File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎443r] (533/1080)

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No. 41.
1NTELL1QENCE SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK- ENDING OCTOBER 8TH, 021.
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t\x .^sM.—The chronicle of events ended last week with the arrival in
for Qucha° m ° f Mullamma(i Ta( 3* -^^an and his immediate departure
, ur " enc y the situation confronting him caused him to hurry-
northwards. He encountered stray bodies of his force strung along the
Quchan road whose officers tried to dissuade him from going forward. He
was brought up apparently just north of Jafarabad, a large village about
13 miles south of Quchan, where the enemy surrounded, and captured him
and cut off his head.
This event probably occurred on the 3rd October, but the local administra
tion in Meshed did not divulge it until it had become public property bv the
agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of refugees. J
Deprived of its leader the whole insurrectionary movement has collapsed
for the present. I
So far as can be judged from mere indications the gendarmes in the
Quchan area became completely demoralised as scon as engaged for it is
narrated that Muham nad Taqi Khan met their force in shreds from Chinaran
northwards. Bands of them Lave been arriving in Meshed having cast away
their uniforms to avoid detection while one whole formation with an officer
fled across the border to Russia. That it could ever be otherwise was never
imagined for a moment in critical circles for the gendarme force has long been a
rabble of yokels, town wastrels, and bad characters, dressed up and provided
with a rifle apiece.
Hence, the removal by death of the driving spirit has resulted in an \
immediate collapse of the whole crazy structure. As was also to be
expected the cAerie of evil and seditious people surrounding Muhammad
Taqi Khan, who w r ere loud in the press, by placard, and by proclamation, in
piling invective and abuse upon the Shah and his Minister, who were able
to flout the British representatives in their midst, crowded to the telegraph
office where they speeded their dutiful submission and humble loyalty to the
Throne as soon as they heard of the death of their leader. The Karguzar,
who had abetted Muhammad Taqi Khan in his inroad upon British privileges,
had described him as the Napoleon of Persia and as one who was to conquer
the whole country was among these, but made assurance doubly sure by
escaping in a purloined or borrowed motor car towards the south.
Colonel Ismail Khan Bahadur, w T hose rank and title were conferred by
Muhammad Taqi Khan, submitted a renewed allegiance to the Shah and
asked for three months’ leave of absence to Karbala. This officer was among
the loudest of the boasters, claiming at one time to be able to overrun with
the Gendarmerie not only Persia but Turkestan. His command, as well as
that on the Bakharz front, is streaming back to Meshed.
The psychology of the Persian administrator is a puzzle to the Western
observer. By all the canons of statecraft and the dicates of prudence the
force which had crushed a rebellion that had administratively severed
Khorasan from the Persian Empire, that had forced Persian subjects to take
part in Civil War, and that had by means of the abovementioned press, placard,
and proclamation declared its forward policy to be the removal of the
existing dynasty should have been at once directed on the focus of disaffection—
the city of Meshed—if not to administer punishment for its support of the
rebellion then at least to overaw r e it and to keep its insurrectionary elements
submissive. Instead, more placards are posted, the press is again rigged to
proclaim Teheran’s injunctions to the Kurd force to disband homewards.