File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎444v] (536/1080)

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CIS-EEONTIER.
Bandar gaz .—
Bujnurd —September 27th.
A communication of the above date has been twice censored, once in
Bujnurd and once in Meshed. The correspondent phrases his.letter so crypti
cally from fear of the Censor as to render it valueless. He is clear on one
point, however, which is that the Bolsheviks are re-establishing their frontier
posts from Chikishlyar to the Sungu Dagh (Gazetteer of Persia, Volume I, page
689).
Kuchan .—October 6 th.
Rumours of anticipated troubles in Russia are arriving from Askhabad, a
secession of Bolsheviks from the Jewish element being foreshadowed.
The following is a brief account of the counter-revolution in the Quchan
area :—
On the 28th September Parajulla Khan, a rich landed proprietor of the
Sbirwan district, with 24 sowars besieged a gendarme detachment of equal
strength in Shirw r an. The latter surrendered and their officer fled to Quchan.
On the 29th, Faruj, a large village between Shir wan and Quchan on the
Pujnurd road, was captured by Parajulla Khan. The news reaching Quchan,
the gendermes started to dig themselves in covering Old Quchan, which is about
seven miles west of the present town and on the Bujnurd road. They also
prepared a position at the Teppe-i-Nadiri, or Mound of Nadir Shah, a tumulus
a little outside Quchan and to the north of the Bujnurd road—supposed to
be the site of the last stand and assassination of Nadir Shah A third party
prepared to defend themselves in the Arq, or citadel, of Quchan. Each party
consisted of two to three officers and 40 men.
On the 30th two Kurd khawanin of the Qaramanlu tribe, Wali Khan and
Ibrahim Khan, entered Quchan from the south-east where it was not protect
ed and attacked the .gendermes in the citadel, killing five for the loss of ore,
whereupon the garrrison surrendered.
The Kurds remained in occupation of Quchan till the 1st, when they with
drew to baruj, for what reason is not clear, but probably upon news of
gendarme reinforcements arriving from Meshed. Moreover, there is little
doubt that there was much pillaging, and one account says a division of the
booty and of the arms and ammunition surrendered by the gendarmes was
made Paruj Prior to their departure a gendarme reinforcement arriving
from Meshed in carriages surrendered to them without demur.
During the night of the 1 st October the whole gendarme force evacuated
Q,uchan---w 7 hich was probably one of the conditions of surrender—and
made their w 7 ay to Ja afarabad, a large village about 13 miles from Quchan on
the road to Meshed.
On the 2 nd October the Kurd force, having been reinforced to a total of
7.00 sowars, re-occupied Quchan, where they appear to have been joined hv a
mounted detachment of the 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. of Bujnurd.
On the oid they received news that a large force w r as advancing from
Meshed.under command of Muhammad Taqi Khan. They decided to go and
meet this, foice and left for Ja afarabad, thereby showing some generalship, for
Quchan is. too large to be held by a small force such as theirs w r as, whereas the
countiy immediately north of Ja’afarabad afforded them a good position
astride the road from Meshed.
It is not clear from the narrative who attacked, but fortune going against
the gendarmes, Muhammad laqi Khan tried to rally them and himself took
charge of a machine gun. He and his detachment was surrounded by the
sowars of Wall Khan and he himself shot in the leg. He sent an orderly to
get his horse, but the man did not return. He was then recognized by Wali
Khan s men, w ho rushed him, cut his throat, and cut off his head, which w 7 as
taken with the body to Qucban. A shoulder strap was detached and sent to the
revolutionary government in Meshed as a token of what had happened.