'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎252v] (509/706)

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QASR-I-SHaRlN
The Frontier Line. —From the northern portion of the district to the Hul-
wan, the frontier is marked either by the Sirwan river or by the “ Qulla,”
which the Turks, particularly since the inception of the Constitutional system
pretend is a temporary line, putting forward the claim to Zuhab province
with a frontier at the Zagros mountains, to include Sharafba'ni, Bajlan, Sar
i-Pul and its plain Kaleh Shahin and Bishiva, up to the ring of hills south of
Paitaq. This I believe, they can no longer claim, Badrai and Jessan having ap
parently been given them in exchange for Zuhab at the Erzerum Conference.
From the Hulwan river southwards no frontier is delineated, and it is
in dispute, each country claiming Baghcheh and Qatar, which Persia, thanks
to the Sinjabi tribe, now holds. As a result of this it will be noticed that the
frontier at present takes an abrupt turn from Kani Biz S.W. The line
desired by the Turks would have continued almost due south from that
point. This stretch is almost entirely deserted during summer and autumn
and its only inhabitants at other times are the Sinjabi nomads. There being
no water, the Turks are hindered in their attempts to appropriate the dis
trict.
The villages on the frontier are:—
Persian Side:—from the north —
Lands of Shaikhs Nas : r-ud-Din and Hamid, Gurushala, Haush Kuri, ’All
Sakhar, ’All Shirina, Kaleh Sabzi, Kachalkachala, Dara Khan, Jamshid,' and
langab.
Turkish side:—from the north —
Kani Chaqal, Shirwana, Balut, Ben Kudra villages, Qalama, Nairopi;
S’aid Pasa, Sayidal, Qalkhanli, Majid Beg, Khallfah ’Aziz, and Kani Biz.
Administration—{!) Persian side. —All the tribes, viz., Sharafbaini
Bajlan, Sinjabi, Baityar&wand, Ahmadavand Behtui, and Kalhur are
nominally under the Government of Kirmanshah, but Daud Khan Kalhur has
for some time now taken affairs into his own hands, and is their virtual ruler
besides which he holds the title of Rais-ul’Ashair, or Chief of the Tribes'
which carries with it considerable power over them.—(Baud Khan waq
killed in May 1912.)
(2) Turkish Side.—Tho western portion down to the Shirvan river is
under the Qaim Maqam of Kifri, and eist of that under the Qaim Maqam
of Khaniqin, both responsible to the Yali of Baghdad. Their authoritv
is not great outside of the towns they inhabit, particularly at present
(1911).
Revenue.—1. Persian Side.—The. revenues have not been collected by
Government for three years, and at present there is no sign of any attempt
being made in that direction. The Government normally derives income
from three sources:
1. Malict — Revenues.
2. Vujuhrt — Rents on Crown properties.
3. P shkash.— Presents made by the Governor to the Government.
Originally these taxes were one, under the general heading Mdlidt (except
the rents at Qasr-i-Shirin, which, as the lands belong to the Crown were
directly payable) and the district was divided into four sections Sharafbaini
Bajlan Sinjabi and Sar-i-Pul, which paid krdns 180,000, a sum which
included Mdliat, Vujuhdt, and pishkash.