File 3360/1916 Pt 1 'Persian correspondence (1916-17)' [‎121r] (246/804)

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Hi, offieW salary of Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. 250 per mensem is, he says, insufficient for the
Assistant iiarguzar and himself. -
an increase of his salarv,
Therefore he begs that we should recommend
otherwise he will have to leave shortly.
He has always helped this Consulate to the best of his ability, so it would
he well to assist him, if possible.
138
No. 262-S., dated Bushire, the 23rd (received 30th) April 1917 (Confidential).
From— Major A. P. Trevor, C.I.E., Deputy 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 Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
To The Hon ble Mr. A. H. Grant, C.S.I., C.I.E , Foreign Secretary to the
Government of India in the Foreign and Political Department.
I have the honour to invite a reference to the correspondence ending with
my telegram No. 774, dated 22nd April, regarding the proposals for restoring
order in the Bushire Hinterland.
In a telegram recently received from the Chief of the General Staff the
General Officer Commanding here was asked to ascertain and telegraph my
views on various points, the last of which was the probability of the Bashire-
Shiraz road question “ settling itself ”.
I beg to observe that the only way it can do this is by the hostile Khans !
obtaining their object, which is to receive no punishment for their past
offences, to retain the power to fleece or detain caravans at will, and in short
to remain masters of the situation on the road as they are at present.
Since the Kazerun affair a large quantity of goods has been going to
Shiraz via the Firuzabad route. This route of course is Zair Khidar’s happy
hunting ground and he has no doubt made lots of money. Becently the
Darya Begi called upon the headmen of the Baraki Ports to pay the revenue,
and on their refusing to do so detained some of their boats. It may be
mentioned en passant that these ports were formerly under the late Rais Ali
of Dilwar and not under Zair Khidar at ail. On hearing of Darya Begi’s
action Zair Khidar immediately seized 20 loaded camels out of a caravan
belonging to Ziegler. Bater on he let them go on payment of a flue of 600
Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. and wrote to Ziegler’s Manager telling him that this had been done.
Subsequently Zair Khidar seized a large number of donkeys going up,
which I believe are still detained.
It results therefore that if the Governor does anything in Bushire which
Zair Khidar does not fancy, he intends to take reprisals by seizing goods on
the road. No doubt if the local police were to arrest a Tangistani murderer
or thief, Zair Khidar would seize large quantities of merchandise, etc., in tie
hope that the importunity of the owners would induce the Darya esi to
release, or connive at the escape of, the criminal. In shoit h 0 overnor
would not be able to call his soul his own. I attach a copy of a letter from
1. Letter from Zair Khidar to His Exceii.ucv Zair Khidar to His Excel ency t ie aiya
Darya Begi, dated the 2!4th Jamadi I ^received 22ud Rfgi, which glVCS a gOOQ idea OL HIS SCUSe
2. C Letter from Zair Khidar to the Kadkhudas of lllS OWH importance and of Ills style,
of the Baraki Forts.
Shaikh Hussain, who is just as truculent as^ Zair Khidar,
Ahmadi route, should goods be sent by the Shan roa • , M )ail
Suit.neh, though slightly more civilized and a S 00 ea m . ., qr tion as
either Zair Klndar or Shaikh Hussain, is not above taking si ^
his seizure of goods for the South commands the
Letters from H R. H Farman ' arma to His ^ -i* i CLipf routes. I atttach a
Excellency LaryaBeohi os 7.66, 7*68 and 7169, Ahmadi anU 5511161 Gpneml
dated Zist Jauidt 11635 (isth Ma.ch 1917 ). CO py 0 f letters from the Guveinoi-Geneiui
to the Darya Begi about Ghazanfar, which may be of interest to the Govern-
ment of India.