'File 3/8 Affairs of Sh. Khaz`als sons.' [‎136r] (271/508)

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to ibe that he had failed to obey a summons to come to TEIilAN to discuss
the final settlement -with ESZA Khan. The Shaikh remained in enforced
residence in TEHRAN until his death in May 193^* There were rumours that
his demise was accelerated, but he was ill and it is more probable that
he died a natural death. Early in this long captivity he was prevailed
upon to renounce all his rights in ARABISTAN, and Shaikhly rights over
much of his territory were allowed to lapse. Only the Ir u i estates
acquired with such wise prescience by old Hajji JADIR his father provided
him with the money on which he lived after his fall.
16 . The attitude of H.M.G. appears to be that his failure to abide
by our advice released us from all obligations. Jc may be questioned
whether either of the contracting parties envisaged in 1910 that he would
ever be advised to place himself unresisting at the mercy of an unscru
pulous and faithless adventurer who was on the point of usurping the
throne, and the contention of his heirs is that it is inequitable that the
fruit of twenty years consistent friendship should be lost by the old
Shaikh^ hesitation on a single occasion to follow such astonishing advice
The position is concisely expressed in the minutes of a discussion on our
present policy between Gen* WAVELL, Lt.Gen. QUINAM, Majo.Gen. SL2H, H.M.
Minister to the Imperial Persian Government and the British Military
Attache in TEHRAN.
17. ’Me do not wish to repeat the tragic history of
those tribal leaders such as the Shaikh of MOHAmiEilAH to
whom we gave promises which did not save them from the
Central Government. It is not alleged that we did not keep
the letter' cf the promises; it is certain u-at the holders
of the promises believed that we wo eld be able to do for
them things which in fact we could not or at least did not
do”
!
^ARABISTAH after the fall of Shaikh . KHAZMAL .
17. The author cf the Military Handbook of 1924 maintained chat
’•Shaikh KHAZ’AL was powerful, a fact which was realised b the Persian
Government and the BAKHTIARI and so long as he lived the province of
ARABISTAN might ho-e for peace and prosperity^ while the day of his .
death would be a bad day for iJIAEISTAN and possibly for the British as
well”. In fact the British, apart of course from the cancellation of the
original oil concession, accommodated themselves fairly well, and there
does not appear to be much ground for supposing that public disorder or
inter-tribal trouble have been any greater in KHUZISTMM since the ,Shaikhfe
fall than before. The sufferers have been, as Shaikh KHAZ’AL knew at the
time of the ABADAN purchase they would be, the Arab inhabitants of
‘ARABISTAN themselves . The contrast has been between the new Arab.,
govemiient, however faulty, of Iraq and the foreign, the infinitely more
corrupt rule of a contemptuous authority embodying the insolent nation
alism of ”Pahlevi” Iran. The connecting thread of all Arab discc rbent
is hatred of Persian rule and resistance to Persifioation.
18. In July 1925 the MUHAISIN rose and sacked the MOHAMERAH bazaar,
maddened by a rise in the date tax, by semi-famine conditions and by the
prospect opened by the recent conscription bill. This should have been
part of a larger rising, but the CHA’B Shaikhs could not agre^ and fought
among themselves. The lining was pat down v/ith some bloodshed and the
unhappy KHAZ’AL wes induced to temegraph to his son ’ABDULLAH then still
representing the family 'eights in MOHAl-i ERiiH expressing his disapproval
of the whole affair* Some concessions were however made to the culti
vator^ grievances. ; - y _y