taken, but on Sheik Kasim's refusing to become a vassal of Persia, was restored to Malik Dinar on those terms, and the Persian force withdrawn. Vide appended Extract No. 3. Unfortunately for the truth of the Belooch account, it appears from the Persian historical notice of the taking of Kej that it had nothing to do with the misfortunes of the Beloochees, but occurred as follows :— In the year 1738 A.D., when Nadir Shah, returning from the conquest of Delhi, conceived the design of seizing Sind, he ordered Mahomed Tahi Khan to march by land to Sind with the forces that he had assembled for an expedition to Muscat, sending his artillery and heavy stores by sea. Tahi Khan complied, and on reaching Kej took its fort by force because Malik Dinar would not submit to his authority. The latter was "reduced to obedience." The Persian fleet had reached Gwadur, and probably some guns were landed there for the reduction of Kej. This affair delayed Tahi Khan until the approach of the monsoon, so he sent back his ships and wrote to Sind for orders. The reply was, that Sind was already conquered, and his force not required. He was ordered to dimiss his troops and return to his Government. Malik Dinar seems to have been left ruling. Not unlikely Tahi Khan had been propitiated in the usual manner. This was in 1739. The Beloochees would have it that it was Nadir's displeasure at the failure to re-instate Sheik Kassim which caused him to sentence Tahi Khan to mutilation, but, as is well known, that was the punishment of his subsequent rebellion, and moreover occurred four years later. Malik Dinar, however, was not destined to remain undisturbed in his usurped dominions. Sheik Bilar had left three sons, named Noor Mahomed, Wullee Mahomed, and Shepee Khan. The two latter need not be further noticed. Noor Mahomed, sometime after his father's murder, fled to Khelat. He afterwards served under Nasir Khan when that Chief reigned at Khelat, and so pleased him by distinguished bravery, that Nasir Khan determined to restore Kej to him, and aid him to revenge his father's death. An army was accordingly assembled and marched to Kej. The Miri held out, but Malik Dinar was enticed by a stratagem to come into Nasir's camp, when he was put to death by Noor Mahomed. Sheik Omar, eldest son of Malik Dinar, continued, however, to successfully defend the fort, and an Envoy in the person of Sheik Beg, brother to Malik Dinar, was despatched to Candahar, to petition for the interference of the Ameer Ahmed Shah. The latter sent messengers to Nasir Khan, desiring him to desist from the siege of Kej, and it remained for the time in Sheik Omar's hands. It is circumstantially narrated how, subsequently, Sheik Omar, fearing the consequences of his temerity, repaired in person to Khelat, where he was long refused admittance to Nasir Khan's presence. At length, however, an interview was granted, at which he placed himself and his dominions at Nasir Khan's feet. It was at this period that Kej Mekran first passed into the power of the Khelat Chief. It is true, Sheik Omar was suffered nominally to hold the government, but in future a Naik on the part of the Khan was to reside in the Miri of Kej, and to receive one-half the revenues of those provinces then in the hands of the Gaitchkees. The Zikree sect were also to be put down, and Mahomedanism established. Sheik Omar having agreed to fulfil these terms, Nasir Khan proceeded to Mekran with a force sufficient to quash all opposition. Virtually Nasir Khan may be held to have annexed all Kej Mekran to his dominions at this time; but it must be remarked that the Mekranees do not in general see the matter in that light, but hold that the Treaty did not deprive Sheik Omar of his supreme authority, and merely affected the revenues. During Sheik Omar's life Mekran was the scene of constant struggles. He was at enmity not only with the Boleidees but also with the Gaitchkee Chiefs, who were dissatisfied at the compact he had made. Finally, he was murdered by some Boleidee, and his brother Sheik Lalla replaced him. Thenceforward, until recent times, the tale is of frequent efforts on the part of the Gaitchkees to throw off the Khelat yoke; and Mekran accounts are of little use, as no doubt the principal events are on the records of Khelat. In the time of Mahomed Khan, the son of Nasir, the Gaitchkees temporarily recovered their independence, but Mehrab Khan, in the early part of his reign, re-gained the ascendancy. The last effort of the Gaitchkees was made by Sheik Kasim, father of the present Chief, who, in about 1831, slew the Khan's Naib, and threw off the yoke. An army was sent against him, and after some fighting he was forced to submit. The descendants of Malik Dinar have been permitted to retain a nominal chiefship in Kej and other places, and half the revenues is still devoted to them. The administration of affairs of the province is said also to have rested with them up to the time of the present representative of the Khan, Fuqueer Mahomed Bezunjoo. This Chief has allied himself matrimonially with the Gaitchkee family, and by tact and determination wields undivided authority throughout the province. So long as he holds the reins, the Gaitchkees are not likely to be troublesome, but although their Chiefs have acknowledged the supreme authority of the Khan of Khelat, their present status must be galling to them at times. It would perhaps be better for themselves, as well as a safer arrangement, were their Chiefs provided for in a manner different from the method now followed, of admitting them to a share of the revenues. The foregoing sketch applies in general to all the three provinces of Kej, Toomp, and Punjgoor. Of the dependencies of Kej, Ormard has passed to the Khan, Kolwa is attached to Upper Beloochistan, and Gwadur is in the possession of the