"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎١‎١‎٣] (٦١٦/٢٣٠)

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOE THE YEAE 1907-1905.
35
26. Shuster District. —Outside tbe town of ShusMer little occurred
whic his worthy of record. "When the struggle between the Samsam us-SnLanah
and the Shahab-us-Sultanah reached its crisis, the party of the former began
coquetting with Sheikh Farhan Asad of the Bait Sa'ad, aod the Zia-us-Sultan
with some Bakhtiaii sowars attached themselves for some time to Farhan. It
was said that the intention was to keep a place of refuge, or a line of retreat,
open for the Samsam,
Events did not develop sufficiently to afford a means of judging of the
nature or value of this seemingly strange understanding between Bakhtiari
and Arab.
Farhan was at various times in the bad books of Sheikh Khaza'l, but he
is astute and knows how far he can go without driving tlie latter to extremes.
27. The town of Gotwand was perturbed during the summer by fighting
breaking out between its two chief men, Haji Abul Fath and Asadullah Khan.
The town has Ibeen in a chronic state of internal siege for the last three ytars.
The two men mentioned above are' dependent on the Samsam and the
Shahab respectively, and their affairs are likely ro be affected by the relations
existing at any particular time between those two Chiefs.
Periodically an armistice or peace is arranged through the instrumentality
of the religious dignitaries of Shuster, and a modus vivendi is arrived at.
28. The peace of the district was disturbed in July by a raid ma^e at
Shalaili on the Muin-ut-TujjarV warehouse, and some native boats lying there.
The raiders were stated to hail from the Khasrij. Extra riflemen were
placed on the S S. Shushan by the Sheikh, and it was ar anged that the river
banks should be patrolled from the neighbouring villages.
29. Diz/ul. —While Dizful leads a no less^ troubled existence than Shnster
does, it can lay the blame on external rather than internal s< uroes of
disturbance. Much of the land and property of its citizens is situated in the
country to the west of the Diz river, and lie at the mercy of the Dirakwand
and Sagwand Lurs r and the Chanana and other trans-border Arabs, who are
not slow to take advantage of their opportunities.
The present year was ra exc<ption to its predecessors, and presents an
almost uninterrupted succession of raids and forays, which it would be tedious
to enumerate. The most noticeable f< ature is the apparent in crea fed predatory
activity, at least during the latter half of the year under review, of the Chanana
Arabs.
30. Early in June the Saif-un~Nizam, Chiragh Ali Khan, Bakhtiari, was'
deputed to the Governorship of the Dizful District. The Shahab-us-Sultanah
at the same time making himself responsible for the payment of the revenue.
The Saif-un-Nizam showed some activity in attempting to reduce the
country-side to order, both by arranging for the policing of the caravan road to
Shush ter by a son of Farhan Asad, and by tackling the portion of the Sag wand
who were lingering in the district beyond the Diz river.
The last move was not very successful and ended in the Saif-un-Kizam's
losing, some men and horses and being blockaded in the village of Jariya
Saiyid Ahmad, a position from which he only extricated himself with some
difficulty.
Proceeding from contempt of civil authority to impious disregard of
religious sanctity, the Sagwand fell on and completely despoiled a large party
of Hajis returning from Mekka by way of Amara. A pacific adjustment was,
however, subsequently arranged by the intervention of tbe heads of religion in
Dizful and the Saif-un-Nizara.
31.. In October civic affairs were rendered interesting by a quarrel
between the Qutb-us-Sadat and the Mustaufi, the Imad-ud-Daftar, which
resulted in prolonged active hostilities within the town.
32. Further distractions were provided for the inhabitants in February
when the Bakhtiari Khans, the Shahab-us-Sultanah and the Salar Arfa', suddenly
made their appearance at tfae gates of the town.