"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [ظ‎‎١‎٠‎٦] (٦١٦/٢١٧)

22 ADMINISTBATION EEPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL RESIDENCY
the lesr; and both these acts of violence being attributed to the direct
instigation of Motainid-ud-Divan, it was with the greatest difficulty that
Mr. r Grahame managed to satisfy the Qavainis by extracting from the
governing nonentity a promise to keep Motnmid-ud-Divan in custody until
a full enquiry had been held. Public sympathy, however, was soon diverted
from the Qavamis to their victims, one of whom, Sayed Ahmad Dashtaki, who
was accused of the attempt on^ Salar-es-Sultan, was not only killed on the
spot, but his body burnt and his bones thrown into a well, an outrage on the
blood of the prophet of which the Qavarnis were destined to hear a good deal
more. The other victim, who was killed in the fighting on the same occasion
bore an even more sacred character, being a Mujtabid of some repute, Sheikh
Muhammad Baqir by name. The obsequies of the latter were the scene of
a vigorous counter-demonstration. This, however, closed the scenes of actual
violence in Shiraz for this year, the news of the appointment of His Imperial
Highness Zil-es-Sultan arriving on the 19th March.
Nomad tribes. y ear was a s tormy one for the Qashgais owing to contests for the
office of Ilkhani. On May 1st, Soulet-ed-Douleh was superseded, by order of
the Governor-General, by Asaf-ul-
gai3 ' Sultaneh whom Mr. Grahame describes
"as a miserable, purblind abortion besotted with opium", and who, not
unnaturally with these characteristics, did not succeed in imposing any
authority upon the tribe. On the following day Soulet-ed-Douleh arrived at
Shiraz with a number of followers and proclaimed himself an adherent of the
popular party, to whose funds he contributed 800 tomans promising at the
same time the support of 400 horsemen. On the 8th May a battle took place
between the respective factions of Soulet-ed-Douleh and Zeigham.ed-Douleh
near Bayza at which 20 men appear to have been killed. As a result of this
Mirza Earajulla was deputed with 60 infantry to effect a reconciliation; this
he duly accomplished and on the 2^th of May Soulet-ed-Douleh and his
brother Zeigham-ed-Douleh came to terms, the former being recognised as
Ilkhani and the latter receiving pecuniary compensation on condition that he
should refrain from all interferences in tribal affairs. During June, Soulet-
ed-Douleh distinguished himself by the assiduity with which he courted the
new Governor-General while his tribesmen were busily occupied in laying waste
all the country around Bayza. In October, Soulet-ed-D mleh received at
Bayza a visit from Mirza Hussein Khan, son of Nizam-es-Sultaneh, who was
accompanied by Motamid-ud-Divan. On the departure of Nizam-es-Sultaneli
he reappeared in Shiraz politics remaining himself at Chenari Rahdar about
10 miles from Shiraz but assisting the popular party with a large body of
tribesmen. At the same time the road to Kazeroon was rendered unsafe by
the depredations of the Qashgais. On the 8th November Soulet-ed-Douleh
finally withdrew from Shiraz politics for the year thus removing the most
dangerous element.
The history of the Arabs is more peaceful. Nasr-ed-Douleh ceased to be
Arabs E>ais-i-Arab on his departure to Tehran in
May. He was succeeded by Amir
Agha Khan, Mansour-es-Sultaneh, who was in his turn dismissed at the end
of the same month. It being rumoured that the Goverror-General proposed
to appoint Mutamid-ud-Divan to this post the Arab headmen promptly took
hast in the office of the Indo-European Telegraph Department at Dehbid
whence they despatched a telegram of protest to Mr. Grahame, which was
forwarded by him to the Governor-General. This proceeding had the desired
effect, and Amir Agha Khan was reinstated in the position which he occupied
until the close of the year, without however being able to prevent the tribe
irom committing depredations on a large scale in the neighbourhood of
Sivand.
An expedition was projected by Mr. Grahame in September with a vfew
Kuhgalll> to increasing our knowledge of the
country occupied by this tribe. He ban^
however, barely entered their territory when his camp was robbed on
(successive nights, one horse, two rifles and some two hundred rounds of