'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)' [‎43v] (91/156)

61
REPORT OF KHAN BAHADUR MAULA BAKHSH
(h) I may mention here that both Khair Muhammad Shah and Muham-
Afghto subjects not entitled to the privi. mad Umar from whom Tumans 110 were
leges as British subjects in the matter of customs
duties iu Persia
levied by the tax-collector in Sistan as
Baj (toll or customs dues) were Afgh&n
subjects who are not entitled to the same privileges as British subjects in the
matter of customs dues.
Khair Muhammad Shah was carrying 93 camel-loads of pistachio-nuts,
and Muhammad Umar 142 camel-loads of wool and pistachio-nuts from the
Herat district to Quetta through Persian territory on which they had paid no
customs duties. Their goods were not accompanied by Jawazes or certificates
of payment of duty of any sort anywhere in Persia.
Muhammad Umar is said to have been the carrier of goods belonging to a
Hindu of Herat who is not registered as a British subject.
Had both consignments of goods belonged to British subjects, the Persian
authorities would, accordiog to the Russo-Persian-Turkomanchai Treaty (appli
cable to British subjects under the most favoured nation clause), have been
justified in levying 5 per cent, ad valorem duty from them ; while they could
have treated Afghans as Persian subjects and levied such dues from them as
are usually imposed on Persian subjects.
Should the sums levid by the Sistdn officials be taken to represent customs
duties, as the Sistan tax-collector claimed them to be, the Afghans concerned
are not entitled to the refund of the sums in question.
On the other hand, in view of the fact that no receipts were given to them
to show that the sums levied represented customs duties and that the pieces
of blank paper handed over to them were proofs of the dishonesty of the Sistan
officials who were afraid to give receipts because they knew they had no rio*ht
to take them, they may be treated as illegal exactions, and the amounts levied
should in that case be refunded to the persons from whom they were exacted.
This is, however, a point for the consideration and decision of Her Majesty’s
Consul-General at Meshed. I took the sums levied in the light of illegal
See paragraph 94 . exactions and therefore insfsted on their
being refunded.
(i) Before
leaving
Occupation of Hurmuk and Girdi Chah by
Persians in the interests of the Nushki-Sistan trade
route.
Nasirabad I demanded of the Deputy Governor of
Sistan the punishment of Alam Khan
and Juma Khan, the Baluch headmen,
who had been causing constant trouble!
annoyance and harm to caravans passing through Girdi Chah towards Kfih-i-
AiaiiK &iciii.
The Deputy Governor replied that there were no Baluch families at Girdi
Chah at present, hut he promised to punish Alam Khan and Juma Khan in
case they should return to Sistan next winter.
v 4 - •^® me J n ^ er ^ n o Lieutenant TV ebb-Ware had once written to Colonel
Yate that he considered the occupation of Hurmuk by Persians essential in the
See paragraph 109. interests of the new trade route, I took
Deputy Governor of Sistan the necessity 0 T/tte‘permanent^oecupation^f
Hurmuk as well as Girdi Chah aud asked him to place a few families^ Sistan
“"f p a ®!f 1 ot ^ 03e P lac One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees <;8 and to make those families and the Baluch
Kadkhuda of Sihkuha responsible for the safety of caravans.
I impressed upon the Deputy Governor the importance of these measures
which were calculated to relieve him of great responsibility and trouble in
future, as they would put a stop to the raids of Baluch robbers on caravans
and save him from being called upon frequently by the Governor-General oi
Khuiasan and Sistan to recover stolen property or pay compensation himself
The Deputy Governor said that he realized the weight of this advice and he
promised in writing in his letter to me to carry out my suggestions.
0) On the whole the Deputy Governor of Sistan behaved very well him-
• Behaviour of the Deputy Governor of Sistan and se ^ (^i s Subordinates alone beino- reSDOrt
“b^ sible for all Obstructions), and° I wrote
and thanked him for settling all the cases
that 1 had referred to him.