File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎425v] (498/1080)

The following constitute the Committee of Nationalists :—
Ismail Nakhchiwan.
Zawarzadeh
Meshedi Hussein.
Haji Aqa and brother.
Qulli, a carpet dealer.
Mir Murtaza | B ro thers, and violently anti-British.
Nur Mehdi ;
The Democrat party has identified itself with the above.
The Anarchist section met at the house of the first named, Ismail
Nakhchiwan, on the night of the 14th.
It is obvious that there must be elements in the community hostile to
Muhammad Taqi Khan. Notably among these were two Gendarme officers,
accused of attempting to win back the Gendarmes at Turbat to a sense of
their allegiance to the Shah. They were arrested and brought to Meshed.
There is a decided belief in the city that they have been executed by
Muhammad Taqi Khan.
Two other Gendarme officers, Jafar Khan and Ismail Khan, are in
custody in Quchan. The former was very recently acting Commandant of
Meshed and was arrested for conspiracy.
On the night of the 15th two rifle shots were heard in the city followed
by a fusillade from the gendarme quarters outside the walls from the rifles
of terrified sentries. It is believed in certain quarters that the shots in the
city were an attempt at the assassination of Muhammad Taqi Khan.
It would seem that all hopes of arriving at a compromise with
Muhammad Taqi Khan have not been abandoned by the authorities at
Teheran. A Commission has been sent from the Capital consisting of two
mujtahids, two members of the Majlis for Khdrasan and two other
members.
In addition, a private servant of the Shah has made his appearance.
He is credited popularly with being an envoy but the person he is accredited
to, Muhammad Taqi Khan, considers him to be a spy of Quwam-us-
Saltaneh If so, it is curious he should have been allowred to pass through
the gendarme lines at Sabzewar, etc
Muhammad Taqi Khan has now gathered so much momentum by his
victories over the tribes and by his easy domination of the British in Meshed
that it is unlikely he will consider negotiations that are not dictated by him
self, or until he has suffered a defeat on the Shahrud front.
The Moharram ceremonies passed off without any disturbing incident.
Three mourners died of their self-inflicted wounds and some thirty others
remained unconscious for a considerable time and for similar reasons. The
arrangements made by the gendarmes for the control of the processions and
the preservation of order are described as having been excellent
Bolsheviks.—Six men of a Food Purchasing Commission have arrived
from Askhabad The chief is Protopopov. Two are Kussians, two are
Jews, and the rest Persians or other Muslims. One of the latter is one
Khashab, formerly of the branch of the Russian Bank at Quchan. He is
given a bad reputation by one long resident in Quchan. The Commission
has brought much in the way of silver and gold coin—five kran pieces and
ten rouble gold pieces—wherewith to pay for its purchases.
There has been a wholesale liberation of Bolshevik prisoners and de
tenus, including two of Khudo Verdi’s followers. Four have become gen
darmes, namely Salman, Musaib, Taib, Aziz—all notorious Bolshevik
agents or instruments. Others are Muhammad Ali, Qadir, a shoeing smith,
Karim Barbari, and Faizi. This last was concerned in the raid on Khakis-
tar from Kaakhka last August and is a very special ruffian, his record in
cluding the driving of nails into the shoulders of Menshevik officers in place
of their badges of rank.
The local detective department is watching the British Consulate
General and other British institutions here.