'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1911-1914' [‎210r] (424/488)

FOR THE YEAR 1914. ^
The problem seems likely to be settle itself, as, eeonomical
COll-
ciderations compel the withdrawal of the Gendarmerie and, if thesuWdiV* f.
the Khans are left unpaid, there is little doubt that the levy or Eahdari will
recommence.
In 1911, Ghazanfar-us-Sultaneh, the Khan of Borasjun, arrested two of
Interference of Gendarmerie in Tribal Affairs. Tr S 'l i } ea(lmen ^ ^6 Borasjun
m u . V1 ^b e 0 f Kulul, on a charge of plotting
against him. These men have ever since been kept in chains by him in snite
of the recommendations and remonstrances of Ismail Khan, Khan of ShahbVm
kareh, to whom they are also related. As a result of this action of the Ghazan-
far, his wife, a daughter of Ismail Khan, left her husband and with her voiim,
son returned to her father. ^ u o
Negotiations for reconciliation and exchange had several times been carried
on ineffectually, when suddenly, at the end of June 1914, the Governor-General
of Pars, who had entrusted the conduct of affairs of Dashti and Dashtistan of
which Shahbankareh and Borasjun form part, to the Governor of the Gulf
Ports, issued orders to Ismail Khan through the Gendarmerie officers for the
immediate surrender of his daughter and grandson to Ghazanfar. These were
followed by the appearance of Gendarmerie officers, acting on orders from
their Swedish Commandant, and then a force of 100 Gendarmes at Sa'dabad
Ismail Khan's chief village, with orders to coerce him. The Khan was power
less and evacuated the village, leaving his daughter to be carried off by the
Gendarmes to Borasjun. The Khan complained bitterly of the action to
Mr. Edmonds, Acting British Vice-Consul, when on tour shortly after, and,
in view of the friendly attitude of the Shahbankareh Khans to the Eesidency
and this injudicious interference and partizanship in tribal quarrels by a force
which has repeatedly been told to confine itself strictly to policing the road,
the Resident considered it necessary to make strong protests to Shiraz and'
Tehran. At Shiraz, ^ however, far from excusing himself, Colonel Uggla, by
stipulating for conditions involving a surrender of territory by Ismail Khan,
made the only suitable reparation, the release of Ismail Khan's relations impri
soned by the Ghazanfar impossible.
As a part of the general installation of Wireless Telegraphy in the Persian
wireless Telegraph installation .t Re.hire. ®« lf ' ^r. Superintendent McNeill of the
Indo-European Telegraph Department ar
rived at Bushire to erect the necessary apparatus at Eeshire in early December,
but had to leave immediately for Abadan, where the work was more urgent.
Before the close of the year, however, work was well started at Eeshire.
Eight slaves were manumitted during the year :— 5 from the Trucial
ManumisBion of siavei. Coast ' 1 from Lin S ah and 3 at Bahrain.
The result of the daily observations at Bushire are recorded in Tabular ,
Meteorological observatory. Statements Nos. 1 and 2 attaoled. X c/
6 3
S. G. KNOX, L ieutenant- C olonel, y{' <^/'
Officer on special duty in the absence of the Resident.
B tjshire,
The 23rd January 1915. )
. The above report was written by Lieutenant-Colonel S. G. Knox, C.I.E., but the fair copy was not
»>gned by him before ha left for Basrah.
A. P. TREVOE, M AJOR,
Officer on special duty.
c Si