ملف ٢٢٩٧/ ١٩١٩ "تقارير شهرية للمقيمية البريطانية في الخليج الفارسي. ١٩١٢-١٩٢٠." [و‎‎٤‎٢‎١] (١٠٤٤/٨٤٦)

1133. (a)—Ahwaz Road .—It is reported that there is a great scarcity of
transport animals.
(b) Post of 25th August and 21st September, arrived from Ahwaz on 10th
October reported the road safe.
(c) During the week ending 19th October, some pilgrims left by this road
and a certain amount of merchandise arrived, but Messrs. Lynch’s report for the
week showed their arrivals nil ; despatches, 34 cases opium.
(d) A large caravan with tea, yarn, piece-goods, etc., arrived on 1st November.
(e) On the same date, intelligence was received from Doupulan that Lieute
nant R. S. Bullock (27th Punjabis) and party, who left Ahwaz on 16th October,
had been attacked on the night of 27th-28th October at Sari Ab by a band of about
30 men on foot (apparently some Kuhgeluis and some Bakhtiaris of the Milasi
tribe). The party suffered severely. Mr. Bullock’s Indian orderly and two muleteers
being wounded and also himself slightly, besides being badly beaten by the robbers.
Communications have been made to the Sardar-i-Jang at Dehkurd and drugs
and necessaries despatched for Mr. Bullock and party.
(/) Lynch’s reports for the period showed :—
21 packages, received
432 packages, despatched.
Bushire.
1st to 30th November.
' 1134. The Darya Begi has telegraphed to one Mahmood, formerly his Far- ^
rash Bashi, to engage 150 tofangchis from Bushire or Dowan (near Kazerun)
and send them to Shiraz. Mahmood showed the telegram to the _ Governor
of Bushire, who told him to comply with the request. The Darya Begi has also,
it is said, asked one of the Headmen of Argali to engage and send him 50 men.
1135. The Angali tofangchis recently employed by the Kalantar {vide para
graph 1056) finding no hope of Shief route being re-opened have returned to their
homes.
1136. The most noteworthy event during the month was the arrest, on the
3rd instant by His Excellency the Mowaggar-ed-Dowleh, of Abdul Basul, the
Kalantar of Bushire. This individual held the post of Kalantar for 10 successive
years and under four successive Governors. He was one of the few, if not the
only official whom the present Governor retained in office after taking over from his
predecessor the Darya Begi, under whom Abdul Kasul has served on no less than
three occasions. During almost the entire period of his incumbency of the post
of Kalantar, Abdul Basul was the subject of repeated complaints on the part of
this Besidency, either in connection with the levy of illegal dues of the nature
of rahdari at the gates of Bushire, or on account of inadequate and obstructive
treatment of British cases dealt with by him. He also made himself hostile to
British interests in his support of the Shief route (in conjunction with the Khans
of Angali and Borasjun) as against the recognised^ caravan route and was well-
known as an ardent supporter of the illicit traffic in arms, and, as such, m col
lusion with the Kadkhodas of Tangistan and Dashti. His immunity from dis
missal was due partly to fear on the part of the successive Governors of his pow^-
ful and influential supporters and partly to the difficulty of finding a man su “
ciently capable to succeed him in the management of the towns afiairs. e
also made himself useful to the Governors by farming the Kalantarship of the
town for increasingly large sums to the Governors themselves. The difficulty
of finding a suitable candidate for the post is exemphfied by the nomination
as his successor of two men, Abdul Beza Khan and Azad Beg as joint Kalantars,
the former, a man of shady character, and the latter, a noted arms-dealer. It is
not certain what exactly brought about Abdul Basul s arrest. It is we -known
that he had been daily growing more and more insubordinate, in his dea mgs
with the Governor and His Excellency doubtless feared an intrigue of . some
kind in collusion with the Darya Begi, who has recently, arrived at Shiraz m the
suite of the new Governor-General.
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