Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎309v] (618/678)

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of power to drive railways; in this country this is pre-eminently the case. From
iShuster, and therefore from Mohammerah to Sultanabad, this wai-r power was present
at recurring points well within the range cf the limits of economic distribution. Thus
at Shuster and below is the Karim ; then, at Diziul, the Diz ; beyond, the At-i-Zal;
between this and Khorremabad the stream at Maklibarabad, the A hi sard, the Afrina,
the Chames, and Shorab. Then the rivers of Khorremabad and the .Diz would be amply
sufficient for the distance from Khorremabad to Burujird, thence to Sultanabad there is
no lack of water, but at this last place, and thence to Tehran on the one side and
Ispahan on the other the motive power would have to be steam, except at Ispahan.
Such a scheme I am sure would be taken up in England at a moment’s notice, and I
believe that in this case a light electric railway is the only one which would pay until the
country was more fully developed. For such development there is ample room, whether
it be by the natives or by colonization. The well-watered valleys of the Bakhtiari country
and Luristan, even up to Irak, are eminently adapted for the latter, and would make
splendid farm parcels ; they all lie high and are cool, and would be pleasant locations, so that
our people could easily live and settle in them. The low lands of Arabistan only want a
little interest shown in them, and some money spent on proper tillage, and intelligent
repairs of the Band of Shuster, to have it returned a hundred-fold in a very short space
of time. The country would soon return to its bygone prosperity, and once again would
be one of the richest provinces in Persia.
Against the development of the roads to Tehran and Ispahan, one of the main
obstacles is the vis inertia or conservatism of the European merchants. Although they
are perpetually crying out about the stagnation of trade, the increase of freight, and the
want of carriage from the seaboard to the trade centres, yet nothing I can do or say will
induce them to give these routes a trial; they really are like children, and want every
thing done for them. It seems to me that the old class of merchants, pushing and
progressive, such as one knew in the country some twenty years, no longer exists. They
now object that they have no control over their goods, that postal and telegraphic com
munication between Shuster or Ahwaz and here is doubtful and uncertain, the post takes
weeks, and telegrams sometimes are undelivered, or only delivered after advice by post
arrives. That carriage is uncertain, the flow would all practically be one way. That
against robberies or pilfering there are no guarantees as on the main lines. That to
supervise their goods they would have to have agents at Ahwaz or Shuster, the point of
departure, to see that the goods were not sea-damaged, and so on, with any and every
excuse they can think of. In bright contrast to this conduct is the go-ahead policy of
Messrs. Lynch Brothers, who seem determined to do all they can to push these roads,
and with this end in view I understand are about to open a house here for forwarding
business.
With all due respect, I would submit that, to attain the permanent opening up of
these roads, and to maintain the stability of our trade in the country, it becomes
imperative on us to uphold Isfendiar Khan and his brothers in power in the
Bakbtiari country and Chehar Mahal, and on no account to suffer the Zil-es-Sultan
again to get a footing there. The Zil-es-Sultan got the Bakhtiaris added to his Govern
ment by Sir I rank Lascelles, and signalized his term of power by oppressing them and
sucking every kran he could from them. I cannot but admit that in the old days
the whole of the south of the country when in the hands of this Prince was kept in
splendid order, and that travelling along the roads or in his country was everywhere safe;
but the Zil-es-Sultan of those days and the Zil-es-Sultan of to-day are tw r o different
individuals. Then he was a great man with large ideas, although at times spoilt by
Persian ways ; now he has developed all the worst Kajar traits, and has become avaricious
and grasping to a degree; his only r idea is to get money, and he does not care how he
gets it. But I venture to go somewhat beyond this point of preventing the Zil-es-
Sultan having anything to do with the Bakhtiari country". I think we should have a
hand in the nomination of all Governorships in the south, certainly of such as are in
any" way concerned in our trade routes, such as, for instance, Arabistan and Luristan,
bars and Ispahan, Kerman and Yezd. These Governors should be our friends, and
they should understand that only so long as they assist us in our trade will they be
tolerated as Governors, and that no one who was known to be in any way inimical to
our interests would have a chance of any one of these Governments. If this was
followed out we should soon see what an effect it would have on our interests in many
ways. Only" so long as w r e arc supported in such a vny can we hope to combat the
Russian advance in Persian markets. English trade, as far as I can estimate here, is
almost daily declining in Persia, and unless some radical measures are taken to stop this
decline it will reach a vanishing point.