File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎508v] (664/1080)

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A' great number of people has been impressed for work in areas devastated by
the flood. Material in the form of roots, grasses and undergrowth, also as stones and
rocks, has been conveyed to Charjui for the work of controlling the flood water
(From this it would appear that the methods pursued by the Bolshevik engineers
have some resemblam e to those employed for the control of the waters of the Indus
at Dera Ghazi Khan in 1901 when “ mattresses ” of scrub were made and kept down
on the bed of the stream by piles and rocks. The scheme was a failure.)
o '
Takhta Bazar. August 17th .—Everyone in Takhta Bazar is in some form
of Bolshevik employment and is rationed with a pound of bread, some soup, and occa
sionally a little rice. All are miserably clad and foot wear is especially rare.
The Jamshedi population is discontented for it has been disarmed, it is not allowed
to emigrate to Afghanistan, and many of its leaders have been arrested and deported
to Tashkent. It is possible that these last are regarded by the Bolsheviks as hostages.
The Jamshedis have recently waited on their rulers in a body and asked either
to be fed or to be allowed to emigrate. Ihey had received no reply to these requests
up to the time of the report.
A certain department has moved to Takhta Bazar from Kushk (propaganda
department). All admissions into Takhta Bazar are now by pass only.
Passenger trains run every third day and troop trains as required.
Military Ivomissar is damashov, the Town Ivomissar, Aqa Murad.
Karki. August 16th. Food is becoming very scarce for fruit and other
crops have been totally ruined by the floods. The troops get a pound of bread a
day, others twelve ounces. Other articles of food are issued when obtainable.
The famine refugees, of whom 300 have recently arrived from Charjui, get eight
ounces of biead a day. Both the Zoung Bokharans and the general public are hostile
to the Bolsheviks and their administration.
The greater part of Karka town has been destroyed by the floods (according
to the Bolshevik press, practically the whole of the Russian portion). All mud
houses have disappeared. Stone houses are still standing but are damaged. The fort
has been w r ashed away. The villages along the banks of the river have disappeared
along with their inhabitants. The earthwork of the railway has been washed away
as far as Samsonov. Khwaja Ambaz fort has totally vanished. Many boats
have been wrecked. The sarais along the river bank between Karki and Charjui
have, in many cases, been demolished.
Karshi. August 17th. — Economic conditions are much the same here as
elsewhere and need not be repeated. Troops are always being told they will soon
be getting good food and clothing. The town has its quota of famine refugees
600 of whom were sent to work on the railway line to Karki but the majority were
too weak. Work on the Imam Jaflar Teppe-Kilif extension of the line is in progress.
On the 6th August a regiment 700 strong left for Karatigan on account of Sher
Muhammad Kor s presence there.
The train service to Kagan is twice a week but freight trains are put on as
required. r
Meetings are held in which hostility to the British Empire is engineered by the
Bolsheviks. Hopes of overrunning the British possessions are held out to the
audiences.
Bqrhara and Kagan. August 21st.—The garrison of Bokhara is under Reza
mi en v 1 ’ f -R lr |\ an .^ e s ^ stein Turkish. Rifles are of various patterns.
The Yash Bokharm troops are better fed and clad than the Bolshevik. They
get toot wear of red Bokharan leather.
Qadir ’ SOn of Moh iuddin, constitute the Govem-
are rinsirnus of tho t f f § rea * m *erest ,, the improvement of conditions and
?s in XZ Of tl 1 the eX Z rair - Ustaua Kul the ^-prime minister,
inir nnalitvZf Z a & rICU t ure - He is at great pains to make cultivators
nnpro v^e tne quality ot and area under crops.
a rp e ^ 0rt ^’ economic conditions are getting worse and many people
damaged t^fipM 6 WfR ry 'n A ^°? 1 Came from tlle direction of Samarkand and
damaged the fields but the city of Bokhara has not been afiected.