File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎323r] (293/1080)

consumer. The result is that in such circumstances the State no longer issues
naked bread to those on its ration list but flour in lieu, the recipient haying to
make his own arrangements for preparing the same for food. Even then the
officials short issue the flour and sell the ill-gotten surplus in the bazar.
51. The public, especially the trading class, have completely lost faith in
the State. Those who have any goods at all conceal them, for the sight of
things for sale will excite the cupidity of officials and leads to confiscation on
some pretext or another.
52. hokhara. Every arrival from Bokhara has a fresh town to report in
the possession of the Basmachi. It is possible it is not the town that is so
occupied but the area of which the town is the centre and that the centre is in
the possession of Bolshevik troops. In fact, the same conditions of warfare
are in progress in Eerghana. The Bolsheviks hold the towns and are confined
thereto by the devastated surrounding country which is unable to support their
columns.
53. Conditions continue to be more favourable to existence in Bokhara
than elsewhere in the Eastern territories of the Soviet Government. Food is
more plentiful, though standing at prodigious figures in paper roubles. The
ration of the troops is on a higher scale and is provided by the Bokharan
Government which, as far as possible, prohibits the export of grain from the
Bepublic.
54j. In Bokhara itself there are computed to be 5,000 famine refugees and
this is the maximum the city will accept. They are reported to be well cared
for by the State authorities.
55. Bokhara is anxious to extend its sphere of influence abroad like the
other petty Bepublics of the Soviet. A Consul named Kasim Bek has been
appointed to Tehran and Mulla Muhammad Amin in the same capacity to
Meshed. r J
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56. The following places are the latest to be reported in Basmach hands:
ISurata, Doshamba, Hissar, Dehnao, Yurchi,—though as remarked before,
it is possibly only the surrounding country which is so occupied.
57. When last heard of Beisun had not been attacked owing to the natural
strength of its situation. Yurchi, where Mohiudin Khwaja is the rebel leader,
is about 36 miles from Beisun and the rebel sphere extends to within 16 miles
of the latter town.
58. The rebel leader in the Shahr-i-Sabz and Yakka Bagh areas is Abdul
Ghani “ Tuk Sabah.” In the Kramina area is Parda Bai.
59. The rebels were recently routed near Shahr-i-Sabz, since when that
town and Guzar are described as enjoying a period of quiet.
60. A Turkmen raid on the Karshi-Karki alignment is reported to have
occurred during the last week of December.
61. Bokhara.-^ An intelligent Indian, a Shikarpuri, long resident for
business purposes in Andijan, has given an account of the condition of the
province, but to repeat it is only to recount all that has been said of other
places under Bolshevik rule. He scout the belief that the Basmachi are in
receipt of arms and ammunition from Kashgar. Were that so, he is sure the
rebels would overwhelm their opponents. All they possess in the way of
munitions is what they have been able to procure by purchase from Bolshevik
officials nf which traffic there is a gdod deal—and what they are able to seize
in their raids.
62. According to this man, the original head of the movement was
Muhammad Amin, and Sher Muhammad was his chief lieutenant. Muham
mad Amin went over to the Bolsheviks who, in time, sent him on deputation to
Sher Muhammad to negotiate terms. For his treachery the latter had him
killed.
^•3. The narrator left Andijan two months ago and at that time Sher
Muhammad was in a place called Baramat Kishlaq (village), 32 versts east of
Andijan. Another stronghold of the rebels was Kokan Kishlaq, 24 versts
north-east of Andijan.