Coll 28/39 ‘Persia: Printed Correspondence 1929-1936’ [‎193v] (397/1174)

" f
Li- i ii
From April 1932 io April 1934, 13,406 refugees have been registered
as entering Khurasan :*
Of these— ;
Turkomans • . 12,000
Kirghis 651
Russians and others . . . . . . . . 755
ote .— 'These fisrurss represent the numbers registered at Meshed and do not include a large number
who were not registered Or crossed the frontier at points remote from Meshed and were
registered elsewhere, refugees entering Asterabad Province are not included. A very large
number of Vatnut Turkomans crossed the frontier here last year, probably about 10,' 00. The
total figures for all refugues from Central Asia for this period is probab.y nearer 30,000 whieh
is an estimate given by the Amir Lashkir of the Eastern Army.
As can be seen, the majority of these emigrants consist of the nation
alities bordering on Persia, i.e., the inhabitants of Turkistan: Turkomans
and Kirghiz. These knowing the frontier region crossed into Persia in
complete seUlements with the remnants of their possessions, their camels,
horses, donkeys and household effects. All Turkomans on reaching Meshed
were put under the control of the Military Headquarters for settlement and
distribution by districts.
In view of the past warlike history of the Turkomans the Persian Gov
ernment appears afraid to grant much freedom to these emigrants, and the
Military effect their settlement with this strategic in view. The result has
been the cause of much suffering. No land is made available for them with
good climatic conditions, they are settled in unhealthy areas short of water,
or marshy districts, or those bordering the. desert region near Sarakhs.
As an example of the conditions of settlement may be quoted the ease
of a group of 300 “Salir” Turkomans settled at Bagh Bagu (between Meshed
and Sarakhs) in a marshy district in 1932. During one year 220 died of
malaria and only 80 at present remain alive.
The other Turkomans also exist under difficult and trying conditions.
Jn these very remote places from the towns they, cannot develop their crops
and are forced to sell them for a song where they stand. Thev cannot even
count on raising enough for even their own consumption in' these remote
and unhealthy districts of Persia.
The solution of this difficulty would be to permit the emigrants them
selves to seek suitable unoccupied districts and afford them State assistance
in the form of a loan to develop irrigation to render habitable fresh areas
tor their settlement.
The Kirghiz exclusively a nomad people who exist by stock rearing i n
Russia, here (m Persia) are forced to become coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. . They have found
work in various places and there are no special regulations limitine their
freedom of movement. They are distributed in various districts between
Meshed and Tehran. ;
Note .— Many are temporarily working on road construction.
Individual registration of these nationalities (Turkoman and Kirghiz)
has not been ordered only the numbers of the arrivals are noted since"thev
are classified by the Persians under one heading, i.e., Peasant Cultivators
or fciiock Raisers. All other refugees are registered individually
. J yearS under review - 755 P ersons (Russians, etc'), arriv-
368
48*7 ;
38
5-2
131
17 3
218
28 8
755
100
26 S
66
138
34
406
100
per cent.