Coll 28/112A ‘Persia. Tabriz – Monthly despatches of internal situation in Azerbaijan & misc. reports.’ [‎562r] (1126/1237)

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and /
^ nve6 " ,G isa , t® the affair on the spot; to learn in company
with hits whether, as tlie Russians thought, the serious news
\7as fabricated, or whether some was exaggerated and the rest
true.
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6. On the evening of the same day, the General invited myself
and the Us tender, and the officers accoirrpanyitng to the Russian
olub, and in the course of the cordial reception given, further
discussion took plawe about the necessity for cooperation, and
it was definitely decided that v/e should go the next morning,
’hursday, 7th ay, with Colonel Celivanon, three senior Russian
officers, and the Ustandar to Rezaieh* s was gathered during
the iirst discussion, the political actions of the Government
had resulted in unimportant and undesirable effects, and my
action also in the affair, in carrying out the rolicy and in
order to profit by effective results, should be to continue the
Government’s policy.
7. At 7 a.m. on . ay 7th, I left Tabriz with the rcrsons named
i.or Rezaieh. Chile passing iarand and Khoi, we saw signs of
fear and ( anxiety among the inhabitants. Between Ehoi and Shapufc
moat of the villages were about to be evacuated, and large crowds
with women, children, cows and sheep, were moving from every
quarter towards Khoi and Shapur. On arrival at Shahpur, about
10,000 men and women, some of whom had been plundered and others
had been iTightened and fled, were collected in the streets,
so that we had the greatest difficulty in getting through the
press to the Governor’s office. The crowds pushed after us
with shouts and cries to the Governor’s i)lace. The condition
of the population was so pitiable that the Russians themselves
were affected and anxious for them.
8* I at once took steps to Quieten the people. As telegrams
and rex^orts of a Kurdish attack were received from every
quarter, mobile patrols of Gendarmerie and Russian soldiers
were despatched to places which were being attacked or in danger,
.his action gave the people more hope in the Government’s att ntion
and leadership for their rescue, and they took our arrival as
heaven-sent.
9. After this urgent action to stop further plundering by the
' urde and to quieten the people, we'left at 2 o.m. from Hhahuur
towards Rezaieh.
10. On the way, as the Russian officers accomoanying us saw with
their own eyes, most of the villages inhabited by j’ersians were
evacuated and had been plundered, but some rmenian and Assyrian
villages were safe fro® the ravages of the Kurds and their in-
naoitants were ousy at cultivation in complete Deace and security*
Along the road several groups of refugee villagers besought us and
complained of the killing and plundering by the Kurds.
11. After crossing the hushche pass and descending to the plain of
luraai, Baradoost and ITa louchai district, which includes the most
populated and settled part of ^ezaieh and, on account of having hML*
important rivers such as Marlouchai, Kouzechai, Shahrehai and their
tributaries, all that land is fertile and rich and has gardens
with one to three thousand Persian inhabitants, all that part was
entirely without inhabitants; doors and windows had been tinned
out, and even the roof-beams of most of the houses had been're
moved and taken away.
12. It happened that after our crossing iarlouchai, we net in the
plain a group of Kurds, foot and horsemen, numbering about 200.
They were scattered and moving in groups, all armed. Kven after
the appearance of the first car a number of Kurds (those on foot)
ran to the heights, while come of theifc cavalry dismounted and
took aim in ditches and channels behind rocks, v/e then reached
some of the horsemen, who had with them some timber from doors