"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎٢‎٣‎٤] (٦١٦/٤٧٢)

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1909.
51
Samsam-es -Saltaneh, and Kasim Khan, maternal uncle of the Sardar Muhta-
sham.
Relations with the British. During the past year there has been a
mafked improvement in the tone of the
Bakhtiaris towards British interests.
As regards the Oil Company, it is probable that the Khans tardily recog
nise the fact that their interests are bound up in the smooth working of the
Company's affairs. As regards Messrs. Lynch Brothers, both the Sardar
Assad and the Samsam-es-Saltaneh, on more than one occasion, expressed to
His Majesty's Consul their deep sense of gratitude and obligation to Mr.
H. B. Lynch, not only for the financial assistance rendered to the Sardar
Assad during his recent tour in Europe, but also for ' the assistance rendered
to the Nationalist Cause in the British Parliament. 5
It is greatly to be hoped that Messrs. Lynch Brothers will do their utmost
to augment this feeling and cultivate friendlier relations with the Bakhtiari
Khans in the future than have held in the past.
During His Majesty's Consul's visit to the Sardar Muhtasham at Ardal
the latter put forward a request to be taken under British protection and for
a guarantee for the safety of his life and property.
A feeling also appeared to be gaining ground among others of the Bakh
tiari Khans that the British had lost that feeling of interest with which they
were wont in former years to regard the Bakhtiaris.
In view of these circumstances His Majesty's Consul referred the matter
to His Majesty's Legation and suggested that some renewal of our expression
of friendly interest in their welfare be given to the Khans of both families.
The question was referred to the Foreign Office, London, and in December an
answer was received that an assurance in this form be given to the Sardars
Assad and Muhtasham.
Other questions dealt with both at Ardal and Ispahan were those of out-
Standing claims and the then condition of the Lynch Road.
Regarding the first, the result of these interviews and others with the
Sardar-es-Zaffar at Junaghun and the Samsam-es-Saltaneh have been dealt
with under the heading ' Claims.'
Regarding the second, the Sardar Muhtasham and Samsam-es-Saltaneh
both promised to take steps to prevent its closure, with the result that the
road remained open till the end of the period under review.
Various new titles were granted to the
Bakhtiari Khans during the year 1909.
In the month of April the Agha Jerri, a sub-tribe of the Kuhgelus, at-
tacked and robbed Mr. J. C. Smith of
u geus ' the Indo-European Telegraph Depart
ment as has been separately reported on under the heading ' Telegraphs.'
Early in May the Bahmai Kuhgelus collected a force at the request of
Yusuf Khan, Salar-i-Heshamt (now Amif-i-Mujahid) under the command of
Muhammad Sheffi Khan to proceed to Ispahan for the assistance of the Ilkhani
family of the Bakhtiaris. This force however never left Kuhgelu country,
the Amir-i-Mujahid having countermanded his order a;t the last minute.
In the month of September information was received from His Majesty's
Legation that the Kuhgelu tribes had been handed over to the Bakhtiaris and,
early in December, Ilyas Khan, Sarum-ul-Mulk, son of Haji Khusro Khan,
Sardar-es-Zaffar, arrived in Behbehan to take up the Governorship. His
first act on assuming his duties W'ais to imprison and despoil Mirza Ali Riza
Khan, Bahadur-i-Diwan, who for some time past has been Acting Governor
of Behbehan. Mirza Ali Riza Khan had strong tendencies to reactionary
policy and thus afforded a pretext on which the Bakhtiari Governor im
prisoned him, though in reality it is supposed that the action was prompted
by the Shaikh-ul -1 slam and Husein Khan Bahmai who had gone to Ram
Hormuz to escort the Governor into Behbehan. These two men had a long
standing fend with the Bahadur-i-Diwan and made the best of the oppor
tunity afforded them.