File 3852/1912 Pt 2 'Persia. Conditions in South Persia. German Documents' [‎283r] (197/280)

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Report of the English Consul General in Isfahan, G. Grahame,
to Sir Walter Townley, dated December 25th, 1914.
Having recently (viz. from November 27* to 18th
instant) travelled by caravan over the Bushire-Shiras-
Isfahan road — with which, or with some portions of which,
I was fairly familiar during my term of office at Shiraz — I
venture to think that my impressions of the present condition
of that road as compared with its condition during the period
1903—08 may not be devoid of interest at this moment. I
have accordingly the honour to submit some observations
thereon.
It is scarcely too much to say that the Bushire-Shiras-
Isfahan road is now the Gendarmerie, so completely has that
force overshadowed the road, absorbing or dissipating all other
elements. Here and there a few tufankjis linger on, survivals
of the former regime, now mere dependents of the Gendarmerie
and destined soon to disappear entirely. The local Khans have
receded into the background and the local Deputy Governors
have experienced a powerful check in their treatment of the
inhabitants of their districts.
The Governor of the Gulf Ports replying to a notification
of my intended departure from Bushire on the 27 th ultimo in
formed the Acting British Resident at that place that arran
gements would be made that I should be escorted by a gendarme
from post to post all the way from Bushire to Shiras. Except
on one stage this order was faithfully carried out. The escorting
gendarme or gendarmes (for often more than one accompanied
me) were sometimes mounted and sometimes, viz. on the kotals,
on foot. On nearing the post where they were to be relieved
these gendarmes would generally ask permission to go on ahead
of me to warn their reliefs to be ready. There was no delay at
any post and at none was any attempt direct or indirect made
Copy
Bushire-Shiras-Isfahan road
Gendarmerie
observations on ... .
Isfahan, December 25* 1914.
Sir,