MR. H. ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Nawab of Dir, who is waging war against the Bajauri tribes, is related to Umra Khan, against whom a British force was sent in 1895, or whether he has any tribal connection with that chief; and where does he now reside; whether the original arrangement as to subsidies made in 1895 between the Indian Government and the Nawab was upon the basis of annual payments to him of Rs.60,000 on account of levies, and of Rs. 10,000 for tolls on the road to Chitral; whether these annual payments have subsequently been increased, and whether he can state what they amount to at present; and in reference to the present hostilities, whether he will state whether the Political Department was cognisant of the Nawab's recent proceedings, and whether the Political Agent at Chakdara, on the Chitral Road, had information of this chief's preparations to attack the Bajauris?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingI am not aware of any relationship between the Nawab of Dir and Umra Khan, against whose brothers and cousins the Nawab's recent expedition was conducted. The original 75 arrangement mentioned in the Question was upon the basis described, and the annual payments have not been increased. The answer to the two inquiries made in the fourth and last paragraph of the Question is in the affirmative. The Political Agent did his utmost to discourage the participation of the Nawab in the Bajauri quarrel.