'Administration Reports 1925-1930' [‎15r] (34/418)

17
tion of the centuries-oid migratory habit is a "prime and urgent need for the
increase of tillage in the province ; but evidently the capital to create village
settlements for the nomads and supply the Qashqai with farming stock, im
plements and seeds would be no light sum.
Problems still remaining for pacification of province,
_ ^ In their cumulative effect the three factors mentioned above—Extension of
military control, disarmament and creation of a military governorship of the
Qashqai—liave made for a quieter province, and greater tranquillity than has
been experienced for several generations. As a practical illustration, the
figures of insulators destroyed on the section of the lines of the Indo-European
Telegraph Department between Dehbid and Bushire may be quoted :—
11 months, March 1925 to January 1926 295 insulators (183
of which in May and June, during the presence of Khamseh nomads
near Dehbid)
compare with
pril 1924 alone ^ v v v. ^ 300 insulators
total damage in the year ended January 31st, 1923 . . Krans 51,322
total damage in the year ended January .3lst, 19^4 .. Krans 30,771
total damage in the year ended January 31st, 1925 .. Krans 26,805
though it may be added that the necessity for taking action to reduce the amount
of damage to the lines had to be impressed on the General Officer Commanding
and other Persian officials in a round-table conference in February 1925 with
the British representatives in Fars.
There -should be no misconception however regarding the extent of the
authority of the government and penetration of the military in this large and
benighted province : great tracts on the west from the Kuh-i-Pa-dina along
the Kuhgilu borders through Mamasanni to the Mahur-i-Milatl have hardly seen
a soldier of the new army, and are Still run by their tribal chiefs and Kadkhudas
in the old fashion Similarly the Fars-Yazd and FarS-Kerman marches, and
the country round Abadeh-Tashk down through Sab'eh to the vicinity of Bandar
Abbas. And a greater problem still because the country is more difficult of
access, the tribesmen better armed and fiercer, is the region of the Shib-kuh
•and the hinterland of the coast tor Some two hundred miles as far as Tangistam
Provincial Administration.
From August 22nd 1924, tlie Governor-General of Pars Was Mirza Mehdi
Khan Dadwar (Wuthuq-us-SaltaBeh) till April 22nd, 1925, when he left on
Iranster to Keman and was succeeded by Haji Mehdi Khan Nasir Isfandiaii
/ii^Tice a r ' :ui5 " Saltaileh )' wil0 arrived m Shiran an April 30th, 1925 and is still
tho IvV 3 ^ 8 f ? T ?^ nce8 of ^ first rank and powerful statesmen to occupy
the coveted post of Governor-General, and keep up some state and reserve of
de^rfanent ^ m 1922 with H. I H. Prince Nusrat-us-Saltaneh Now that
the salary has been reduced to some 400 Tumans per mensem and oro^ortuui
ties o) making moiiey by gifts of subordinate appointments are few, the Governor
Generate have to live m modest style, and may be seen driving in hired ' Fords '
who bovp C li'tt| laneS are ?10 T ^ from the bui,eau cratie class and from families
wno nave little or no private means.
thp ^ Ie3ldl K ^ an Dadwar left apparently no enemies in Shiran (except
Command hTwas t | ac( ; i: '" 1 ' ^ ancl worked well with the Military
V - ' u } particularly friendly towards British interests Haii
i aPPOintm r^ 1 1 argely t0 lhe Powerful deputy
WionboKn nnf Pohtxcal career had been compromised, and marked by
nmm ^ A 0 o . Ur J n ? other ' he is saddled with the incubus of the
arise between tbs P a ee ' 3 w^ mat, Si'' nes a distance, and allows no breach to
lie profess i ^ Officer Commanding and himself, while, not only does
l ™ repented 0f hlS f0rmer P ersonal P«l "ics and to see the
t