File 1749/1921 ‘Persian Gulf:- Residency news summaries 1921-25’ [‎204r] (422/494)

The Governor-Gereral has intimated his intention to resign and proceed to
Europe unless the proposal to retain a 1,000 men of the South Persia Rifles
is agreed to by tlie Persian Government. This force would be paid for out
of provincial revenues and officered by Persian Officers, the local notables :
refusing categorically to listen to the idea of Swedish Officers being in charge
of the gendarmerie.
The Governor-General is not on very good terms with the present Prime
Minister, Qawam-us-Sultaneh, who gives unsatisfactory replies to his tele
grams.
Mushar-ud-Dowleh, the new Governor of the Gulf Ports, left Shiraz for
Bushire on the 18th September.
Mirza Ali Kazeruni, the deputy in Tehran, has constituted himself his
mentor, and as he is violently anti-British he is doing his best to prejudice our
interests. At present, however, he is meeting with no success. He is, as a
matter of fact, working hard to have Dashti and Dashtistan put under Mushar-
ud-DowTeh, which would be the consummation of our wishes for manv vears
past. '
Ghazanfar-us-Sultaneh of Borasjun has complained to Tehran that he is
being harrassed by both Persian and Foreign enemies with the result that the
Minister of the Interior has ordered the Governor-Geneial to support him and
Shaikh Muhammad Chahkutahi, and prosecute Ghazanfar’s claims against
Haidar Khan of Hayat Baud.
The Governor-General has telegraphed to Agha Khan warning him to
desist from stirring up the Kadkhudas to disobey and refuse maliyat to Sohrab
Khan, the Zabit, and ordering him to pay his own dues within a fortnight
under pain of removal to Bushire.
Mullah Fathullah, Kadkhuda of Kunar Takhteh, and the Kalantar of
Khisht, have consented to receive back on certain conditions GhulamReza and
Baba Khan, who were expelled in 1918 by the Indian troops whom they
attacked.
The roads are not too safe at present. The down post to Bushire was
robbed on the 23rd and 29th September.
Abadeh has reported the road to Isfahan unsafe. On the 25th September
10 Kashgai sowars attacked and plundered a village of Qawam-ul-Mulk near
Dehbid, killing one and wounding others.
On the 27th September robbers attacked a passenger carriage in the Kouli
Kush pass, taking off the four horses and all the passenger’s effects.
It must, however, be borne in mind that, apart from the disbandment of
the South Persia Rifles, the roads are always apt to be somewhat unsafe whilst
the Kashgai tribes are migrating from their summer to winter grazing grounds
and they have already commenced to move southwards.
Behbehan.
The Dilum, Mashur and Hendijan Ram Hormuz roads are safe and in
order. Trade has been brisker during the past month.
Bushire.
The smuggling of Krans out of Persia has been of late greatly on the
increase with the result that the Director of Customs has been compelled to
take extra precautions when silver is declared for export from one Persian port
to another. Hitherto it has only been necessary to place a deposit with the
Customs of Krans 1,000 for every Krans 10,000 exported, this deposit to be
refunded on production of the “ cabotage ” receipt from the port of destination,
but the deposit has now been increased to an equivalent amount to that i
exported. This has resulted in the cessation of all shipments of specie from.
Bushire to other Persian ports.