Raiders of the Sarhad: Being an Account of the Campaign of Arms and Bluff Against the Brigands of the Persian-Baluchi Border during the Great WarDyer, R. E. H. (Reginald Edward Harry)
History
Raiders of the Sarhad: Being an Account of the Campaign of Arms and Bluff Against the Brigands of the Persian-Baluchi Border during the Great War
Dyer, R. E. H. (Reginald Edward Harry)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Middle East
I then explained my plans for the immediate future. I told them of my
intention to retain Khwash as a pledge for their good behaviour, and
until such time as a benign Indian Government might see fit to return
it to them. But I promised that I would send in a faithful report of
their repentance for their past misdeeds, and of their promise to
assist us in the future, and told them they might rest assured that
the Government would do all that was right and fair.
The following day we marched out once more with the object of
attacking Juma Khan at Galugan, leaving the head of the Reki clan
(I think his name was Mirza Khan) in command of Khwash, with a few
of his own tribe, and five of my nine infantrymen who could handle
a rifle. Not, it will be considered, a very formidable garrison to
leave in charge, but it was impossible to spare any more men.
We marched in the following order: Shah Sawar and his men were in
front as advance guards, Halil Khan and the Gamshadzais on the left
flank, and Jiand and his Yarmahommedzais on the right flank. Our
infantry went with the baggage, and the guns and ammunition brought
up the rear. The cavalry and a few infantrymen formed my personal
escort.
I hoped by this arrangement to keep the various Sarhadi Chiefs well
apart so that they might be unable to compare notes. My own small
force was kept in the rear, and well together.
I was asked by the Raiders why I was making all these careful
arrangements to protect my camels.
I replied that in war one had to be prepared to meet any emergency,
and that I was not at all satisfied with what I had heard concerning
the conduct of the Khan of Bampur, for there had been rumours that he
might be foolish enough to try conclusions with me.
Bampur is situated in Persian Baluchistan, fully six marches away to
the South of Khwash, and is overlooked by the Koh-i-Bazman. Bampur,
it will be remembered, was the old capital of Baluchistan, but to-day
it is only a squalid collection of mud-built huts and deserted
gardens, clustered round a semi-ruined fort standing in an unhealthy,
malarial district.
It was held at this date by a Baluchi Chief, apparently as cowardly
as he was arrogant. The fear I expressed of his intention was to
lull any possible suspicion of the Sarhadi Chiefs--nominally my
prisoners--as to the formation of my battle array; but there remained
a modicum of truth behind the reason given.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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