'Military Report on (S.-W.) Persia, Volume V. Luristan' [‎13r] (30/152)

11
r «e i n .
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rst typo )
overnor.
'e.utiliz.
nlytem.
ind em-
nt force
ovemor-
for tlie
1 to in-
^coming
without
biefs to
plainly
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is cost
Itaneh
n and
o k a
ie dis-
m, who
!e soon
a’, who
agwand
anifesto
ntion of
lultanel
out the
.s sacred
lb good
orsweie
rose en
.e Imam
led, and
Itaneh’s
irds and
with a small and wholly inefficient force commenced operations
against the Bairanwand, who for the past two years had been carry
ing fire and sword into villages of Silakhor. He was attacked and
defeated, his gnns captured, and himself forced to fly the town.
After a short interregnum the Governor-Generalship was con
ferred on Lutf 'Ali Khan, Amir Mufakham, Bakhtiari, whilst
Murtaza Quit Khan, his cousin, was made Governor of the Thalatheh,
or three provinces of Nihawand, Tusar Khan, and Malaylr.
An army of about 5,000 men was collected, including 1,000 Bakh-
tiaris, and in June a move was made towards Khurramabad. Hos
tilities were at once commenced by the Bairanwand : more by good
luck than by any pretence at strategy, which was conspicuously
lacking on either side, the Bairanwand chief Fazil Khan was killed.
On his death his adherents fled panic-strickesn, and were not long
afterwards looted by the victorious army, which had as yet scarcely
fired a shot. Of such stuff are Lurs made.
A word must be said as to the present influence of the Wall
of Pusht-i-Kuh on Luristan affairs. He is now powerless to affect
the course of events in any way. In 1908, when offered the^ Gov
ernor-Generalship, he refused, ostensibly because 10,000 tumans
more was demanded, than he Was prepared to pay, but in reality
probably because the task was beyond him. His power has now
been reduced, owing to the revolt of his son, and it may safely be
said that he is unlikely to take any active part in Luristan politics.
Revenue.
The revenue dues of the Central Government from Luristan
proper are understood to be 60,000 tumans on the old assessment,
but this term was used by Nazar ’Ali Khan to refer to a figu e of
36,000 tumans in 1911, and by the Wall of Pusht-i-Kuh (who was
asked to be responsible for 80,000 tumans) in 1908 to mean 50,000
tumans.
The revenue demand which includes the Governor-GeneraPs
salary and expenses, varies from year to year. The Salar-ud-Dauleh
demanded 123,000 tumans in 1906, his successor Amir Afkham
obtained 73,000 tumans made up as follows
Tumans.
Silsileh
• • • •
.. 20,000
Dilfan
• • • •
.. 20,000
Tarhan
• • • •
5,000
Khurramabad
• • •
.. 10,000
Bairanwand
• •
.. 10,000 (by one account 20,000
Burujird
• • • •
.. 8,000 Tumans).
Total
.. 73,000