File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎489r] (625/1080)

Asadulla Zawadzadah ; Saiad Kaslifi, and Aqa Daud Sadar-ul-Waizin. Some of
the above are active propagandists.
The City community of Turks and Caucasians is swayed by politics peculiar to
itself. Its members are sympathetic towards Bolshevik Russia, antipathetic to
British interests, and supporters of Muhammad Taqi Khan who, though a Persian
subject, is of Turkish extraction from Tabrez.
Sedition. -Muhammad Taqi Khan is popularly believed to be in secret
correspondence with other rebels in Mazenderan, Gilan, and Azerbaijan with the
object of forming with them an armed confederacy against the Tehran Govern
ment. There is nothing confirmatory of this, though in the circumstances reports
of such action on his part are plausible.
197.—Cis-Prontier:
Bandargaz.—N ewsletters o^ 7th and 11th August are devoid of both interest
and importance. The information they afford is as fol ows :—
(i) The situation in the province remains unchanged. The routes are unsafe
for travellers. Posts to Astarabad and Mazenderan are sent under
convoy of military sowars and insured parcels are not accepted.
(ii) The ship chartered by the Tsentro Soyuz and previously reported as
having touched at Mashad-i-Sar is at Bandargaz. She was still
awaiting permission to sell her cargo. On the 9th the crew became
angry and took the ship to sea but brought her back after a few
hours’ absence. Their action was apparently due to a non-receipt
of wages for a considerable time but their seizure of the ship evidently
forced a compromise with the owners’ representatives on board.
{Hi) The Bolshevik Consul of Astarabad had not arrived up to the time of
the report. The Acting Governor has received instructions to receive
him formally on arrival.
(iv) Amir Azim has been appointed Governor of Astarabad as foreshadowed
last week.
Bujnurd— August .—According to accounts reaching Bujnurd from
Trans-Caspia the Bolsheviks contemplate transporting a total of 50,000 people from
the famine districts to the more favoured Turkestan. It is said that the distress
and destitution of these emigres is so great that they are selling their daughters
for articles of food.
The increase in strength of the garrison from Kohna Kesar to Qara Qala has
been added to by a sotnia of 100 men. According to reports and narratives received
from Robat and Kheirabad (frontier posts further east. Trans.), from Yangi
Gala Firtiza, and Garmab, almost the whole of the As khabad garrison is on the
frontier The correspondent goes on to say that though this was decided at the
recent Conference at Askhabad, is it true ?
It is generally considered in Askhabad that this despatch of troops to the
frontier has for an object the mitigation of the question of supply and the post
ponement of the day when famine must prevail by making the best use possible
of the Persian frontier population.
\lthoucdi the question of an incursion into Gumbat-i-Qabus may have been
discussed in°Askhabad it has not so far materialized.
Of the 550 men reported on the Kohna Kesar-Qara Qala line the majority are
not fit for service and sell their equipment for bread.
It mav therefore be accepted as a safe conclusion that with the present state
' flrme d forces in Trans-Caspia the Bolsheviks would be able to attempt nothing
fn the way of acquisitory designs upon Gumbad-i-Qabus so long as the internal
of p ersia remain normal and the warring elements of the Atabai and Jafarbai
compose their differences.