"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [ظ‎‎١‎٥‎٠] (٥٦٦/٣٠٥)

262
OPERATIONS IN PERSIA
Punitive The hostility of the Democrats to the South Persia Rifles had
OP 6 ^? 118 been evidenced for some time past by the constant atternDfc
7 Mission* ^ey made to excite disaffection in the Persian ranks; and
Sept.-Oct. their efforts, backed up by the active support of some fanatical
(See Map 8 7 ) muttahs and the continued refusal of the Persian Government
’ to recognise the force, were the reasons which Farman Farina
gave for deprecating any great activity against robber tribes
by the forces under Sir Percy Sykes. There was ground for
supposing, however, that Farman Farma's real reasons were
of a more personal nature. It was also felt by Sir Percy Sykes
that both Saulat and Qawam, realising that the establishment
of law and order was bound to lessen their own power and
influence, were at heart hostile to the Sykes Mission. They
recognised, however, that for the time being it was in their own
interests to maintain friendship with us, while we, on our part,
realised that they would be unlikely to help us out of any
difficulty. Nevertheless, on the 26th August Sir Percy Sykes
telegraphed to Sir Charles Marling and urged the necessity for
punishing the robber tribes who had been guilty of a long series
of depredations on the Kerman-Yezd, Shiraz-Isfahan and
Shiraz-Saidabad roads. For this purpose he proposed to
despatch mixed columns of Indian and South Persia Rifles
troops into the area which extended for about one hundred
miles north of the line Saidabad-Niraz-Shiraz. This proposal
was sanctioned by the British Minister.
The first tribe to be dealt with was the Lashanis, who
inhabited the country between Niriz and Arsinjan, immediately
to the north of Lake Niriz. Farman Farma had received orders
in^ the spring from the Minister of the Interior to punish this
tribe, but, for a variety of reasons, had postponed doing so.
In July and August 1917, however, the Lashanis started a fresh
raiding campaign which they seemed determined to continue.
The available information concerning them and their country
was meagre, but, by means of agents sent out in August, Sir
Percy Sykes staff managed to collect a good deal of valuable
intelligence. Supply depots were formed at Qawwamabad and
Niriz; and by the 19th September a small column was con
centrated at each of these places. That at Qawwamabad, termed
the Dehbid Column, was commanded by Major R. S. Rothwell
and consisted of one squadron Burma Mounted Infantry, the
section 23rd Mountain Battery, 250 rifles and machine gun
section 3/124th Baluchis, an improvised pioneer section, one
troop South Persia Rifles cavalry, one section No. 162 Indian
Field Ambulance, and transport details. The Niriz Column