ملف ٢٢٩٧/ ١٩١٩ "تقارير شهرية للمقيمية البريطانية في الخليج الفارسي. ١٩١٢-١٩٢٠." [و‎‎١‎٣‎٦] (١٠٤٤/٢٧٦)

CONFIDENTIAL.
P
^ Confidential Summary of News of His Majesty’s Political Residency in the Persian
Gulf for the month of June 1917.
PERSIA.
Ispahan.
Town and environs reported quiet. Notifications regarding election for tfie
Majlis or National Assembly were issued during the third week of May and meetings
were held to discuss the matter.
Intrigues against the Prince Governor-General, Sarum-ud-Douleh ( £< Akbar
Mirza,” Zill-us-Sultan’s son) still continue.
All roads safe for the present except that to Ahwaz (which His Majesty’s
Vice-Consul, Ahwaz, however, thinks may be re-opened in a month’s time).
Chiragh Ali Khan, after tremendous bouts of looting, has suddenly announced
to His Majesty’s Consul-General that, having visited the neighbourhood of Baghdad
(?), he had been so impressed with the magnanimous actions of the British that he
desired to serve the British Government and to give up all illegal fighting except
against Mashallah Khan—which is equivalent to announcing that he is still in
rebellion against the Persian Government. If he carries out his threat of vendetta
against Mashallah Khan by the way the Ispahan-Tehran and Tehran-Yezd roads
will be unsafe.
A pestilent priest, Shariat Medar, is carrying on underhand and clumsy
intrigues against the Governor-General (Sarum-ud-Douleh), but the latter’s posi
tion is stronger than it was. Lying rumours of the difference in Russo-British
relations, alleged to have been brought about by the Russian Revolution, were
effectively countered by joint Russo-British announcements and a combined
Persian (Cossick)-Russian-British parade in presence of several sons of Zill-us-
Sultan.
Even the miserable Karguzar (Said-ul-Mulk) now professes to have abandoned
his intrigues against the Prince Governor-General.
Mohammerah.
Sixteen cases of plague were reported during the month under review,
with 6 deaths.
His Excellency the Shaikh of Mohammerah recently issued a notice to the
effect that the cases and complaints were to be brought to the Court of his son
Shaikh Chasib, “ such cases to be tried in the presence of three delegates to be
chosen by the people,” and British cases to be presented through the Consulate.
At the same time Chasib is entrusted with “ Government affairs, preservation
of order and peace,” in other words created Deputy-Governor, Shaikh Khazal
himself reserving, of course, the right of quashing or amending his decisions.
Chasib proceeded to nominate three merchants (one Persian, one Arab, one Jewish)
to serve as members of the Adliyeh. A cousin of Shaikh Chasib’s was also appoint
ed' Port Officer, with limited liability as regards pilferages from his lighters ;
another cousin of Chasib’s was made Chief of the Town Guards. The three Adliy eh
assessors resigned after a few days’ interval alleging that their presence in court
was entirely anomalous as Shaikh Chasib himself decided all cases without reference
to themselves, but if on the other hand an unjust judgment were given by him
the people .would blame them (the 3 assessors). At Haji Rais’ request they
agreed to hold out until after Ramazan.
Chasib and Haji Rais have collected Rs. 13,000 from local merchants for the
construction of a school.