'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎55r] (114/820)

BUJ—BUJ
95
In the last month of last year (October 1905) a raid was made by
Yamiit Turkomans on Sirazu and Takmaran, two villages of
Sarazubis, situated near the Bujnurd frontier, in the Kuchan district. Ten
men were killed, and 63 women and tumans 40,000 worth of
property were carried away. Amir Khan, the Asaf-ud-Dauleh s son,
who was at the time Governor of Kuchan, was dismissed by the Persian
Government in consequence of this raid. A number of relatives of the
captives went to petition the Shah and beg that steps should be taken
to recover the captives. The course taken by the Tehran G overnment in
the matter has been to hold the Chief of Bujnurd responsible for the
raid, and to insist in his making reparation. For the purpose numerous
Ma’murs have been sent successively to Bujnurd, each of whom has
departed somewhat richer than he came, but without any other result.
The most recent of these was in Bujnurd in October ; he had instruc
tions to demand that the Chief should lecover the captives by force,
buy them back, or else present himself at Tehran.
Political note.
Charges against the C^e/.—Mention has already been made of the raid
by Yamut Turkomans on Kuchan territory, which took place in 1905.
Further particulars of this affair are as follows
The Yamuts numbered about a hundred. The route taken was along
the northern bank of the Atrak, by the villages of Khartut and Katlish.
The people selected for attack were pastoral Kurds living in encampments
in the Sirazu and Takmaran valleys. Ten men were killed and 63 women
and girls carried off, besides animals and property valued at tvmdns
40,000. One Turkoman was killed. The raiders returned by Shah-u-Chagh,
Sulukli, Raz, Meshed-i-Ghulaman, and Khartut, but avoided the posts
at the above villages.
The Governor of Kuchan at this time was Amir Khan, who had been
appointed to the post by his father, the Asaf-ud-DauPh, Governor-General
of Khorasan, when the Kurd Chieftain Shuja’-ud-Dauleh was removed.
The raid was taken to reflect on his capacity in the difficult position of a
Persian Governor of a Kurdish tribe, and he was retired. The Asaf-ud-
Dauleh then accused the Salar-i-Mafakhan of having planned the raid in
order to discre At Amir Khan and obtain the reinstatement of his kinsman,
the Sh ja’-ud-Dauleh. A number of people at the same time went to
Teh an (some say at the As J-ud-Dauleh’s instigation) to represent their
case. The Mullas of Tehran and Karbala interested themselves in the
matt n and the Shah sent a Ma^mur to Bujnurd to insist on the Salar’s
recovering the captives. The Salar pleaded innocence and his inability
to comply with the order. A Md’mur of Turkeman extraction was then
smt to investigate and report on the occurrence. The Salar state*
that this report was favourable—no doubt he paid for a favourable
report—others say that he condemned the Salar.
Other Ma’murs have been sent since then. One Sarhang Haji Ali Abbas
Khan was at Bujnurd in 1906. His instructions were to call on the Salar
to recover the captives by force, to buy them back, or to present himself at
Tehran. The demand, as the Sarhang said, practically signified dismissal
from the Chiefship, as the recovery of the captives was out of the question