'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎179v] (365/396)

60 annual 5ep0et on the persian gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. political residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. .
CHAPTER VIII.
DIZFTJL AND SHUSHTAR—ADMINISTRATION REPORJ'
FOR THE YEAR 1919.
Political.
(a) Personnel. —Captain Thompson Glover retained charge of the Political
Office, Dizful, till February, giving place in that month to Major Napier I.M.S
who was succeeded, after a period of one month, by Captain Geard who for three
weeks held simultaneous charge of Dizful and Shushtar. Major Meade reported
for duty on March 23rd, Captain Geard reverting' to the charge of Shustar
On May 23rd, Major Meade assumed additional charge of Shushtar mw
Captain Geard transferred.
(b) Tet "sian Officials. —His Excellency Viqar-ul-Mulk, who was re-visitin?
Arabistan in a G^fernatorial capacity for the fifth time, found that province
no more to his liking than on previous occasions and took the opportunity
of the elections to propose himself as a fitting candidate for the Majlis. As
regrettably, it was illegal for him to act in a dual capacity as Governor-General
and elected member he had, perforce, to resign his post and offer himself for
election ^ Dizful, for which constituency he proposed to stand, was in no
way anxious to choose him as its representative, but his election was accomplish
ed not without recourse to methods that would have brought a blush to the
cheeks of all Eatonsville. Fortunately for Viqar an interregnum of some
kind was desirable from a Political point of view in order that we mio-ht have
a freer hand in bringing about certain reforms in the Revenue Department.
He was succeeded as Kafil by Mirza Abdullah Mustaufi, who had hitheito
acted as Deputy Governor of Shushtar. Mustaufi's reign has been characteris
ed by many abortive attempts to enrich himself at the expense of the Persian
Government but his diplomacy is of a childish order and, on the whole he
has served our purpose well although I would feel inclined to re^arH 'the
success of the Revenue reforms more to his ineffective resistance than to his
active assistance. The Deputy Governor for Dizful arrived at the end of
April. At a preliminary meeting with him and Viqar-ul-Mulk at Shushtar,
it was agreed that he should not be accompanied to Dizful, as was Viqar's
original desire, by a new Head of Police and a new Rais of Adliyeh. Contrary
to this agreemeot, however, these two officials accompanied Samsal-ul-Mamalik
ne ^ Chief of Police attempting to take over control of the
D lz tul lohce even before actually entering the town. I represented to Viqar
contra ^y t0 0 ur agreement but it was not w'ithout considerable
• 1 i.- • Was ln ^ uc . e( i to asree to the appointment of his singularly
int lcc ive nominee as Rais of Balediyah. This man, Haji Ghafur by name,
a^ been m the past a brothel keeper in Dizful and was also, in his spare
une, o onel Commanding the Persian Artillery. His end was tragic as he
as s K; m the back by his servant or by the individual who was euphemis
tically termed his servant.
Samsam 1ms a pleasing personality and has been quite content to sit
s ill and watch the work of government going on. He realises that he depends
entirely lor the punctual payment of his salary on the Political Office and
Bnapes his life accordingly.
Our relations have been of the pleasantest.
{c) Tribal.—-The year under report has been uneventful. The transfer
o cer am tribes to the Sheikh of Mohammerah was accomplished early in
May and although minor incidents have marked the absence of direct Political
con ro } ie results has been of an ephemeral nature. Sartip Khan, on
fn „ m 'Vr ne ' w' e( | the . hono l lr of a -Khan Bahaduri early in the year, continues
® mo ^ 1 je ^ s atisfaction, that is all that can be expected from a Lur
^ les or marriage and cousinship to tribes of Luristan between whom