File 1749/1921 ‘Persian Gulf:- Residency news summaries 1921-25’ [‎95v] (205/494)

ceremonial entry into the town. Both Qawam-ul-Mulk and Nasir-ul-Mulk have
been offered the Acting Governorship by the Central Government but both declined.
The Commandant of troops has been instructed by the Ministry of War to main
tain order in the town during the interregnum and the town is peaceful. Several
of the civil appointments in the town are vacant.
The Ministry of the Interior has made drastic reductions in the pay of the
Governor-General, the Deputy Governor-General and the District Governors, the
probable result of which will be a conisderable lowering of the status of this class
of official.
Haji Izz-ul-Mamalik, Director of Finance in Fars, has been returned represent
ative for Dizful by a large majority.
On the news of the exodus of Ulemas reaching Shiraz, some of the Mujtahids
by way of protest, refused to go to the mosque to say prayers. Their leaders also
wired protests against the ‘ expulsion to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and to
the newspapers of the Capital.
Nasr-ud-Dowleh, elder son of Qawam-uJ-Mulk, has furnished to the military,
30 sowars from his father’s dependents ; the men were with dilhculty persuaded to
join, a number of them refusing. An 80 mm. gun has also been surrendered by
him.
Russians. —Anna Naumova, reported to have recently returned from.Bushire
and Mohammerah, has left for Isfahan, possibly with a view to attempting to enter
Iraq via Kermanshah.
Bush ire. .
His Excellency Nasr-ed-Dowleh, the new Governor of Bushire, arrived on the
29th July.
The local Mullas have replied to a wire of protest from the Persian Chamber
of Commerce and the Mullas in Tehran regarding the migration of Ulemas from
Iraq but the question does not appear to have caused much excitement here:
The raising of the embargo on the export of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. has resulted in the exodus
of huge quantities.
On the 23rd July, Halileh, a village nine miles from Subzabad Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , was
plundered by Tangistani robbers. It is not improbable that Shaikh Mohammed,
son of Shaikh Hussain Chakutai, was accessory to it, if indeed he did not have
a hand in it.
On account of a threatened strike, the arrears of pay of the Cossacks and police
for the last four months have been paid.-
Kharag Island. —Hassan Khan, agent of the Maliyeh at Bushire, proceeded
to Kharag Island on the 8th July with four cossacks to inspect Haidar Khans
pearl fisheries but was dissuaded from landing by Haidar Khan’s Kedkhoda and
returned to Bushire. Rumour has it that Sheikh Mohammed, mentioned above,
has been urging the cossacks to take violent measures, as he wishes to farm Kharag
Island himself and is reported to have offered tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. 2,000 for it.
Soviet activities. —On the 13th July, the Soviet Consul hoisted his flag in the
presence of about 150 people including the Deputy Governor, the Karguzar and a
few big merchants. He does not appear to have voiced any violent anti-Britisn
sentiments in the speech he made on the occasion.
It has been reported that the Soviet Consul is trying to arrange for one I brahim,
the Mudir of the Fardausi school, to publish a weekly newspaper in Bushire called
the Khalij-i-Fars. Ibrahim is to write under the pseudonym of ‘ Sadiq.’ He wil
first have to obtain the permission of the Rais-i-Marrif, and this will be a matter
of some difficulty as the two are on bad terms.
The Soviet Consul is taking in Indian revolutionary newspapers, notably
Young India and appears to have an extensive correspondence with Indians, wiucw
might usefully be examined. Further inquiries are being made in this matter.