File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎517r] (681/1080)

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{Hi) All Turkmen have now taken to highway robbery and the roads are
unsafe.
{iv) The passengers on Astrabad include a representative of the Persian
Consul at Baku and one from the Persian Consul at Astrakhan,
also a representative of the Azerbaijan Government.
Bujnurd. —The detachment of 150 mounted men and 4 machine guns has
been distributed over the frontier posts of Kohna Kesar, Duzli Teppe, and Tagan
rog. Vide Internal Summary 30, page 5.
In the Qara Qala and Chikishlyar areas, the Bolsheviks are reported to have
such fractional forces as to be unable to take any steps against robbers and
bandits who infest the hills. The officials at these two places addressed the
Turkmen elders with a view of inducing them to do something to extirpate these
nests but received the answer “ Even in the days of the Tsars when Russia was
ill powerful and these bandits were armed with ancient weapons, no one was able
to- subjugate them or to force them to abstain from raiding. Now [that they are
better armed, no one will force them to yield.
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. Mu’aziz, hereditary Khan of Bujnurd, is being approached by
the Persian Government to accept the governorship of Astarabad in which is
included the whole of the Turkmen of steppe of Gurgan He has not given a
decision but is inquiring of the Government the degree of help in finance, troops,
and military stor^ he may expect from it, and also if he will be required to sub-
jugate and pacify hostile Turkmen.
’ Bajgiran. Juk 22nd .—Two Indians, father and son, have arrived at this
frontier post They state they have come from Tashkent, that they have lived
S yearnt Russia, and are jewellers by calling. They profess to be destitute.
Their case is under disposal by His Britannic Majesty s Consul General.
r\ r i-kt Tr/te An employe of the Tscntro-Soyuz arriving from
Askhabad states that the situation there is very bad and that if the Bolsheviks
ffliHo import sufficient grain from foreign countries during the next three months,
tail to f . T e he possibilities of a counter-revolution
peep e wiU begm to “ie of hi g ^ P economic failure of the Bolsheviks
tdrextting ^mdS. D-.phne among them is stricter than in the days of
the Tscirs*
/This" last statement is open to considerable doubt. For instance, the political
actiS “Red soWr P would never have been tolerated in the armies of the
Tsar )
Recruiting for the Gendarmes of Meshed has commenced again.
Tiro Pnvprnor-desiguate of this sub-province, Shahzada Murtaza
Darragaz. The Gover £ • • w ^ c h will collaborate with
Mirza, has been deputed to <=o«d^t co ^ ^ respeotive Govern .
a Russian commission in the t T . Persian irrigation water and the
ments in this 7^^ f’ n tovemment of Zabardast Khln and the deceased
offences against the Persian u Russian Commissioners will introduce the
British —, -it-ri.
^10 s
Zabardast Khan’s ’^ 0 “| ln h S ^ b ™® n ; e n t °“o Tashkent,'so it’would seem he
camels, 4 horses and mules 78, bare neen sc
intends to settle in Russian territory. *
There is some impression abroad that the Siksia-f c rmerly Adalat-party
: enlisting men ^ ™ ^t Resit^ ^ ^ ^
ing the Stfst^of Russia. People in places are eating dog, cat, and rat
flesh for which 10,000 roubles a pound are bei g p -