'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎317r] (638/988)

SHI—SHI
936
body 6f tribesmen, estimated at between 200 and 300 men.
ambuscade Captain Eckford Was shot through the heart.
Early in the
Unlike previous attacks on British officers during the year, robbery seems
to have been the sole motive and the ambuscade formed part of operations
against a large caravan, which had left Khan-i-Zinian in front of the party.
The robbers, of whom two were killed and three wounded, appeared to
have been composed of a mixed band of Boir Ahmadls, Mamassanls and
Kashkulis, the raid being undertaken with the cognizance of Muhammad
'AH Khan Kashkuli.
The party returned to Shiraz without further molestation, but of a party
of Gendarmes in the neighbourhood four were wounded.
As previously narrated, the Persian Government had intimated their
intentionin 1911 of forming a Gendarmerie under Swedish officers for the
protection of the trade routes.
The Swedish officers engaged arrived in Tehran in the autumn of 1911.
By February 1912 one officer had been sent to Shiraz, to be followed a
month or so later by two more.
It was not, however, till August that any attempt was made by the
Swedish officers to put the force they were engaged in raising to any practical
test.
In August, however, Major Siefvert and Captain Nystrom with 80 mount
ed, 180 foot Gendarmes and one mountain gun marched towards Dirigun,
about 20 miles south-south-west of Shiraz, where they encountered a
force said to be acting under the instructions of the Saulat-ud-I)auleh.
The greater part of the infantry Gendarmerie fled without firing a shot
and were captured with their arms. The remainder stayed rather reluctantly
with the Swedish officers and fought for some time, but ineffectually. The
breeeh block of the gun blew up and the gun was soOn Out of action. Major
Siefvert was wounded in the thigh and the tribesmen eventually with
drew.
On December 18th two Swedish officers, Major Brandel and Captain
NystrOto, arrived at Bushire from Shiraz for the purpose of enlisting recruits
for the Gendarmerie. These they hoped to utilise on the Bushire-Shiraz
road in the spring of 1913.
British and other Foreign officials .—The British Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the
Peman Gulf, who is directly under the Indian Foreign Department, also
holds the office of Consul-General of Fars under the Foreign Office in London.
Whilst his residence for most of the year is at Bushire, he usually spends
some of the summer months at Shiraz. His residence here is in a fine,
extensive garden, about half a mile outside and to the north-west of the
city, immediately adjoining the Bagh-i-Shaikh, in which are located the
office and houses of the staff of the Indo-European Telegraph Company, who
have a qualified doctor. In July 1903, a British Consul was appointed
with a permanent residence at Shiraz; while a few months later the British
Agent referred to above was retired. Other Foreign Powers directly repre-
aeiited here are Russia and France. In the case of the former country, the
arrangement approximates with that made by Great Britain; their repre
sentative Being Consul-General for the Province of Ears, with residence
3 T. 2