Sultan of Muscat. This seems an appropriate place to inquire how Gwadur came into the possession of the Sultan. The following account is from local sources: was formerly a dependency of the Kej province, and during the time of the Boleidees, was frequently the residence of the Ameer. In the time of the Gaitchkees and subsequently to their subjugation by Nasir Khan, Gwadur was acquired by Sultan bin Ahmed, grandfather of the present Sultan of Muscat, in the following manner. That Prince, being suspected of treasonable designs, was banished from his father's Court, and made a journey to Khelat in hopes of inducing Nasir Khan to further his ambitious schemes. He was so far successful as to obtain Gwadur, either in gift or on loan. For it is a disputed point between Belooch and Arab, whether it was intended as a free and actual present, or merely as temporary accommodation. Whichever way it was, the Gaitchkee share of the revenues of Gwadur seems to have been ignored. Their account of the matter is, that Nasir Khan assigned Gwadur to Sultan bin Ahmed, as a residence, for so long as he should require it, making over to him his own half of the Gwadur revenue, a common way amongst Oriental Princes of providing for a noble guest. This is the commonly accepted account at Gwadur; according to it, the grant was made to Ahmed during the life-time of his father, and if that be true, it might be an important point, if it was at all necessary to investigate the rights of the case. On the death of his father Syud Ahmed, then, it is said, that Sultan setting out from Gwadur succeeded in establishing his authority at Muscat. Thence he despatched a Governor to hold Gwadur for him, and retained undisturbed possession of it during his life-time. Soon after Sultan bin Ahmed's death, his son Saeed, being still young, the Beloochees assembled under Meer Dostun, the Boleidee Chief of Sirbaz, and re-possessed themselves of Gwadur, which remained a few years in their possession. A force sent from Muscat re-gained it, since when Gwadur has been uninterruptedly in the possession of the Muscat State. Its right has, however, been by no means unchallenged. Some thirty or forty years since Sheik Kasim Gaitchkee, of Kej, advanced against Gwadur and succeeded in obtaining payment of a share of revenue during two years. Again, some fifteen years ago, Faqueer Mahomed, Naib of Kej, besieged the place with 3,000 men. receiving a sum of money, he retired. Another expedition was lately organized, but abandoned. The Arab Governors of Gwadur have the title of Wali. Their authority over the Beloochees is but slight, and they have to put up with a good deal of insolence. A former Wali, who endeavoured to assert his authority over some people of the Rind tribe, was murdered by a party of them. Some warfare ensued between the Muscat Government and the Rinds, and the latter, on one occasion, appeared before Gwadur in considerable force. On comprises the provinces to the westward of Kej. The epithet indicates that this part of Mekran is watered by streams. It might also be described as "Persian Mekran," as, with the exception of a portion of sea coast about Charbar, the whole of this division of Mekran is now paying tribute to Persia. The chief provinces, when this was part of independent Mekran, were Bunpoor, Dizak, Sirbaz, Gaih, and Kussurkund. The information at hand respecting them is too slight to admit of more than a brief allusion to each separately. Bunpoor is the western province. Originally a province of what has been called Federal Mekran, it probably early assumed a separate independence, and Bunpoor. took no part in the Boleidee and Gaitchkee struggles. The predatory incursions of its rulers into Persian territory resulted in its forcible annexation to that kingdom. It is now governed by a Persian, named Ibrahim Khan, whose authority also extends over all "Persian Mekran." Dizak. Dizak. A descendant of the old rulers is still Chief in this province, but governs entirely as a creature of Persia. A Persian army captured the fort of Dizak in 1734, but it was not permanently held then. In recent times Persia has asserted its authority over this district. One Chief held out against Persian forces in the fort of Zerokhshan within the last two years, but was eventually slain, and the fort captured. Gaih. Gaih was for years the scene of Boleidee and Gaitchkee struggles. The former finally held their own, but within the last fifteen years or so the The policy of the have the heredi Chiefs of Gaih have also become tributary to Persia. latter Government in these provinces seems to be to tary Chiefs in power wherever consistent with its own interests. The present Chief, Meer Abdullah, is not the hereditary Chief, but acquired a title to Gaih by marriage with the Boleidee heiress, and was confirmed by the Persian Government, which thus secured a Naib well affected to its interests; as were it not for fear of Persia there would be many to challenge his title. Meer Abdullah is himself a Gaitchkee by descent, but his mother was Boleidee. Baho and Dushtyaree are districts of Gaih; their subordinate Chiefs are, at present, the Ludgals, Mahomed Ali and Deen Mahomed, who are entirely under Meer Abdullah's power, but are very dissatisfied with existing arrangements. Sirbaz and Kussurkund, after having been alternately possessed by Boleidee and Gaitchkee, are now united under a Boleidee Governor, Sheik Abdullah, who pays unwilling tribute to Persia. Sirbaz and Kussurkund. Thus by reason mainly of their internal dissensions, and predatory propensities, the Beloochees of Western Mekran have become subject to a yoke they hate. It is different with the people of Eastern Mekran which owns the sway of the Khan of Khelat. He, like themselves, bears the name of Belooch, and his authority is cheerfully acquiesced |