"دليل بلاد فارس. مجلد III. جزء II: من L إلى Z" [ظ‎‎٣‎٧‎٩] (٩٨٨/٧٦٣)

999
TAN—TAN
TANGISTAN District—
This district of the Persian coast of Pars is somewhat irregular in shape.
Its maximum length from north to south is about 40 miles ; and the north
ern half has a breadth inland of about 20 miles ; but the southern half is
merely a narrow strip upon the coast. It includes localities formerly
separate entities^ such as Samal and Ahram, and the Khaviz valley. The
last named is the only portion in the mountains ; and outside the coast
plain.
History.
At the time of the British war of 1856, when the Tangistams put up a
brief resistance, their district was in the undivided control of Baghir Khan.
For much longer, however, they had been notorious for their inroads into
Bushire. After Baghir Khan’s death the district got gradually out of the
control of its own chiefs. For a time the famous Muhammad Khan of
Dashti ruled it, subsequently Hasan Khan, son of Baghir Khan. Haidar
Khan, a nephew of the above, w T as kept a prisoner at Shiraz for many
years previous to 1890. After his return he and his cousin ’Ali Khan
ruled alternately, but weakly and badly: and several kadkhudds made
themselves practically independent, including a certain kadkhudd of Baghak,
Haji Muhammad ’Ali. Mdlidt was not paid, and the Khans, in bad odour
with the people, were finally driven out through the Daria Begi’s champion
ship of Zair Khidar, son of the above-named kadkhudd of Baghak. This
man originally agreed to act as Kaldntar of the district under the Khans,
and got together the ; but finally dispossessed the Khans. Fiom
1905 onwards Zair Khidar and the various kadkhudds remained each
supreme in his own village or surroundings, the 'most notable being Hasan
Bakshu in Ambarak, Ghulam Husain Haji Khidar in Shuraki, Rais ’Ali in
Dilvar. The Khaviz valley and Ahram were farmed by Zair Khidar, who
amassed money, but was very lenient.
In 1911 Niz rm-us-Sultaneh rejected Zair Khidar’s overtures, having with
him in his suite some of the younger Tangistani Khans. Zair Khidar
was attacked by a force of the Nizam, beaten back to the hills, and his
village Shamshiri destroyed. Sharp fighting ensued, in which some of the
kadkhudds like Hasan Bakshu, took the part of the Khans. Baghir Khan,
Bahadur-us-Sultaneh was killed, but old Haidar Khan went back to Ahram
with the other Khans on Nizam-us-Sultaneh’s behalf. They remained
in power as long as Nizam was Governor-General, but in October Zair
Khidar attacked them in the fort of Qalat, and, as their supporters melted
away, they were forced to fly the district. Muvaqqar-ud-Dauleh, the new
Governor, put Zair Khidar in charge of all Tangistan, in 1912. The other
kadkhudds are by no means subordinate to Zair Khidar, though Zair Khidar
can raise the most men. Rais ’Ali of Dilvar has become rich, and there
fore of some importance, through successfill smuggling.
In October 1911 the crew of a Tangistan boat committed a piracy near
Dibai. The Tangistanis refused to hand over the culprits, or afford repar
ation, and the Persian Government failed to compel them to do so. Ac
cordingly, in June 1913, a couple of His Majesty’s ships blockaded the
fangistan coast, and confiscated the boats belonging to the villages im
plicated. In these operations one seaman was killed and five wounded.