'Report of Khan Bahadur Maula Bakhsh, Attaché to the Agent to the Governor General of India and Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General for Khurasan and Sistan, on His Journey from Meshed to Quetta via Turbat-i-Haidari, Kain, Sistan, Kuh-i-Malik Siah and Nushki (7th April to 28th July 1898)' [‎43r] (90/156)

ON HIS JOURNEY FROM MESHED TO QUETTA, 189S.
63
When the chief tax-collector (or properly speaking contractor) appeared,
he acknowledged that before the arrival of the new Customs Contractor from
Meshed at the beginning of April 1898, he used to levy Baj (toll or customs
duty) from all caravans passing through Sistan, but he denied having taken
anything from Khair Muhammad Shah or Muhammad Umar.
I produced the pieces of blank paper with impressions of the seals of his
subordinates Nazar Jan and Muhammad Jan, but without any name, date, or
amount mentioned on them, which had been given to Khair Muhammad Shah
and Muhammad Umar in lieu o£ receipts for the sums levied.
The subordinates in question on being summoned separately admitted, in
the presence of the Deputy Governor and myself, that they had been in the
habit of giving blank papers with impressions of their seals to their Mirzas to
be filled in and given to caravans, but the chief tax-collector denied that this
practice had been in vogue, and he disputed the genuineness of the papers
produced by me. However, I pointed out to the Deputy Governor that after
the confession of the subordinates, the impressions of whose seals the papers
in question bore, no further proof was necessary; that I could not listen to the
excuses of the chief tax-collector, and that the Deputy Governor having
himself admitted that the amounts levied were illegal exactions, I should insist
on their being refunded to me.
The tax-collector then remarked that the sums, if levied, represented
customs duties and ought not to be refunded; but ,1 took no notice of his
remarks and simply told him that I had nothing to do with him and would
only deal with the Deputy Governor.
The chief tax-collector had brought the new Sub-Contractor of Customs
for Sistan with him to argue the matter with me on his behalf, but I sent the
latter away telling him that the question did not concern him and that his
presence w^as not required.
(g) After a good deal of pressure for two or three days, the Deputy
„ u t , .v. r, f r Governor promised to comply with all my
Pressure brought to bear upon the Deputy Gov- -i i j i • i j* ", •! i
emor of sutau by me to effect the settlement of the demands, but his subordinates prevailed
above cases. upon him and delayed settlement.
I need not here detail the various excuses that were offered day after day.
On the evening of the fourth day I sent a message to the Deputy Governor
urging him to settle all the pending cases without any further delay, as I
intended to leave the next afternoon.
The next morning I sent another message warning him that if he delayed
settlement any longer I would leave Nasirabad and report to Her Britannic
Majesty’s Consul-General at Meshed, for the information of the Governor-
General of Khurasan and Sistdn, that the Deputy Governor of Sistan had
ignored His Highness’s orders.
The Deputy Governor sent a reply that he would settle everything by
that afternoon. The day, however passed, and there was no sign of any settle
ment. Therefore I struck my tent in the evening and sent the Deputy
Governor’s man who happened to be present to inform him that I was unable
to wait any longer and was going off within an hour’s time.
Within half an hour the Deputy Governor’s headman appeared with
Tumans 110 in cash and assured me that the Deputy Governor had sent for five
of his own camels which would be delivered to me in return for the stolen
animals early the next morning. Accordingly I agreed to stay another day to
receive them.
At 10 o’clock the following day five camels were sent to me hy the
Deputy Governor, and having received them I made over four to Painda Khan,
the owner of the four stolen camels who had arrived from Quetta the previous
day and happened to be present. The fifth camel I made over to Hospital
Assistant Abbas Ali with instructions to take it to Kuh-i-Malik Siah (where
he is going to meet me). On my arrival at Quetta I shall deliver this camel
to the Baluchistan Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in return for the Government camel stolen from
Surgeon-Major Brazier Creagh’s party.