File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎664r] (975/1080)

Intelligence Summary No. 11 for the-week endisg th^ Kth March 1921.
Khorasan and North-East Persia.
,, South-East Caspian region .—There is no further news of fighting in
the liunbad-i-Qabus neighbourhood, but the situation remains strained and the
Ixovernor was present there at the end of February with his mounted detach
ment. . It is generally thought that the rebellions Turkman are in resceipt of
financial assistance from the Bolsheviks.
Inhabitants, including Turkman, round Bandar Gaz are providing them
selves with 3-lme rifles, the price of which has risen locally from 7 to 25 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. .
81. Local. Meshed remains quiet, although anxiety prevails. Additional
m< i I1 j ai i e e ^ s ^ e( ^ f° r internal defence, and leading inhabitants have been
asked to contribute to the cost of their maintenance. The response, however
is poor. *
Herat and Afghanistan.
82. Current events. —Considerable anxiety was caused at Herat by the
news of the murder of Bravine and by apprehensions of its possible conse
quences. The Naib-ul-Hukumah pretermitted his usual durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). for 3 days, but
on the 1st March received a letter for Kabul which stated that the matter need
cause him no anxiety as Bravine had previously accepted Afghan nationality,
and the Bolsheviks would have no locus standi for causing unpleasantness.
In the absence of Yulusov (his wife has since left for Russia and his
own return is not anticipated) the Bolshevik Vice-Consul is active in propa
ganda. He called in and gave alms to a beggar, and the latter on being inter
rogated subsequently stated that the official had told him that a Bolshevik
had been murdered in Afghanistan, that Red troops would shortly flood Herat
on that account, and that when that happy consummation arrived the poor
would come to their own and the rich go to the wall.
The Consulate has also been making further overtures to Rissaldar Khuda
Baksh, the Afghan frontier intelligence officer, and the latter has been per
emptorily ordered by the Naib-ul-Hukumah to cease all connection with the
Bolsheviks.
The Consulate staff apparently think that if a successor is not appointed
to Yulusov within a month there is a probability of their recall to Russia.
Abdurrahman Beg, the Turkish Enovy left Herat for Kabul via Kandahar
on the 25th February.
Several suspects including a Turk and a Russian have been brought in
from the frontier- The Russian is said to be an ex-officer who has adopted
Islam.
The Kotvial has, by virtue of a farman from Kabul, been installed with
due ceremony as commandant of the Kotwali battalion. This post was pre
viously occupied by a military officer.
A company of the Jadidi Herati battalion has arrived on relief from Chihil
Dukhtaran.
^ Russian Turkistan.
83. Current events.—Reports of disturbances at Kazan a re c u rr entin
Turkistan but bevond a rumour at Tashkent on the 25th February that 2,000
troops of the garrison were likely to proceed to Pctrograd there is no indication
that the disturbances in north Russia had become known.
On the other hand there are abundant reports of conations
^F d ^e£°a C ” “nd ^thTtVoo^
work of reconstruction as aiso au a . m 1ir u; c ,ta T , The passage through
i^of^ Baku was actual reported
on the 2nd March.
F\T^. in JNTTA FOR^jG
i
EC Ej-TARY’S
EG
32 M
J 1 T
T 21st APR.
,Recc. 9th
M AV
ii!>-5 i