File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎684r] (1015/1080)

SECRET.
g z i FI /
b ^
!:: 2 i
! r
INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING THE 12TH FEBRUARY 1021
No. 7.
Khorasan and North=East Persia.
*9 British -British officers and Mission details with ^ squadron of
4^nd Cavalry marched into Meshed from Kuchan on the 8 th instant q
. Frontier.^ The Gurgan region has lately been quiet but indications
pointing to disorder there m the spring-probably fomented by Bolshevik
agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. are reported. The Ata Bai section of Turkman has split into two
Camps, one ot which is loyal to the Persian authorities, and the other
numerically stronger-hostile Elements of the latter party recently seized
a Kurd caiavan near Gunbad-i-Qabus. Petty merchants in the Bui nurd district
are delighted at the prospect of the reopening of trade foreshadowed bv the
proposed agreement with Soviet Russia. ^
irn ?J uta . mmad I ^ u i ssain of the Oghaz valley, whose son was an adherent of
Knuddu, is reported to have collected a few men and to be giving trouble
to the frontier authorities at Bajgiran. 5
• + ° f m(3n have been sent bim to Kuchan where they
intended to purchase cloth and other articles and found accommodation in the
house of an agent of the Rais-i-Tujjar. One has been arrested by the Persian
authorities but the other escaped.
50. ZocaL—The Governor-General has received an anonymous letter
purporting to emanate from some liberty-loving society in which it w^as
intimated that he, the Chief of Police, and other officials would do well to
| change their methods. Several new societies have recently been formed and
l appear to be pro-Bolshevik. One of these, the Hafz-i-qanun, has moved
into spacious quarters in the Bala Khyaban. Speakers at Askhabad, no
doubt by way of encouragement to intending propagandists, state that the
Bersian and British authorities at Meshed are now powerless to interfere with
the doings of Soviet agents no matter how well they may be known.
Several mujtahids from Tehran continue to exercise an excellent influence
|in combating the spread of Bolshevism.
There is discontent among the artillery and infantry owing to the non-
receipt of their arrears of pay which they understand has been disbursed by
the Treasury hut with held by the military commander.
Several merchants from Quchan have already moved to Meshed owing to
nervousness at the departure of our troops from the former place, and state that
^others are following their example.
Herat and Afghanistan.
61. Current events .—Two battalions, a squadron, and a battery were sent to
Tal on the 30th January to meet the expected Bokharan envoy, and the Bolshe
vik consul with some of his staff was also in attendance. The expected arrival
proved to be a relative of the present president of the Bokharan republic named
Abdurrahim, -was accompanied by a suite of some 18 persons, and from the
moment of his reception commenced to cause the Herat authorities acute
embarrassment. In addressing the troops he congratulated them on the
independence which they had attained, and at the succeeding collation insisted
on having the viands removed from the table to the floor, there to be partaken of
in true^Muslim fashion. A ceremonial visit was paid to the Naib-ul-Hukumah,
the Naib Salar and military staff being present and Yulusov was subsequently
visited. The entourage lost no time in pervading the bazars where they were
loud in praise of the Bolsheviks and the benefits accruing from alliance with
them, and furthermore fraternised with the Herat soldiers to whom they
T^r r ' T A FOB-A
-Kin 24M
NT
„• -cr V ^