Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎298v] (601/1028)

8
The sons of Shaikh Husain of Chahkutah, whom Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i-Intisar was able to
use last year on the side of Government against the rebel Ghazanfar-us-Sultanah
of Borzajan, themselves rebelled against the Government as a result of the tact
less behaviour of the Militaiy and in the month of April, Shaikh Nasir Khan eon
of Shaikh Husain Khan, with some thirty armed men occupied Chaghadak (lately
the headquarters and farm of Herr Wassmuss) about 16 miles to the east of Bushim
and bastinadoed the headman to whom the Persian Government had leased the
village. By the end of the year, however, most of the headmen had been
rounded up and despatched to Tehran.
At the beginning of the year whilst the Kerman regiment was operating in the
Shibkuh region, the Officer Commanding seized all the Arab headmen—13 in all—
and sent them under escort to Tehran. This wholesale arrest and deportation
seriously increased the unrest in that region, and the leading Shaikh of Teben
Shaikh Muhammad bin Ahmad Khalfan, who escaped arrest mustered the re
maining Arabs and at the close of the year was still holding out against Govern
ment troops estimated to number between one and two thousand. Shaikh Muham
mad bin Ahmad Khalfan visited Bahrain and Hasa and wished to proceed to Riadh
but the Amir of Hasa discouraged him from proceeding further than Hofuf. He
ultimately returned to Teben and on the 12th November attacked a Persian cus
toms launch and shot dead an Inspector and wounded an Amniy h guard.
At a service held in memory of the deceased Inspector, Mulla Abdullah al
Fazil, a blind pleader and “ Eozakhan ” of Bushire made certain references to the
services rendered by the late Colonel Muhammad Taqi Khan (supporter of Saiyid
Zia-ud-D n and the late Kh'yabani (a republican) both o" whom were viewed by
the present Shah as his rivals. The MuUa was promptly placed under arrest and
deported.
SECTION 7.
Slavery.
During the year under review the following slaves were manumitted by order
of the Hon’ble the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
Slaves who escaped from the Trucial coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and took refuge at the Bahrain
A g enc y ..... .. .. .. .. .. 15
Slaves who took refuge with the 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. Agent, Shargah .. 16
Slaves from Basidu who took refuge at the Bahrain Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .. ,. 4
SECTION 8.
Trade and Trade Facilities.
Tiade. Of conditions during 1930 it was generally said, by way of conso
lation, that at least they could hardly be worse and that the commercially dis
astrous situation created by the Government arbitrary control of exchange, was
too impossible to last. Events of 1931 were to show, however, that the Govern
ment s incursions into the realms of economics during the preceding year were as
nothing compared with what was to follow.
The year opened with gloomy prospects. Abroad there was no market for
Persian produce , at home prices for all commodities were rising ; the price of silver
was at the lowest ebb, the kran with it (as regards illegal bazaar transactions) and
any prospect of the gold standard being introduced at any early date doubtful in
tiie extreme. It was patent to everybody that the Government’s control of ex
change had proved a fiasco. In practice, as a result of the resale system whereby the
banks were buying exchange on the condition, imposed by the seller, that it should
> e resold to the person he designated, and from whom he recovered the difference
>etween the official and bazaar rate, the effect of the exchange law was merely to
pc ioihse the exporter, who had to guarantee to sell exchange against his exports
^e omcial rate, while the importer, obtaining his exchange in the bazaar, could