"ملاحظات اللورد كرزون عن بلاد فارس" [ظ‎‎٦‎٣‎٦] (١٣٨٦/١٢٧٤)

10
robbery and plundering. To this end he is purchasing agricultural lands at Gavar,
Bashkalah, Merghever, and Terghever. 2 ,
The Sheikh’s son, named Sheikh Abdul Kadir, who is to succeed him, is now here.
His object in coming is probably to lay before the Government a proposition on his
father’s part. The latter says that the Shekak Kurds, under Ali Khan, the,
Kurds, under Hassan Bey, together with a number of other Beys, a 1 of whom arc
nominally Persian subjects, constantly rob Persian caravans and those belonging to him
self. They also murder indiscriminately his subjects and those of l ersia; He has often
asked the Persian Government to punish them or allow him to do so, but has never been
listened to nor his request regarded. He now wishes the three plains of Merghever,
Terghever, and Beradoost, lying between Oroomiah and the lurkish boundary, to be
rented to him for a certain amount annually, and he promises to be security for any
robbery committed in those regions. He said that if this weie refused, and his
subjects constantly plundered, he should take the law into his own hands, and utterly
demolish these tribes. His son came a few weeks ago with cannon and an army to
Beradoost, to fight the Shekaks, but Ali Khan promised allegiance to the Sheikh, and in
token thereof sent his son and men of rank, to the number of 100, to pay their respects
to the Sheikh, who bought a village and erected a fort at Beradoost, between the Shekak
and Herkee lands.
No. 9.
Mr. Thomson to Earl Granville.—(Received October 5.)
My Lord, Tehran, August 24, 1880.
I HAVE the honour to report that I have continued to urge the Persian Govern
ment to co-operate with the Turkish authorities in maintaining order amongst the
Kurdish tribes residing in proximity to the Persian border.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs assures me that he is sincerely desirous to assist
the Turkish Government as far as possible in carrying out any measures they may
wish to adopt in order to put a stop to the lawless proceedings of these tribes. He
remarked, however, that when any serious disturbances arose within the Turkish
territory near the frontier, the Turkish authorities invariably endeavoured to make it
appear that Persia was in some measure responsible for their occurrence, and in nine
cases out of ten they were simply the result of their own remissness. He did not
pretend that the Persian tribes were not as frequently in fault as those belonging to
Turkey in the ordinary frontier disputes which were constantly occurring, and which
gave rise to discussion and demands for redress on both sides. But he maintained that
Persia had always been more ready than Turkey on such occasions to institute inquiry
and afford redress. He cited several instances when, during recent years, Persia had so
acted while Turkey had obstinately refused all reparation.
In support of this view of the matter, he referred to the Commission now being
held on the Azerbaijan frontier to inquire into the complaints brought by the Turkish
and Persian tribes against each other; and he stated that as soon as the Persian
Commissioner, Koolee Khan, now waiting on the border for the Turkish official who is
to take part in the investigation, had sent in his report showing the amount of injury
done by these tribes, the Persian Government would cause reparation to be afforded for
all losses sustained at the hands of their subjects.
In respect to the draft Convention referred to in your Lordship’s despatch
of the 1st July, by which it is proposed that the Turkish and Persian Governments
should enter into a formal agreement not to afford asylum to any of the Kurdish
tribes seeking refuge across the border when pursued by their own authorities for
criminal offences, his Highness informed me that the Persian Government is still ?
ready to conclude such an arrangement with the Porte, but that he believes that some
difficulty must have arisen as to that Convention, as the Turkish Ambassador here has
not alluded to the subject for some time. His Highness thought, therefore, that the
Turkish Government was not disposed to carry on the negotiation, and that there was
no immediate prospect of its being brought to a Satisfactory conclusion.
I have, &c.
(Signed) RONALD F. THOMSON.