"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎٥‎٣] (٣٩٦/١١٣)

28
PERSIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
way in the Chahargumbaz mountains. It was impossible to t-ike them by
surprise, as they were kept well informed of our movements by friends i n
the town, probably including Agha Murad. On one expedition an Austria^
by name " Chope," who had got separated from his pompanions, was found
and recaptured at Balward. Hussain Khan and his guests remained in the
Chahargumbaz country until driven out alter a few "weeks by tliG cold,
when they moved across to Kuhistan. Later Bruggmann and some others
appear to have gone to Darab. In the attack it was stated that Hussain
Khan was accompanied by a contingent of Khistanis, men of Shaikh Abul
Hassan's. That the ex-prisoners are on some sort of terms both with the
Khistanis and Baharlu is evident, but it is not clear that they have received
any armed assistance from them, and it is said that ^ Shahzada Hussain
was later robbed and reduced to destitution in Kuhistan, but this is
uncertain. One thing which has been abundantly proved however is that
the sympathies of the tribes, whether active or passive, are substantially
with the Germans and Turks. Our Buchaqchi " Allies ' have played a Tery
ambiguous part, and it has not been a helpful one. The active elements
in the town have been no better, and the Afshars, while professing good
will, entirely failed to make any move towards capturing the prisoners
which they could probably have easily done. Offers of rewards have proved
absolutely useless His Majesty's Consul at once offered 500 tomans apiece for
Hussain Khan, Ali Khan, Shahzada Hussain and the Turk, any Europaan, and
the offer for the Turk was later raised to 2,000 tomans A soecial offer was
also made by His Majesty's Consul to Gunj Ali Khan, Afshar, of a lump sum of
5,000 tomans for the delivery of the principal personages, with an immediate
cash advance of 500 tomans for mobilisation expenses, if he Avould undertake the
job. He did not however go the length of even applying for the 500 tomans.
Why local feeling should be so strongly on the enemy side is not easy to
determine with certainty. There is little doubt however that, in August, the
populace of Sirjan believed that the Turkish advance was progressing unchecked.
It was current that they were already in Yezd. The llussians are undoubtedly
an object of tear and consequently of hate throughout Persia and we have
associated ourselves with them. The Democrat type of Persian appears
to picture a Persia emptied of Russians and British offering a happy
hunting ground for his own depredations. He does not reckon w r ith the Germans
and Turks as a permanent factor, and so far as he has seen them their policy
admirably suits his owm most vicious ambitions. After the hope of satis
fying his own immediate self-interest by looting, stealing and thieving ad lib,
the Persian is undoubtedly influenced by the idea of the solidarity of Islam,
and when in this frame of mind he does not think of the Turk as a Suni
Heretic, nor as the historical enemy of Persia and transgressor of its frontiers,
but only as a brother Muslim, Even h^re and in the presence of His Majesty's
Consul the " Ambassador " Obeilullah is always spoken of with a latent feeling
of respect. To judge from his letters he is an accomplished Persian scholar,
and he evidently knows how to appeal to such slight vein of religious fanaticism
as there is in the Persian and to the much deeper and more general hostility to the
European that lies at the bottom of every Persian's heart. Turk and German
are a strong combination, each making good the defects of the other.
The part played by the people of the town was beyond all doubt, though
it was impossible to prove guilt against individuals, and it was necessary to take
notice of it. Phis Captain Wagstaff decided to do by imposing a general fine on
a t ic inhabitants of 15,000 tomans. The apportioning and collecting of this
line wasJe.t to the local^ Persian authorities. 5,000 tomans was eventually
remitted, but the remaining 10,000 tomans was duly collected. His Majesty 's
Consul at once notified his approval of the measure to His Majesty's Minister,
an i is a niost curious fact that up to row, nearly five months alter the
imposition ot the fine, no attempt appears to have been made by the Persian
i ^ ^ Tf stion ! ^ interfere. Various individual protests have
D ip nT^ Uei f* eC ^ is Majesty s Consul, and in a few cases a readjustment of
^onW^l f 111110 ^ aS be ! n but in fine has been
appropriate sequel to the episode; and
ect has been wholly excellent. A protest was lodged with His Majesty 's