File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎434v] (516/1080)

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the man’s whereabouts were not known, he was fetched back from Nishapur
in similar circumstances of brutality and set at liberty.
The intimation received during the week from His Majesty’s Minister at
Tehran that His Majesty’s Government is resenting the continued unfriendly
attitude of Muhammad Taqi Khan towards the British Consulate is a source of
considerable satisfaction and of gratitude. Whether the terms of that intimation
have penetrated to Muhammad Taqi Khan or, having penetrated, have impres
sed him, it is impossible to say. What is certain is that previous liberty of
action has not been restored to the British official community.
Despite these outrages upon the privileges of the British representatives
in Meshed, despite the attitude of unfriendliness alluded to above, the autho
rities of the gendarme Government have had the hardihood to claim that their
operations enjoy the countenance of the British Government. These ^
propaganda strengthen the cause of rebellion and dishearten the loyalist parties,
as for instance the tribes, who point to Muhammad Taqi Khan’s abundance
of armament of British sources as proof of the odds with which they are
contending.
It may be opportune at this juncture to record that, prior to the departure
south of the last contingent of Indian troops in March last, an officer of the
Meshed Military Mission addressed a note to the Chief of the Mission giving
it- as his opinion that the final withdrawal of British armed detachments
would be an opportunity for the insurrectionary Turk and Kavkazi elements
in Meshed to produce conditions of disorder. He suggested that, in view of
this contingency, it were as well that loyalist troops be brought from
Tehran to succeed as guardians of the peace those of British denomination
shortly about to leave.
Twenty days after the departure of the British detachment, Muhammad
Taqi Khan and his assistant, Ismail Khan, deposed the Governor-General,
the whole of the Local Government, and most of the sub-provincial governors.
Both these men are Tabrezi Turks, the former of Kavkazi descent. The events
developing from that action have been detailed in these pages already and
it is sufficient to say in conclusion that the controlling political party
now working to effect cohesion to Bolshevik interests is the Nationalist
Committee of Khorasan, or Milyun, a body composed of the Turk and
Kavkazi elements aforesaid.
The command of the Meshed Police was taken from a Swedish officer,
who was advised to remove himself from Meshed and was conferred upon
a Turk.
Hence the contingency foreseen by the officer abovementioned has
materialised along the lines suggested.
MILITARY.
As far as ascertainable the following moves have taken place during the
week :—
Arrivals.
September 24th. Sixty-five recruits from
Turshiz. Adjutant Reza Khan and 25 men
from Quchan. Twenty-five police converted
into gendarmes.
September 25th. Furty-five recruits from
Chenaran and Zushk.
September 26th • . . . .
September 27th. Seventy recruits from
Quchan under Ali Mirza Khan.
September 2bth. Forty recruits from Turshiz.
September 30th. One hundred and ten local
beggars and loafers enlisted.
October 1st . • . . ,
Departures.
Fifty-two men and 2 machine gun sections
for Sabzewar, including Turks, Armenians
and two Russians. Adjutant Reza
Khan returns to Quchan with 25 new
enlistments. Fifty for Sabzewar with
300 suits of winter clothing. Twenty-
five for Turbat-i-Haidari.
One company and a! machine gun for Sabze
war.
Eighty men and one machine gun en ronit
for Turbat-i-Haidari were recalled and
sent to Quchan.