'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎91r] (172/211)

is hoth pleasure and a duty to add that Raouf Pasha’s administration has been most
beneficial to that vilayet throughout.
As to measures taken with respect to treatment of the Aghas, an important step
has been taken in these last few months which may bear good fruit; certain Sheikhs
and Aghas (it would be invidious to mention names, but more than one is to be met
with in my despatch of the 20th July, 1890) have been invited or summoned to
this city, where, whilst kindly and hospitably received for a shorter or longer period
(I doubt not), they received excellent counsels; possibly also their attention may
have been insured sometimes to these by menaces—menaces coupled with the palpable
sight and assurance of means of execution.
The Mushir’s visit to this region and energy in securing recruits for the proposed
auxiliary regiments of Kurdish cavalry has been a prominent feature in the year’s
events; according to one report, he has enrolled thirty regiments between Khanus and
the Persian frontier, which would imply the very respectable force numbering some
12,000 embryo cavalry men and horses at the least; but I doubt whether within the
Van Vilayet he has been able to enlist more than 4,000 men. At all events, he has
succeeded in establishing very cordial relations with most of the tribal Aghas north
of Van. It would be too early to continue the movement southwards, i.e., in Hekkiari
and along the Bohtan River, for a year or two yet, though some of the Chiefs are to be
received as officers, I believe. The Kurds have come forward with great readiness to
enlist, and their horses have been branded; once or twice it has been said that they
have borrowed or stolen the animals of others for this purpose, but I cannot yet
confirm the report. If this should happen to prove the case, it would be perhaps
desirable to make a detailed confidential report, in the hope that the Mushir might be
requested to see justice done in the particular instance. Only recently Mehmed Zekki
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. placed under temporary arrest one of their newly-made Pashas—a man, by the
way, well hated (and no doubt with cause) by the Armenians—for holding himself out
as having authority over a little Kurdish canton which entirely and violently rejected
the claim. . ^ v
Naturally this undertaking has been bitterly resented by the Armenians, and has
not helped to allay existing envy and rancour.
Upon the whole the Van Armenians, i.e., the more obstreperous among them, have
kept fairly quiet since last winter’s foolish wickedness ; their superfluous energies were
expended in the Norkugh Pass incident of the 8th July last. The late release of the
few convicts mentioned in my despatches of the 23rd September and 6th October
appears to have produced a good effect, and the confinement of these young men may
have taught them and their fellows a lesson in prudence and honesty for a while.
Latterly reports have been circulated again of maltreatment of Armenians in prison,
but on examination it appears that in point of fact a dispute arose between some
Kurds and Armenians, unfortunately, but without any one being seriously injured.
There is little reason to believe in any premeditated designs undertaken beyond
the neighbouring frontiers provocative of Armenian sedition in Turkey. And the
occasional instances of Armenians suddenly disappearing from cities to get away to
foreign countries are becoming more few and far between; indeed, they have never
been otherwise.
Excepting for the rescue of the Armenian prisoner above referred to, there would
be reason to hope that the Porte has attempted, especially in this vicinity, a beginning
for conquering the antagonism of subject races, and for winning Christian loyalty
throughout most parts of Armenia. The only other and far more serious manifestation
of Armenian discontent took place lately in Arabkir, where, according to reports
received here, there was something like actual treason, which resulted in the death of
a policeman.
In conclusion, it should be noticed that the Kurds who robbed the Van Russian
Consulate Dragoman last June have been traced and punished for this serious outrage,
and the property stolen, or its value, is to be restored; and also that during the Iqst
few weeks I have only heard of one highway robbery, an attack upon a party of
villagers coming from Chkniak to Van by three or four Kurds (since arrested), in
which a Yezid and an Armenian were wounded, and grain was stolen.
have &c.
(Signed) ’ GEOEGE POLLABD DEVEY.