The Bichaqchi Turks in Kerman during WWI (C. P. Skrine, [1917] 1918)

The Bichaqchi Turks in Kerman during WWI

The province was remarkably free from internal disturbances during the year under report, in spite of the scarcity and the efforts of the Democrats described above. In the west of the province the outlawed Hussain Khan Buchaqchi with Shahzada Hussain and the Turkish “Ambassador” Obeidulla managed to evade the efforts made by the Saidabad garrison to capture them. They took refuge at first in Kuhistan on the Fars side of the border, later among the fastness of the Chehar Gumbaz range and were no doubt in regular communication with the German and Austrian ex-prisoners in Fars and with Wassmuss at Ahram. Although, however Hussain Khan’s brothers, Murad Khan Shikuh-us-Sultan and Bahman Agha and other Buchaqchis at Saidabad undoubtedly helped him secretly while professing eternal friendship with the British the Buchaqchi tribe as a whole was quiet, and the rebels did not dare to repeat their attempt on Saidabad of the previous September. In August they made their way via Yezd territory to Tehran where they were received with open arms by the anti-British party. This lack of enterprise on the part of our enemies of the year before was undoubtedly due to the march through the province of the Shiraz Reinforcements Column, in February and March, and to the strengthening of the Saidabad garrison from it. The Column, which consisted of 20 British officers, 48 British Non-Commissioned Officers and 1,400 Indian Officers and men of the 16^th Rajputs, Burma Mounted Infantry and miscellaneous details, reached Saidabad in two echelons on 18^th and 24^th March respectively. Half of the Burma Mounted Infantry were left there, and the town was shortly afterwards made the headquarters of the VI^th South Persia Rifles Infantry.

Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Year 1917, Delhi: Superintendent Government Printing, 1919, p. 22.