"تقرير عسكري عن بلاد فارس المجلد IV، الجزء I." [ظ‎‎٥‎٧] (١٦٨/١١٩)

100
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CHAPTER YIII.
Political.
Administration.
The Government of tlie country consists of a Shah, a
Majlis or elected National Assembly, which rarely sits,
and a Cabinet. The latter is nominated by the Shall but
m theory must retain the confidence of the Majlis. In prac
tice it does not do so, but really governs the country. The
country is divided into 33 provinces, under Governor-
Generals or Governors. These provinces are divided into
districts, sub-districts and parishes, each in charge of
officials subordinate to the Governor-General or Governor.
Ihe administration is corrupt and inefficient. The dispen
sation of justice is always summary, but the Persian Gov
ernment has no jurisdiction over foreigners who are tried
by their own consuls, except in the case of subjects of
countries which formed part of the Tsarist Russian Empire,
who are subject to Persian law.
(a) Persian Baluchistan has since 1908 been practically
independent of the Persian Government, and the various
tribal chiefs have been a law unto themselves. In Mekran
there are many petty chiefs styling themselves ‘hakims’ in
their villages or groups of villages. Said Khan succeeded
in acquiring their support, and a reputation for generosity
y granting to the local families of BuledI extraction or
related to the Buledls freedom from the revenues paid
formerly to the Persian Government. From other dis
tricts, such as Sarbaz, which was under complete Baranzai
control, he never dared claim any revenue. The common
people however were taxed by him and his grantees to such
an extent that numbers of them migrated to the Gulf Ports
or to India, and the majority would have welcomed the
annexation of the country by the British. On Said Khan’s
death Islam Khan was unable to maintain the former’s hold
over the other chiefs, and the country reverted once more
t ?- b f ng o a gr0Up of inde P e ndent districts under their own
chief s. Some of the latter would welcome the advent of the
n isi m oider to put an end to the uncertainty under
jyhich they now live, though they would not relish the loss