File 1110/1916 Pt 2 'Persia: SITUATION Miscellaneous' [‎35r] (74/276)

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2. I herewith enclose, as promised, copies of the marginally-cited tele
grams which passed between
Telegram from General Officer Commanding, Sistan, Robat, to His
Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Sistan, No. 1 P., dated 21st March 19lt>.
Telegram from His Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Sistan, to General
Ufficer Commanding, Sistan, Robat, No. 89 C., dated 21st March
191.6.
Telegram from General Officer Commanding, Sistan, Robat, to His
Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Sistan, No. K. A. 11, dated 24th March
1916. _> f . t
the controversy initiated recently by Oolonel Wikeley arose, but I think I may
claim to be excused for not foreseeing that such wholesale condemnation of
the Baluchis of Sistan could ever be made.
General Dyer and myself last
month.
3. I regret that these
papers were not before the
Government of India when
4. Major Heron telegraphed to me on the 21st April-
had thought of disarming the Levies.’*
-“ None of us here
Captain Wise, in a private letter, wrote to me on 17th April— ct I heard
casually of sundry bloody murders being committed both by regulars and
Jumbazes, but I know nothing officially. I had both Jemadars under arrest
yesterday in charge of a party of the 19th,*
* Punjabis. wlm happened to be here. Ihen with
t Which Levies had concealed on the way to the help ©B the better non-commissioned
Girdi. officers I got back some of, the lootf
including over 30 camels. The Jemadars are more amenable now, but are
both quite useless. The Hazar^ sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. ^
are invaluable. Three of them riciily
deserve promotion or some reward*” r
J Of lC6th Pioneers attached to Consulate.
5. The position as regards these camel sowars is as follows :—
Major Heron went to Dehaneh Baghi on the 28th January 1916 with
one hundred of them. Lieutenant Chalmers accompanied him with only
50 Punjabi Infantry. . • '
Captain Wise took over the charge of the Koh-i-Malik Siah-Lutak road on
March 21st, 1916 with about 80 Jumbazes. He was required to provide escorts
for every military convoy as well as to watch the surrounding wells and roads
for suspicious travellers.
Both officers urgently required more men. I therefore let the fact he
widely known, and as volunteers came in to the Consulate in batches of 20
or 30 with their own chosen leaders, I sent them all straight off to either
Girdi or Dehaneh. All recruits were vouched for by men whom I believed
trustworthy, such as Juma Khan, Ghulam Bashi of the Russian Vice-
Consulate, Zahar Jan, Jemadar of British Consulate postal sowars, and Said
Khan, ^-Jemadar of British Consulate Levies. Even the outlaws, Idu Khan
and Juma Jalal, are related to these worthies and were vouched for by them.
6. Captain Wise, assisted by Jemadar Ali Juma, 106th Hazara Pioneers,
has evidently made good progress with his batches of recruits. He is a first
class soldier himself and has doubtless inspired his men with respect and
admiration.
7. Major Heron of course is not a soldier either by training or inclina
tion. He could not be expected to knock his unruly horde of 180 followers
into shape in a few weeks.
His chief assistants were a junior Dafadar A Non-Commissioned Officer in the Indian Cavalry. of the Consulate Escort and
a Consulate Ghulam (a Sistani Ghilzai, ^- Havildar Custodian; police sergeant; jail or prison guard. of the 129th Baluchis).
These men are not in the same category as Captain Wise’s Hazara Jemadar,
and both have always borne an unfortunate reputation for quarrelling and
back-biting. I think that their charges against Idu Khan may quite possibly
he exaggerated, especially having regard to the excellent way in which the
latter’s°bosom friend Juma Jalal fought on the 13th April. l am, therefore,
inclined to oive Idu Khan a longer trial rather than drive him back into
outlawry, making him a subject for the Military Police hereafter to tackle.
The fact that some of the Levies fired into the air should not surprise
anyone who knows Baluchi habits. It is notorious that raiders when attacking"
a caravan are largely addicted to this practice.