'Report on the Arms Traffic, 1st July 1911 to 30th June 1913 (including a note on the operations of the Makran Field Force in April and May 1911)' [‎7v] (14/44)

The French Government continued to press for compensation to the French
traders involved, and in June Sir E. Grey was inclined to agree in principle to
in connection with an adjustment of the Wadai frontier in A^est Africa. The
revision of the treaty was to be postponed sine die.
4. Afghans.
About 1,200 Afghans, under Khalifa Khair Muhammad, remained in Makran
in 1911, after the Makran expedition (see Appendix B), keeping well away from
the coast. These men had large sums in deposit with ’Ali Khan, the principal
arms-dealer in Masqat, and they stayed throughout the hot weather (1911) in
Makran, partly in the hope of getting their deposit refunded, and partly in
order to collect arms through various Baluch middlemen. They suffered greatly
from the climate, and several of them died in Makran ; while the operations of the
Field Force showed that the “Sarkar” had a long arm. The blockade was
now strict, and the winter of 1911-12 was an unprofitable one to the Afghans
and Pathans, and hardly any new ventures were made from Afghanistan
to southern Persia.
Khalifa Khair Muhammad eventually approached the Intelligence Officer at
Jask, and promised to leave Makran, and abandon the arms traffic, if he could get
back a reasonable proportion of the money deposited at Masqat.
After much bargaining Major Craufurd succeeded in arranging with Ali Khan
at Masqat for the return of about Us. 65,000 to the Afghans. This left another
Rs. 70,000 still lying at Masqat belonging to other Afghans. The residue of the
Afghans, numbering only some 60 to 80 , the others having dispersed previously, re
turned to Afghanistan in the spring of 1912, and though they were individually
armed, they carried no large consignment of rifles. They had suffered severe
hardships, had found the game not worth the candle owing to increased risks,
and had to be satisfied with losing considerable sums over the transactions. About
£40,000 of this was disbursed to the Afghans at Karachi in February 1913.
Other small caravans of 10 to 25 men were reported in Laristan and Makran
in January to April 1912 ; but their ventures do not appear to have been very
successful.
Latterly, owing partly to the inferior brand of cartridges obtainable with the
small-bore rifles, and partly owing to the preference for cartridges which can be
re-loaded, the popularity of the *450 Martini-Henry has increased in Afghanistan
and along the North-West Frontier Region of British India bordering Afghanistan. .
From 1st April 1911 to 18th July 1911, 22,800 rifles reached Kabul from the
Gulf. In addition to these, other rifles reached the Kandahar market during 1911,
and some went direct to the North-W est Frontier. Of these 22,800 rifles, whic h
reached Kabul, it is known that the following were disposed of
North-West Frontier Region of British India bordering Afghanistan. Pathans
..
3,240
Mohmands
..
• •
3,000
Kohistanis
..
• •
2,000
Afghan Turkistan
..
C .
3,700
Bajour..
• • • •
..
1,100
Khost . •
• • •- •
• •
600
Hazarajat
•• • •- •
• •
.. 1,600
Total ... 15,240
The rifles which reached Afghanistan with the kafilehs, which returned during
the spring of 1911, were mostly rifles which had been imported into Makran in
previous years, including a good many bought up from the Baluchis.