'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎647v] (1296/1386)

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expected after little more than a month, when the Kurdish operations must necessarily
cease.
I have, &c.
(Signed) EMILIUS CLAYTON.
Inclosure 2 in No. 54.
Captain Clayton to Major Trotter,
Sir, Van, October 25, 1880.
I HAVE received some further details as regards the rising of the Kurds against
the Persian authority. >
In the first place, it must be understood that round Souk Bulak are found the
following tribes :—On the north-east and cast, the Mikry, consisting of 2,000 houses;
on the south, the Meukury, 5,000 houses; on the south-west, the Mamash, 3,000 houses;
on the north-west, about Schino, the Zeza, 1,000 houses ; and on the north, between
Souk Bulak and the Lake of Urumiah, the Karapapak, 3,000 houses. Of these the
first four are Kurdish and Sunnite, but the Karapapak arc Persian Shutes.
When the Kurdish Chief, Hamze, fled from Souk Bulak after his escapade there,
he went first to the Meukury, of which he is Chief, and then, taking with him a few of
the principal men, went to the Mamash and consulted with the Chief. Apparently,
there is a pretty widespread dissatisfaction with the Persian rule, and the Chief of the
Mamash agreed to join Hamze in a revolt. They then went to Schino, where
Abdullah Khan, the Chief of the Zezas, is Hakim, or Governor. Abdullah Khan’s
sister is, I believe, the wife of Sheikh Obeidullah ; at all events, there is some near
connection between them. This Abdullah Khan had been badly treated by the
Persian Governor of Urumiah, who had sent for him on some plea, and had then seized
him, inflicted on him 1,000 stripes, and had only let him go on payment of a heavy
fine. He therefore readily agreed to join the other two Chiefs, and they determined to
appeal to Abdulkader, the son of Sheikh Obeidullah, who resides at Mergawar, and has
been made by the Persians Chief Ruler of the districts and tribes near the frontier.
Abdulkader espoused their cause, and after having collected their men, they marched
on Souk Bulak. Passing on their way the Karapapak, the latter were compelled to
join with them, lest they should be destroyed. The Mikry also joined them, but,
apparently, unwillingly. Souk Bulak was then completely surrounded ; the Governor,
a Prince of the blood, with his retinue, being shut in. However, the Chief of the
Mikry acted as mediator, and the Prince with his retinue were permitted to depart,
leaving behind their arms and property. After this Souk Bulak surrendered to the
Kurds without a shot being fired. Abdulkader then sent to the tribes to the south
and south-east, as far as Bannu and Sakkyz, summoning them to submit to him, which
summons they obeyed, and he then organized a Provisional Government, appointing
Hakims for the districts which had submitted. He then advanced from Souk Bulak
to the Tatau River, which divides the country inhabited principally by Kurds from that
inhabited by the Persians proper. Here he was said to have 20,000 men with him,
but reliance cannot be placed on these numbers. He then sent to Merhemetarad, and
summoned it to surrender. On refusal, it was surrounded, attacked, and taken,
600 out of the 1,000 houses it possessed being pillaged. The last information leaves
Abdulkader between Merhemetarad and Maragha, several guns, besides other
munitions of war, having fallen into his hands. It is said that the Persians are
making great exertions to meet this rebellion, three columns being formed, two
converging from Tehran and Tabriz on Abdulkader's force, and the other moving by
the western side of the Lake of Urumiah to menace his retreat. News of a serious
action is daily expected.
There are said to be two other corps of’Kurds in the field; one, under the Sheikh’s
eldest son, is about Mergawar, apparently to protect Abdulkader’s retreat, and the
other, under the Sheikh s Khalife, Said, is somewhere between Gevver and Urumiah.
Said came to the Kurds of Hakkiari with other emissaries, and told them that the
Turks were with them, and would provide arms, &c., and now was the time to recover
from Ali Khan all that he had robbed them of.
A considerable number joined Said’s force, but the Turkish authorities have sent
warnings to them not to join this movement, and a good many have returned to their
homes.
I he Persian Governor of Urumiah, having been blamed by his Government for