‘Seistan’ [‎17r] (33/98)

3
d’Affaires. I quite believe Mr. Miller would have liked to have made the
most of the attack as an excuse either to increase his own escort here or to
work the downfall of the Amir Hashmat-ul-Mulk. The Amir’s prompt action
and my having closed the incident should quite prevent any Kussian say in
the matter. On the whole, the incident has been very fortunate, for it has
taught the people to be very careful what they do towards British subjects,
and has in no way strained my relations with the Amir or any of the leading
Sardars here.
27th September .—The Sartip, in conversation with Hospital Assistant
Ghulam Jilani, expressed his great wish to visit India and Calcutta. He said
also that the Kussian Vice-Consul to whom he has never spoken sent for Ali
Akbar Khan, his relative, and privately told him that, as the Amir and the
Sarhang were so very friendly to the English Consul, and as he knew that the
Sartip was at some variance with his father over the return of the Sardars
Saiyid Khan and Jehan Khan to Seistan, he hoped the Sartip would count on
his (the Russian) support. The Sartip says he sent back a polite reply, but
said that as a dutiful son he had no desire to go against the wishes of his father,
and that he had nothing to do with the Russians. I believe the story to be
true and bears out what I have always thought was Mr. Miller’s policy in
Seistan, viz., to estrange the Sartip Mir Massum from his father, the Hashmat-
ul-Mulk, to take up his cause and eventually to triumphantly lead him to the
Ark in Nasratabad as ruler of Seistan, Mr. Miller hoping to secure through
the Sartip the support of his uncle, 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. Saiyid Khan, Naroi, and through him
again his powerful following of border Baluchis.
This scheme is now completely frustrated in a great measure by Mr. Miller
himself through not having called on the Sartip, though in reality in any case
Mr. Miller could not have hoped for success, for he was deceiving himself that
the Saukat-ul-Mulk was completely Russianized, and that he w r ould have affected
the opinion of the Sartip while he was there.
The Saukat-ul-Mulk at Birjand, I am beginning to find out is as much
inclined to us as his brother, the Hashmat-ul-Mulk.
28th September .—Paid a visit to the Amir Hashmat-ul-Mulk to assure
him that our relations were in no way altered owing to the recent events.
Paid a visit to Mir Massum Khan, Sartip. He had the conversation chiefly
about India, asked whether a good oculist could be seen in Quetta, and hinted
he w T ould prefer to go to Calcutta if it ever came about that he visited India.
Three pilgrims arrived from Meshed; they said they had heard about the
Seistau route from Persia to India when in Baghdad, and had consequently
visited Meshed with the intention of returning to India by it. After three
years’ absence from India, they were delighted to find themselves again among
Hindustani-speaking people.
29th September .—The Jemadar of my cavalry escort visited the Sartip,
and he gathered that the Amir had given his consent to the proposed visit to
India. I have ordered that the projected visit to India be not discussed by
my subordinates more than they can help. I do not wish to appear to be
actively inducing the Sartip to take the step.
The Karguzar from Tehran called on me. He had somewhat recovered
from his fall. He appeared to be a pleasant, old fashioned, easy going old
gentleman, and I do not anticipate his giving any trouble. He remarked that
it was a pleasure to him to see my buildings and to notice some advancement
in Seistan w'hich appeared to him to be a very backward country.
30th September .—Paid a visit to the Sarhang and found him occupying a
very good II feet square hill tent, which he bought through Seth Suleiman
from India. He was very pleased with it. The Sarhang takes great pleasure
in building and in buying furniture, &c., for his new rooms. Since the arrival
of Seth Suleiman, he has spent a considerable sum of money on such things as
chairs, tables, beds, lamps, &c., and has fitted his rooms with gauze doors
from India. The establishment of a British Consulate here and the arrival
of an Indian shop have raised the standard of civilisation generally.