"بلاد فارس والشأن الفارسي من إعداد السيد المحترم جورج ناثانييل كورزون، عضو البرلمان." [‎١‎٠‎١] (٧١٤/١٣٤)

rteinJf
FROM ASIIKABAD TO KUCIIAN
101
The pre
sent
Ilkhani
(i.e. Boldness of the Empire, a title conferred upon him by the
Shah), has, during his life of over sixty years, enjoyed a some
what checkered existence. In early days he took part
in the campaign against Herat in 1856-7, and in the
Persian expedition against Merv that had such disastrous
consequences in 18G0. Vain, ambitious, and inordinately proud,
he was unwise enough, after succeeding to the chieftainship, to
incur the enmity of the Governor-General of Khorasan. Sum
moned to Meshed to render account, he declined to obey, and held
out till a Persian army, sent to chastise him, arrived within sight
of Kuchan, when a compromise was arrived at, and the Ilkhani
was left in possession on payment of a tine to the Shah which I
have heard variously named as 3,000/. and 7,0001. Again, how
ever, he was either guilty or was suspected of rebellion, and on
this second occasion was summoned to Teheran, deposed and im
prisoned, his son being made Ilkhani in his stead. After a short
time, probably in return for a second and larger ransom, he was
released and reinstated, and has since remained in undisturbed
possession, having learnt quite enough of the present Shah to find
that rebellion, even on the part of a Warden of the Marches, no
longer pays. Though the deterioration of his Kurdish clansmen,
arising from a long period of peace, and the weakening ot his own
position consequent upon the strength of the present Shah, and
upon the centralisation introduced in all parts of the kingdom by
the electric telegraph, have shorn the Khan of much of his ancient
prestige, he is still one of the most powerful vassals of the Persian
crown, and, apart from his own personality, is interesting as per
haps the last survival of a vanishing order.
With his eldest son, Abul Hasan Khan, now about thirty-six
years of age, he has long been upon the worst of terms. r lhe
latter was once Governor of Shirwan, the second town of
the principality, but was deposed and imprisoned by his
father. He now resides at Chinaran, where he enjoys a fixed
revenue by order of the Shah, and had lately married a daughter
of the Vizier of Khorasan. It is not certain, however, whether
he will succeed the old Ilkhani, as he is subject to fits ot madness,
in one of which he was said to have beaten his former wife, a
Turkoman woman, to death; and, moreover, he inherits in full
measure the parental addiction to drink.
It is, I fear, as a drunkard that the old chief is best known to
His son
11