"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎٢‎١‎٤] (٦١٦/٤٣٢)

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1909. ^
It was not until January 1909 that he began to endeavour to subvert
constituted aut ^ orit y ^ , i he Gu l f p orts themselves by addressing exhorta
tions to the local Mullahs in Bandar Abbas and Lingah, calling on the people
to combine, drive out the Belgians and seize the Customs for themselves.
Except for the Lan element m the population, no party in Bandar Abbas
favoured any disturbances in the port, but the fulminations of the Sevvid
calling upon the patriotic to gird up their loins and seize the Customs receipts
found their echo among the lawless spirits of the hinterland, and a raid on
the port of Bandar Abbas became imminently apprehended. The despatch
of one of His Majesty s ships to Bandar Abbas delayed matters temporarilv
Unfortunately however, the Governor of the Gulf Ports at the moment was a
negative quantity, the Moazziz-ed-Dowleh, an amiable opium-smokino ,
Shahsevend nonentity, without any experience of the south or capacity to
cope with the difficult situation which confronted him on his assumption of
the appointment m the preceding October. Like many of his predecessors he
got round the diniculty by placing himself out of practical communicat|ion
proceeding to Charbar and slitting there idle in camp for many weeks in spite
of repeated exhorta^ons to return. He did not in fact get back until the
middle 01 March when the situation had long since passed out of control.
Matters came to a head at Bandar Abbas, on 17th March, when the
Nationalists seized the Customs and assumed charge of the government of the
place. We were fortunate in having, in the Misbah-i-Diwan, whom they
elected as their Constitutional Governor, a man of some strength of character
who did his utmost to preserve order.
Lingah followed the example of Bandar Abbas as soon as the news of
the assumption of the Customs reached there, and it was realised that Bushire
would no longer hold out.
As regards Bushire, it will be understood that practically the entire
population is engaged in trade with India and Europe. They have, as a
community, no really decided democratic ideas; all they ask for is a reason
ably just Governor who will maintain order and allow them to follow their
trading avocations in peace. There as none of that patriotic fervour amongst
them which has evinced itself in Tabriz and elsewhere in the north. ^
m n In ^ us ^ re tile movement was engineered entirely by a Tangistani
Mullah named Seyyid Murteza Ahrami, belonging to the village of Ahram
some 30 miles from Bushire, who had been in Bushire on and off for the pre
ceding 2 or 3 years.^ This individual, acting partly under instructions from
oeyym Abdul Husein of Lar, and partly at the direct bidding of the Ulema
(oniah High Priests) of Nejef (who realised when it was too late that they
ad misplaced their confidence), had an easy task owing to the absence of the
overnor and the fact that the two hundred Ispahani Sarbazes on garrison
^ Bushire could be depended upon to offer no resistance. He called in
a number of armed peasants from his village of Ahram and elsewhere in the
fd all< ^ their assistance assumed control of the post ostensibly
on behalf of the nationalist cause, on 22nd March. The following day he
seized the Customs House, the Belgian officials withdrawing.
It may be mentioned here that the Customs of the Gulf Ports are pled
ged to the British Government to the following extent:—
(i) The Customs of the Ports generally, as a security for a loan of
£300,000 made to the Shah several years ago.
(ii) The present Customs receipts at Bushire up to 30,000 tomans
per month are specifically pledged at present to the Imperial
Bank of Persia in payment of interest on advances and over
drafts taken by the Shah and his Ministers.
Jhe Resident was directed to explain the position to the Nationalist leaders
toT t0 vfy ^ lat ' as ^ ea( ^ ers i 11nor th had recognised and continued
iquidate Russian claims there, so in the south we expected that the popu-
r P ar ty would respect our claims here,
re ^ Bandar Abbas the leaders took a perfectly reasonable attitude in this
gard, but in Bushire, in spite of specific directions received from the High