'تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للسنوات ١-١٩١٤" [ظ‎‎١‎٠‎٤] (٤٨٨/٢١٣)

70 PE11SIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORT
Last year closed with tlie Shaikh's Deputy acting as Deputy Govern
Shushtar after the Shaikh had restored, order iu that place, at the sue ki 1
urgent request of the Persian Government. The executive Khans on I v
their winter quarters, at Ab-bid, north of Shushtar, informed the Shaikh
unless his Deputy were removed from the town immediately he would betn
out by force. ^
The situation becoming critical, after reference to His Majesty's Mini t
and to the Eesident, it was agreed by the^ Chiefs of both sides that the points I
issue should be discussed by representatives of both sides in the presence oft?
British Consular officers for Arabistan and Ahwaz.
The Shaikh, relying on this meeting, had taken small precautions to protect
himself : the Khans in Tehran also had promised the Legation that no hostile
movement should take place.
The Shaikh then realised too late that the local Executive Khans proposei
to make good the threats which they had made against him and he had but j
few Arabs in Shushtar when, at the end of April, the Bakhtiaris attacked ani
took that town.
On seeing the stage which matters had reached the Shaikh collected at
Naseri an army of some ten to fifteen thousand men and proceeded to maicl
on Shushtar. In the meantime the Khans in Tehran promised the Legatioi
that the town should be evacuated. This, however, was not done till the daj
the Shaikh's forces advanced from Ahwaz whereon the Khans retired to tte
own country by double marches.
This evacuation was claimed to be the result of orders which had been issuel
from Tehran. This would not, however, appear to be very probable since, wi
at Shushtar, the executive Khans were writing letters to the tribes around asking
them to join them in attacking the Shaikh and boasting that they would tab
Ahwaz and even Mohammerah.
The Arab conuugent then occupied Shushtar but, on being informed througl
the Minister and His Majesty's Consul that tlieie would be no further hosi
movement against him, the Shaikh immediately disbanded his forces. At tk
request of the Persian Deputy Governor who had, previous to this, arrived at lis
post, a few men were left at his disposal to assist him in keeping order.
An incident, however, occurred which has been the cause of much suk
quent trouble.
The forces on both sides, Arab or Bakhtiari, are composed of irregulai
troops with the smallest amount of discipline : there is, it need hardly be saii,
no commissariat department yet men and horses have to be fed. Thus an ariiij
lives on the country through which it passes and is not an unmixed blessing,W
a friendly or a hostile force. There is no means of preventing looting
Per 18 ^ ie S ^ rL mamia ^ 0 f an army throughout the length and breadtli ot
Some of the Shaikh's forces in fact, so he maintains, friends of whom J
had asked no assistance, looted the Aqili lands bevond Shushtar, the prof I
for War ^ m0re es P eciall y of the Sarclar Muhtashem, the
-T a % annoyed the Shaikh when he heard of it, has I®
as fir to t f 1)° ■u, ^ large claim for damages by the Bakhtiari, though ij j
doubtfnl ^V 8 A 0n ? erned ' ^ ^ of gratuitous license by a cl»
douhtfd loyalty, which had his strongest disapproval ,,
tiari pronertv wii togiye compensation and to return anv j
' eiK,ed ' he ci " m ■"
sent by the ^ Governor of
opinion that the' ShaikhT?^ to en( l uire illto ti 16 question. He gav
what he had been If* ^heenentirely in the right ; this was not,
were under discussion thl an i dld llot advance matters. wllile / fifpLcl#
by the Bakhtiari of ■, was considerably complicated by the P j.
'Ibis oountoy which wn • ®^ are of the county known as the Jarrah J
■■ Whlch VBsmtheoccupation of the Shaikh's Arab tribes and ^