
The robber Wali Mohamed Shirdil who still defied the Government at the
beginning of the year came into collision with a small party of trained recruits
coming trom Bam to Kerman in April. The robber lost 2 men killed and the
Officer Commanding, Persian Detachment, was wounded. Shortly after this,
fearing retribution, Wali Mohamed Shirdil sent a message to the Officer Com
manding, Kerman, saying that he was willing to serve the Persian Government,
and he promised allegiance on the Koran. He came in, was pardoned, under
took to provide 2 or 3 hundred troops to the Persian Army, and was promised
an official appointment if he behaved himself.
Accounts were also squared (for the time being) with Mir Barkat of Beya-
ban. A small column was sent against him from Rudbar early in March. This-
was sufficient to bring Mir Barkat to his senses. He submitted and was granted
an amnesty by the Persian Government and was ordered to pay up his revenues.
Recruiting. —There was considerable activity in the matter of recruiting'
in the Bam and Narmashir districts early in the year; and the army made itself
distinctly unpopular in this respect. As many as 120 men were sent to Bam to
beat up recruits and by April 400 or more had been recruited and trained. Many
stories are told illustrative of the dislike the peasants have to enter military
service. We hear of cultivators leaving their fields and deserting their homes-
to avoid being caught; of men throwing themselves into wells. In some cases
it is said land-owners paid fees to get their men back to the land. It was even
found necessary to stop recruiting at Bam owing to the complaints which were
sent to Tehran. The difficulty in getting recruits is due to two causes ; in the
first place military service is much more strenuous than before when the ser
vice was generally territorial and a Sarbaz could spend at least 3 or 4 months
a year in his own village attending to his own land. Now the Persian regular
has to work hard at drill and as the service is no longer territorial, he is liable
to be sent on duty anywhere. This year, for example, 600 men were sent to 1
Shiraz after the outbreak of trouble in Arabistan. In the second place the land
owners being still responsible for providing recruits in proportion to their land
revenues are yet unable as a general rule to buy exemption from this duty. They
are constantly being worried by the Military to furnish their quota of recruit s^
and very often have to pay the tenants to induce them to enlist—sometimes as
much as Tumans 100 per head. In August a request was actually sent to this
Consulate by the Imam-i-Juma on behalf of the land-owners asking for help. The
Khawanin, family of rich land-owners in Kerman, also approached the Soviet
Consul who sent them a favourable reply, thereby getting himself into difficul
ties with the Officer Commanding. This Consulate refused to interfere in the
matter. The army may be unpopular; but it has brought peace and security
unknown, I suppose, for generations.
13. Jirnft, Rudbar and Persian Baluchistan. —As has already been stated
Zargham-us-Saltaneh, the leading chief in Eudbar, has been broken. After his
return from Kerman to Rudbar the troops were withdrawn with the exception
of a small detachment who remained in Rudbar throughout the year. There is
revenue due from Zargham-us-Saltaneh fixed at Tumans 55,000, and Zargham
went back to try and collect this as well as to fulfil his promise of providing:
50 sowars and 50 camel-sowars for the Persian Army. Early in August the
Financial Agent went to meet Zargham-us-Saltaneh and arrange for the payment
of these arrears. So far however no revenue has been recovered and no recruits
provided.
Amir-i-Shaukat who was appointed Deputy Governor of the Khamseh in
cluding Rudbar in connection with the operations against Zargham-us-Saltaneh
was succeeded in August by Muzaffer-ud-Dauleh, a nephew of the present Gov-
fcrnor-GeneraL