'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎49v] (103/610)

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Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Asad-ud-Dauleh, was a <c Constitutionalist ” and Amir
Afshar, was a “ Royalist.” Zinjan, the capital, was a “ Royal-
list ” stronghold owing to the principal Mujtahid, Mulla Qurban
Ali, whose reactionary influence prevailed in the town until he
was arrested by Yeprim and Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Bahadur Bakhtiari on
their way to Azarbaijan in 1910, and exiled to Mesopotamia.
The recent history of the province is bound up with the
Amir Afshar. In 1907 Amir Afshar was taken to Tehran and
detained by the Constitutionalists until the coup d’etat and
bombardment of the Majlis in June 1908 by Muhammad Ali
Shah, when he was treated with distinction by the Shah and
returned to Khamseh.
In 1909 after the occupation of Tehran by Sipah Salar and
Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Asad Bakhtiari and the deposition of Muhammad Ali
Shah he turned his coat and professed “ Constitutionalism,” but
took no effective steps against Mulla Qurban AH in Zinjan, who
expelled a party of 50 ‘‘ Constitutionalists ” sent by Sipah Salar
from Kazvin to Zinjan and killed their leader.
In the autumn of 1915 the Turks were in Hamadan and in
Kurdistan. General Baratoff and the Russian reinforcements
advanced against them from Enzali and Kazvin along the
Hamadan road, and also sent a detachment 600 strong via
Zinjan and Khamseh to Kurdistan. The Amir consequently
found himself sandwiched between the Russians and the Turks,
became the ally of the Russians as they appeared to be in the
ascendant, and in the summer of 1916 through their good
offices became Governor of Khamseh. After the Russian retreat
from Khaniqin to Hamadan in the autumn he promised to
maintain 500 men to keep the Turks out of Garrus, but, when
the Russians continued the retirement from Hamadan to Aveh,
on the principle of having a foot in each camp, he began to
negotiate with the Turks in Hamadan who urged him to turn
against the Russians. General Baratoff heard of this intrigue
and increased the Russian 1 garrison at Zinjan and posted detach
ments at 2 Abhar, near 3 Karasf, the residence of the Amir, and
on the 3 Tauzlu pass, the boundary of Khamseh and Hamadan.
Amir Afshar, thereupon 4 slipped out of Khamseh 4 to Garrust
where he joined the Turks, waited for a month until he saw that
1 It averaged about 1,000 men.
2 Said to have been 400 strong.
3 Each said to have been 200 strong.
* He is reported to have been afraid to make his peace with the Russians and
co-operate with theny owing to a telegram from him intended for the Turkish
Commander in Hamadan, having miscarried in Garrus and fallen into the hands of
the Russians.