File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎699v] (1046/1080)

(2) Prcvocatory action has been especially noticeable during the past week
mainly in the shape of rumours which spread like wildfire throughout the city
of the destruction of the mosque of Kufa by British guns and of the deporta
tion to India of mullahs from Najaf. So skilfully was this manipulated that
anti-British indignation was speedily apparent, and mischievous individuals such
as the Bais-i-Tujjar attempted to engineer an appeal from the religious leaders
to foreign legations at Tehran. Other absurd rumours such as the transfer of
the Shah to Kirman, the demand by the British Government of 20 million ster
ling to recoup themselves for military protection affoided to Persia, and the
landingof 70,000 British troops at Bushire, have since been put about. In the
present unsettled state of the public mind such rumours find a more ready
credence than in normal circumstances, and there can be little doubt that this
fact has been grasped by those responsible for their dissemination. On the
other hand preaching against Bolshevik tenets by various religious leaders during
the week has had a satisfactory result.
Herat and Afghanistan.
33. Current events .—The arrival at Herat noted in paragraph 26(2),
proves to be Mirza Jilani Khan w r ho had been deputed by the Afghan envoy
at Tashkent, General Muhammad Wall Khan, to bring him the equivalent of
a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. in Bussian gold and notes. After some difficulty about
getting a permit from Yulusov owing to the latter’s demand for a complete list
of valuables to be carried which was overcome by the Naib-ul-Hukumah’s inter
vention, Jilani Khan left for Kushk with a cavalry escort on the 16th instant.
The Uzbek interpreter of the Soviet consulate left for Russia the same day.
( 2 ) The party of 17 Indians left for Kabul via Kandahar on the 18th
January. They represented themselves to be in indigent circumstances and
applied to the Kaib-ul-Hukumah for assistance which was refused on the
ground that they had no credentials from the Afghan envoy as Tashkent, but
on their producing not only a letter from him but one from Kazim Beg’ they
were granted a subsistence allowance of a rupee per diem each, free transport,
and other facilities. They stated that their party on its original visit to Kabul
in the time of the late Amir had numbered 200 men, but that only 50—of
whom they were the advanced party—were now returning. They were in
j possession of silver medals presented by the late Amir and had “ rendered
| distinguished services in Bussia” whatever that may mean. They certainly
appeared suspect to the Bolsheviks as Yulusov had their movements shadovved
as long as they were at Herat.
Another batch of seven Indians were sent in the same day under escort by
the Governor of Gulran who had arrested them on the frontier on suspicion
of being Jamshadis, and had confiscated their horses and seven English rifles
and nine revolvers in their possession. These people were treated as suspects
by the aib-ul-Hukumah and interned in the Chahar Bagh. On one of
their number trying to escape over the roof the Naib-ul-Hukumah ordered
the remainder with the exception of one Sayyid to be put in chains for greater
security. &
D . Some suspicion as to the former batch appears to have been aroused and
Bisaldar Khuda Baksh and another officer werej despatched to Anardarrah it
was thought m this connection. J
Tie names of the batch who left for Kabul were
Khuda Baksh.
Gul Muhammad.
Murad Baksh.
"Walat Shah.
Muhammad Yunus Hassan.
Maz Ali.
Bustam Khan.
And four not noted.
Khadim All.
Omar Baksh.
Gulam Muhammad.
Tab Muhammad.
Abdul Rahman.
Azam Beg.
j