"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [ظ‎‎٦‎٤] (٦١٦/١٣٣)

18
ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF
The latter part of his administration had been marked by a recrudescen
road robberies, due—as His Excellency asserted—to the machinations of his enenV
In the town efforts at the election of representatives for the National Assembl "
Tehran were being fitfully made. Rumours of the Shah's precarious conditi ln
at times of his demise, became more persistent. Reports of disturbances in Teh ^
Tabriz, and other large towns were rife. ran '
It was reasonably expected that the removal of the strong hand of Ala 1
Dowleh would be followed by a period of unrest. The events belied this forec f
In the interregnum of three months which intervened between the departure of Al
ul-Dowleh and the appointment of Prince Moayyid-ul-Dowleh Shiraz had a "
history. The administration of the Prince, confided to the joint care, at first ^
Salar-ul-Sultan (elder son of Kowam-ul-Mulk), Beglerbegi (Lord Mayor) of Shiraz
and Khabir-ul-Dowleh, Superintendent of the Persian Telegraph Office, subse
quently, to the former in conjunction with his younger brother, Nasr-ul-Dowleh
was carried on satisfactorily. '
A greater degree of security was maintained on the road, though the exactions
of the road-guards on the Bushire road continued and furnished cause for numerous
complaints.
The death of the Shah which occurred on the 8th January gave rise to none of
those evil after-effects which had been confidently predicted. The sinister shadow
which this event had cast before it vanished with the event itself. Others however
darkened the prospect. The alleged hostility of Mahomed Ali Shah to a constitu
tional regime and the apprehensions of the National Assembly gave rise in Tehran
to a tension which found its counterpart in Shiraz as in other leading towns of
Persia. New elements tending to discord had appeared in Shiraz. The establish
ment of a local assembly (Majlis-i-Milli) was shortly afterwards followed by that
of a body styled Anjuman-i-Islam (the Moslem League) largely composed of
turbulent 4 ' tullab,'' Efforts to elect representatives from Ears for the National
Assembly at Tehran continued without any definite result.
About the 11th Eebruary the news of the appointment of Prince Moayyid-ul-
Dowleh as Governor-General of Ears, with Kowam-ul-Mulk as Vazier, became
publicly known in Shiraz. The latter who j ointly with his kinsman Nasir-ul-Mulk
had been detained in Tehran since the autumn of 1905, by the Persian Government
at the instigation of Prince Shuaa'ul-Sultaneh reached Shiraz on 1st March, and
was received with a popular ovation. Shortly after his return his younger son
Nasr-ul-Dowleh was appointed " Reis-i-Qoushoun " of Ears. The Kowam-ul-
Mulk's party seemed to be firmly established in power, and it was obvious that
Moayyid-ul-Dowleh was destined to be a mere figure-head, while Kowam-ul-Mulk
would continue to be the '' uncrowned king '' of Ears. There were however rumours
of widespread discontent throughout the province. The Kowam-ul-Mulk was
known to have paid a very large sum (according to reliable report Ts. 1^00,000) for
his release from Tehran. It was naturally presumed that he would endeavour
to recoup himself out of the province. It was commonly believed that he had
entered into an agreement with the Shah to use all his influence to quash the
constitutional movement in Ears.
A little local newspaper, the Nida-i-Islam,'' the first number of which appea
red on the 11th of March 1907, and the continuous distribution of inflammatory
appeals, purporting to come from Tabriz and Tehran, to the patriotism of the
Shirazis helped to fan the embers of discord in the town. Exaggerated rumours
promoted unrest throughout the outlying districts. Dissensions among the Kashgai
chiefs, and the rancour of his brothers towards Soulat-ul-Dowleh, the Ilkhani,
portended trouble in the tribe.
The outlook at the end of March was dark, and it was predicted that the advent
0 ^ 1 i eW ^ 0 ^ eril0r ^ enera ^ w ^ 10 was ex P ec ^ e( i to reach Shiraz early in April,
would be the signal for an eruption of the long smouldering disaffection.
COMMERCE.
No statistics are available at Shiraz, but reports furnished by European firms
ana ?merchants tend to show that trade, in spite of adverse conditions, was on the
w ole fully up to the average. Exports would appear to have been slightly above
the average, dried fruits and gum being exported in larger quantities than usual.