File 2818/1906 'Persia: Seistan disturbances and consular guard' [‎56r] (116/335)

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their displeasure against those who were commonly reported to have induced
tWPersian Government to take steps in the matter (whereby they also pre
sumably hoped to intimidate us from further interference).
13. As I reported in my diary for 9th July, the rioters of last March
seem to have been intoxicated with their success. They effected their object
on the first occasion (when all attempt to cope actively with the plague had to
be abandoned) and probably think they hold a trump card for future use.
14. I attach the statements of (1) Khan Sahib Ahmad Din; (2) Seth
Suleimanji, both of whom were actually present during the disturbance.
15. Copies of this letter, and enclosures, have been forwarded to His
Britannic Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires, Tehran, and His Britannic Majesty’s
Consul-General, Meshed.
(Statement No. 1.)
Statement of Khan Sahib Ahmad Din, en route to Meshed.
On the night of the 10th of July 1906 I was asleep in the courtyard con
necting the inner set of quarters, where the ladies of my party were temporarily
residing, with the outer set of quarters containing the dispensary—which has
been vacant since the occurrence of the first plague riot—when, at about a
quarter to eleven, two of my servants, who were sleeping in the outer courtyard,
rushed in, madly shouting that a number of Seistanis had assaulted them, and
were dismantling the Consulate wall.
I got up instantly, and had hardly emerged from the small side door bet
ween the two courtyards, when I was received with a volley of stones, which, to
judge from thier large number and the rapidity with which they were thrown,
appeared to be thrown by at least 10 persons. The moon had just risen, and
the light, being in our faces, did not permit of our seeing far. I, however, saw
a man mounted on the low wall encircling the outer hospital courtyard,
dismantling with an axe the corner of the Consulate wall. A stone hit me on
the right shoulder and another on the head, and as I was not armed, I retired
with the two men.
After having pacified the ladies, who were very much alarmed, I made
another rush to see what had happened to the other servants, but was again
forced to retire. Meanwhile, I had sent the two servants to the Consulate
building and to the sowars’ quarters, to raise the alarm. Another man had by
now attacked the door leading from the outer courtyard into the Consulate
grounds, and began hammering at it with an axe. Before help could arrive a
third man had attacked the side small door between the two courtyards. I
stood for full 15 minutes with my back to this door while the man was
hammerin°- at it on the other side, when Mr. Pazl Rahman, accompanied by
a few men! rushed in. Unfortunately, none had any arms. The sowars and
others had now arrived and were proceeding to the bigger door, when both the
ruffians fled.
We opened the door, and Fazl Rahman and myself on going out received
such a well-directed shower of stones that we beat a retreat. A few minutes
later, we made another attempt, and saw two men, all naked with the exception
of their trousers, running towards the open ground in front of the hospital.
Lieutenant Daukes and Captain Kelly arrived on the scene shortly afterwards.
Seistan; 1 Ahmad Din, Attache,
The 12th July 1906. j Khorasan Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .
The above statement supplied to me by Khan Sahib Ahmad Din in his
own handwriting.
Seistan ; \ c - T - Vatjkvs, Lieut.,
The 12th July 1906. ) Sis Britannic Majesty's Consul for Seistan
* and Rain.