'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎17v] (39/143)

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In 1900 the negotiations between the Shaikh and the Persian Govern
ment for the assumption of the control of the Customs by the latter com
menced. They are dealt with in detail in Chapter IV and need not be refer
red to further here. The annual net receipts of the ’Arabistan Customs were
at this time estimated at £3,000 per annum.
1900 was an uneventful year ’Ain-ud-Dauleh proceeded to Tehran at
the end of the year, on appointment as Governor of the capital. He was
succeeded by Prince Salar-ud-Dauleh as Governor-General of ’Arabistan and
Luristan, under whom the forces of disorder in Shushtar and Dizful had full
play. He did not appear in ’Arabistan during 1901, which was a year of
scarcity of crops : Jit is a very general belief amongst Arabs that since the
opening of the Karun to international traffic such years have been increasingly
frequent. Probably the wholesale destruction of the brushwood which once
lined the banks of the rivers is the cause of the progressive desiccation of the
province, if such is really taking place.]
The same arrangements for the governance of ’Arabistan held good
during 1902 and 1903, and the province remained in a disturbed state. In
September 1902 the “ Shushan ” was attacked at Shallll and some damage
done. A barge of the Mu ins was also looted at Wais. In Luristan, too,
unrest prevailed and the Farhan regiment was attacked whilst on the march
from Khurramabad to Dizful. After some resistance in which the regulars
are said to have lost SO men, the remainder surrendered. The Lurs took the
rifles ammunition, and other stores and also looted the caravan which was
marching with the troops said to be of the value of 40,000 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. .
The Bani Turuf, encouraged by the evidence of unrestrained lawlessness
on every side, also gave trouble and the Shaikh was obliged to prepare an
expedition to deal with them. Before operations could be commenced, how
ever, they made their submission.
nmi T he ye ? r T ^ 904 was T not . less disturbed than its predecessor. Maior
JJouglas and Lieutenant Lorimer were attacked and seriously wounded in
October near Khurramabad and nothing effective was done by the Persian
Government to punish the guilty tribe until July 1905, when some Lurs alleged
to have taken part in the attack were captured auegea
pendJd^times."" and her ru “ in g had ^
For a short period previous to the return of ’Azim-es-Saltanpli na
nor, during which the policing of the river was entrusted to Shaikh Khaz’al
the work was most satisfactorily carried out. but immediatel^he arrale
ments were taken out of his hands, matters reverted to their former insecure
D “‘ *“
the "T lrito r*'
forgotten, luxury of a tribal fight ’ d ° f re ° ent years almost
The Bu Rawaya and Maran tried conclusions with no • rp
aa—* - b™ «sraA sxss;
deputed^to’bHng^the Banf^uVf^A r ( a . fte , rwards Niz am-es-Saltaneh)
through the Dlrlwandtuntry U wk A rw^aid^S DlZfQ ‘
The Dirakwand chiefs were duly rewarded tv,,. r| umbcr over 2,000 men.
conduct. The Shaikh in whose ^0 the the desir ed safe
Persian Government combined with tlJsalar Mn’a 7 ™^ t ** 11 placed ^ the
on Hawizah. The latter contributed about 1 300 men Vh° ° rga " I . s .® “ attack
on the 19th October but no fightino- to speaknf ftdl T ^ e ® x P edlt ion started
who refused to submit to the overlordship ot slmLh^aL t ^.^£ a ^ t ’ | ;
1 Id 1909 ami 1910 he remained
IT