"الروس في آخال" [و‎‎٤‎٦] (٦٨/٤٣)

ance. The Khan of Khiva had also
written to them that they formed
part of the Khivan subjects, and
therefore belonged to him, and
ought to join him, and that he and
the Russian General would inter
cede for them with the Russian
Government, so that they may be
received with due favour. When
I persuaded them, and promised
that they would be treated with
distinction and favour by the Per
sian Government, and they gave
their allegiance to Persia, they
sent their reply to the Russian
General and the Khan of Khiva,
and distinctly wrote that they were
Persian subjects and in the Persian
service.
It has been agreed that they are
not to plunder the Russian caravans
of Shah-Kadam (Krasnovodsk),
and that they (the said caravans)
are to travel in perfect safety.
After the Tekes accepted the
Persian rule and service, they re
quested that the Persian Minister
should make some arrangement by
which the Russian Government
might not interfere with them, and
that they may be protected from
that Government. I have assured
them that, if they are sincere in
their allegiance and service to
Persia, they will be protected from
the (Russian) Government.
They have asked me to repre
sent to the Persian Ministers and
your Royal Highness that the
Yemoot tribes of Khiva, who have
now become Russian subjects,
attack and plunder them, and that
they have no choice but to re
taliate. The Persian Government'
must therefore be requested, in the
first place, to make an arrange
ment by which the Yemoots of
Khiva should not plunder them,
or else, if they plunder us, permis
sion be given to us to retaliate.
They request that trustworthy
(Persian) officers may be appointed
to reside at Deragez and Boojnoord,
so that the Governors of these
parts may not accuse them of ill-
doing and making raids, and that
their caravans may travel about
freely. Por instance, after they
submitted to Persian rule and
accepted service, they asked me to
cerning the Tdke country; and so
the matter dropped.
“ Having finished his story,
Andul-Hassan turned to us and
said, ‘ I have invited you to come
‘ here for the purpose of persuading
‘ you to send your Jcetkhuds to the
‘ Shah to conclude a peace, whereby
‘ you should agree not to injure
£ Khorassan, and in return receive
‘ back all prisoners, for which pur-
£ pose I went to Teheran, and shall
{ now go again, and request you to
£ send 40 ketkhuds along with me/
To this Mahmed - Atalyk Khan
replied that Akhal-Teke had been
conquered by a Khan of Khiva
111 years ago. Where were you
(Persians) at the time ? The Kurds
and you also existed at that time.
Why does not Akhal appertain to
you to the present time ? Akhal
Teke belongs now to the Ak-
Padishah, and we cannot admit
the thought that the Russians are
weaker than Uzbegs, and capable
of surrendering Akhal to others.
Abdul-Hassan said that he had had
nothing to do at that time with
the Khajars, but that now, as a
faithful subject of the Shah, he had
received his commands to take pos
session of his country. We re
torted, ‘ We are faithful subjects
* of the Ak-Padishah, and Tekd
‘ belongs to him, so that without
4 his will we can do nothing.' After
this Abdul-Hassan said that the
Shah would ask the Ak-Padishah
to cede Akhal-Tekd to him, and if
this could not be done he would
waive his claim to Akhal.
“AbduhHassan next began to
persuade us to send 40 ketkhuds
with him to the Shah in order to
arrange terms of peace and to ob
tain the surrender of Turcoman
prisoners, on the condition that we
should not molest Khorassan any
more. Nur-Verdy Khan remarked
that we could not, unconditionally,
check the people in their maraud
ing practices, but that we would
consent to do so on receipt of pay
for 1,400 men, i.e., 200 ketkhuds %
200 far ash, and 1,000 watchmen.
Thereupon Abdul-Hassan Khan
fixed the following monthly rates
of pay:—20 krans for each keU
khud, and 40 krans for each far ash ;