Skip to item: of 605
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 299/1918 Pt 2 'Persia - policy; Shiraz situation; Bushire operations' [‎16r] (36/605)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (297 folios). It was created in 29 May 1918-15 Apr 1920. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

No. G. S.-43-6603, dated Bush ire, the 2Stli November 1919.
From—Brigadier-General A. M. S. Elsmie, Commanding, Bushire Field Force,
To—The Chief of the General Staff, Army Headquarters, Delhi.
I have the honour to submit the following report of the Bushire Field
Force from the 27th April 1919, the date on which Major-General J. A.
Douglas, C.M.G , G.I.E., handed over command to me, to the 25th November
1919, on which date I handed over command of the Force to Brigadier-General
A. B. H. Drew, C.LE. \ *
1. Operations .—The demobilisation of units, which had been ordered to
Teturn to India, had steadily continued throughout April and was still in
progress. This reduction of the Force had not escaped the notice of the few
remaining rebel Chiefs who were still at large. Zair Khldar and Shaikh
Hussain, who had been responsible for so much trouble during the past years
in the neighbourhood of Bushire, had collected a considerable following in the
village of Baghak, a short day’s march from . the railway line at Chaghadak,
Their attitude was becoming most threatening. This gathering was dispersed
on tfhe 30th April, as reported in my No. 0.-326 of the 5th May 1919 (Dy. No.
40751). Friendly Khans were again reinstalled at Ahram and Khurmuj,
where they have since maintained themsel ves without difficulty, although Zair
Khidar and Shaikh Hussain are still outlaws. The following of both the latter
is now very small being reduced to about a dozen men.
In August, the Assistant Political Officer had a meeting with a Zair
Khidar and Shaikh Hussain at Samal, but failed to come to terms.
Towards the end of April, Ghazanfar, the ifo^Khan of Borasjun, had. also
closed in on the Line of Communication further up and installed himself at
Buh Fariab. He was captured on the 4th May 1919 by Agha Khan, his
former prisoner and successor at Borasjun, with the assistance of our aeroplanes
and the threat of an advancing column of our troops from Main. Unfortu
nately, Ghazanfar was allowed to Escape by Agha Khan in true Persian
fashion, but surrendered himself later to the Persian Authorities at Shiraz
early in June. His family was, however, carried off by Agha Khan, who
married his daughter shortly afterwards.
A third source of trouble lay in a robber gang which was established at
Paras Khau, near Kazaran and was continually committing minor robberies in
that neighbourhood. Paras Khan was raided by a party of South Persian
Bides and tufangchies in our pay on the 26th June. The leader of the gang,
Ismail Beg, surrendered himself after being severely wounded/ to the Officer
Commanding at Kazarun in October.
With the above exceptions there has been no trouble on the Bushire-
.Shiraz road during the past seven months. The road has been divided into
three Sections with military posts at considerable intervals, hut at the same time
local Khans, w r ho had proved themselves trustworthy, were made responsible
for the road within their limits. These Khans provide a few tufangchi posts
in our pay at selected places to supplement military posts and escorts. All
convoys moved up and down the road with small escorts, and as far as possible
military traffic was confined to convoy days, but British Officers have moved
up and down the line freely without escorts.
2. Gulf Ports .—In June, Bandar Abbas w r as transferred from the command
of the Inspector General, South Persia Bifles, to the Bushire Field Force.
The only incidence
occurred at the Gulf Ports.
happened at Charbar where two men were shot on the 17th June by a water
piquet of the 2-lst Brahmans. The water piquet reported that these men
belonged to a party of six armed men, who deliberately advanced on the piquet
and opened fire. The affray occurred on the identical spot where an armed
party of six Brahmans had been brutally murdered in April. The Political
Officer on the spot considered the death of the two men to have been an
unfortunate accident, as the men were friends of the British. There is f
however, grave doubt about this fact. The brother of one of the men is a

About this item

Content

The volume comprises telegrams, correspondence, memoranda, and notes relating to policy on the political and military situation in Shiraz, and Bushire military operations in the period 1918-1920.

Topics discussed in the volume include:

  • Situation at Shiraz as recorded in the telegrams
  • Situation in the Bushire hinterland
  • The authorisation for the commencement of the advance from Bushire
  • Proposed advance from Bushire: Persian Government's instructions to the governments of Gulf ports
  • Bushire-Shiraz operations and the question of withdrawal and evacuation
  • The Bushire-Shiraz road and the proposed further operations by the South Persia Rifles against the rebel khans, and the question of aerial bombardment.

Included in the volume is a map of Bushire and its hinterland (folio 30).

The principal correspondents in the volume are: the Viceroy; Inspector-General, South Persia Rifles; and HBM Minister, Tehran.

The volume includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 volume (297 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 299 (Situation in South Persia) consists of five volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/727-731. The volumes are divided into five parts with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 299; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 299/1918 Pt 2 'Persia - policy; Shiraz situation; Bushire operations' [‎16r] (36/605), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/728, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100087724670.0x000025> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100087724670.0x000025">File 299/1918 Pt 2 'Persia - policy; Shiraz situation; Bushire operations' [&lrm;16r] (36/605)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100087724670.0x000025">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00026e/IOR_L_PS_10_728_0036.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00026e/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image