'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎182v] (369/412)

34 f
ijl^
for Tehran to take a seat in tlie Medjliss, on the 6th April. Naib-Sarhang jti» llS ' 3e
Mohamed Khan, Officer Gommanding* Troops in Kerman, officiated as Governor- ;|fi 11181
General till 2nd Jnne when Nizam-ud-Danleh arrived from Tehran and vook jiicd
over charge. Nizam-ud-Dauleh remained in office throughout the year.
Like Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Mua^zam, His Excellency Nizam-ud-Dauleh is decidedly anti-
Bolshevik and his attitude towards this Consulate has been friendly and snlcere. ^
In personal relations he is sociable, pl easan t and courteous. But as Governor- t^on
d-eneral he is handicapped in two directions. In the first place he lacks the p ; C
certainty of firm support from Tehran. In the second, perhaps because he
lacks that support, he has not shown sufficient, strength of character. If he does
take up a strong line he is easily frightened out of it. He started off by having
to face the opposition of the Officer Commanding the troops who officiated as
Governor-General and who throughout the year thought more of strengthening
his own than the Governor-General's position. My predecessor has recorded
ki his 'Diary several instances showing the reduced power of the Governor-
General in these days. On one occasion His Excellency had to apologize to the
Adlieh for beating a servant who had quarrelled with one of the Malieh staff.
On an other, when he endeavoured to take summary action against a confectioner
who had infringed a local Municipal regulation, a number of shopkeepers
immediately proceeded to send telegrams to Tehran, and the Governor-General
had to climb down. Nominally responsible for law and order, actually he has no
authority over the Military, or Amnieh and next to none over the Nazmieh
(Police). He endeavoured to strengthen his position by forming an alliance
with the Rais-i-Malieli and the Karguzar in the cause of good order, as against
the democrats led by Dargahi and Rafii who constantly endeavoured to stir
up mischief. But it is quite Certain that he would never have been able to
secure deportation of these two men in the autumn without the concurrence
of the Kais-i-Qushuh. These incidents and his opposition to the Rais-i-Nazmieh
brought Nizam-ud-Dauleh towards the end of the year into conQict with the
Soviet Consul ; and a mysterious incident in which the latter's " interpreter
was attacked at night by some men dressed as soldiers, as a result of which the
Soviet Consul endeavoured to get a public apology from the Governor-General,
still further embittered their relations. The Kais-i-Qushun who was then on
intimate terms with the Soviet Consul was generally supposed to be intriguing
with the latter for the recall of Nizam-ud-Dauleh ; the ' democrat ' party were
against him ; his former ally the Eais-irMalieh was recalled ; rumours were
current that he himself would shortly be removed.
At the close of the year Ms position was undoubtedly very weak. On the
other hand, there are a large number of people, both among the official classes
and among Muitahids and others who sympathise with the Governor-General's;
policv and who would rally round him 1 should his position with regard to
Tehran become less ambiguous. And while he is not a strong Governor, he
has stuck to his principles staunchly enough. He makes no secret of his belief
that his countrv has more to get from friendship with Britain than Russni ;
and in Muharram during the period of tension which followed the death oi Major
Imbrie, he used his infiuenee effectually to prevent any disturbances.
Financial Department. —Mirza Ali Naqi Begleri was Rais-i-Malieh through
out the vear. Before the year ended he was under orders of recall on a charge
of corruption. He was a pleasant man, friendly to this Consulate ; but lue
intrigues of his own and the Governor-General's enemies Were too much tor him.
He had incurred the displeasure of the ' democrats '—those lovers of intrigue
and disorder—by throwing some of them out of his department. Ihd result
was a systematic attack which brought down on him a commission of investiga
tion headed bv a politician of extremist views, Kamal-u'l-m izareh. It is generady
supposed that Mirza Ali Naqi Khan had exposed himself to charges of ^o«8
corruption in regard to the collection of opmm revenues. He himself attubuted
his recall to Russian intrigue and the enmity of the democrats and other pro-
Russian politicians. Though he disclaimed any intention to inlx in pontics,
the intrigue of the democrats and the Soviet Consulate made it almost impossibl
at that time for any official to be neutral. From their^point of view he ms
regarded as being in the enemy's camp ; and his downfall was a cause ot satis-
faction to them and of disheartenment to the Governcr-Gener al.
Kurffuzar.—M'asi ' ? zil-i-Azam remained Karguzar during thd 5 rear - 1 4°
not find myself in complete accord with Colonel Ha worth's estimate of this
official. To my mind he seems to be unusually ■independent, to have ^ souna
judgment and to be fair minded. He was dragged willy-nilly m o 16 P ^ ,
camp of the Governor-General in the same way as the Revenue
the intrigues of the opposition. But since the Revenue Agent s recall Mua Z1 <1
i-Azam has stood out of politics entirely and keeps himself strictly to himself.