File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎224v] (80/280)

traducing the Bakhtiaris thoroughly 1 ) that they, like the other
nationalists „kept excellent order and observed the usages of
civilisation scrupulously”, Russia declared the interests of its
subjects as threatened and sent to Tabriz, Resht, Kazvin and
other places in Northern Persia thousands of troops considerable
numbers of which were never withdrawn. When the tribe of tfr a
Shasevans threatened Ardebil, time was not granted to tV
Persian punitive expedition, for which the impoverished country
had raised £ 25,000 to restore order which even the Times
(Nov. 7, 1909) regretted. Just as if Ardebil were a Rus
sian town, 3200 Russian troops were sent there again for the
protection of the Russian inhabitants 2 ). The climax of this
breach of treaty was reached when the leader of the united
tribes of the Shasevans and Karadaghis, Rahim Khan,
was allowed to escape across the frontier when hard pressed
by the Persian troops.
The request of the Persian government to deliver into
their hands, according to the treaty of Turkmantchai 3 ) this
bandit against whom Russia after all had despatched troops,
was ignored by Russia 4 ). After these expensive internal disturb
ances, which were only rendered worse by the incessant massing
of Russian troops, the new Cabinet and the newly elected
members of parliament were faced by the heavy task of finan
cing the budget. It is true that the simplest roads to an ameliora
tion of Persian finances had been blocked by England in 1908
' 0 Sinister h
ad at the t
9 They are (he says p. 88. and 89) entirely without education
constitution .... brings loot to the tribesmen and fat appointments to their
chiefs His ambition was satisfied by sitting quietly in Isfahan ... and
milk the people.’.) Almost in the same breath on the following page, he con
tradicts himself by saying “for these highland cateroms to have kept their
hands off the fat burgesses of Isfahan was truly a triumph of self denial.“
2 ) None of whom suffered the slightest injury, as the English Blue
Book, Persia Nr. 1 (1910) Nr. 263 expressly states.
3 ) The peace of Turkmantchai put an end to the Russo-Persian Cam
paign of 1828. According to this treaty Persian rebels who had crossed the
frontier into Russia had to be extradited.
4 ) English Blue Books. Persia No. 1 ( 1911 ) Sir A. Nicholson, English
Ambassador at St. Petersburg telegraphs to Grey: “The Russian Govern
ment will naturally refuse to comply with this request”. —It would be more
natural for compacts to be adhered to. See also: Shuster (Stranglingof Persia,
p. 44).
::n
:n;
3itd with 1
ac
a an men