'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918' [‎28] (37/568)

28 BOUNDARIES AND PHYSICAL FEATURES
The Karun, Jerrahi, Hindiyan
The Karun, rising in the Bakhtiyari country, about 100 miles W.
of Isfahan, flows in a winding course (at first SE. and then NW.)
through deep valleys and gorges among the Bakhtiyari mountains,
till it emerges from the hills above Shushtar ; thence it flows
southwards through the plains of Arabistan. Below Shushtar it
divides into two arms—the Ab-i-Shatait and Ab-i-Gargar—which
join again at Band-i-Qir 32 miles farther south. After breaking in
a series of rapids through the sandstone hills at Ahwaz (where it
drops about 7-8 ft. in 2,000 5 r ds.), the Karun winds for about 115
miles through the alluvial flats of southern Arabistan, It discharges
most of its water into the Shatt el-Arab at Mohammareh ; part finds
its way to the sea through the Bahman Shir channel, which takes
off from the main stream a few miles above Mohammareh and
reaches the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. 12 miles E. of the Shatt el-Arab.
The Karun drains the Bakhtiyari country, and through its tribu
tary, the Diz, a large part of eastern Luristan. One parent branch
of the Diz rises near Burujird in north-eastern Luristan, and, after a
southerly course, breaks through the mountains N. of Dizful. About
32 miles above Dizful it is joined from the east by the other parent
branch which flows through the mountains from Earidan. Both of
these branches are called the Diz ; the easterly one is also known as
the Gand. Their united waters, after passing Dizful, flow into the
Karun at Band-i-Qlr.
The seasonal vax'iations of volume on the Karun follow the same
general course as those on the Euphrates and Tigris (see p. 24), but
it is even more subject than they are to sudden irregular rises. In
southern Arabistan the Karun floods, escaping by side channels,
form patches of marsh in the country along its course ; but compared
with the lower Tigris and Euphrates the lower Karun is well
contained by its bed.
The rapids at Ahwaz are practically unnavigable. Below them there
are good depths for navigation by river-craft. Above them the river
is navigable to within a few miles of Shushtar (see further p. 285).
The Jerrahi and Hindiyan are comparatively unimportant, but
they and their tributaries water fertile districts (e. g. Ramuz, Eella-
hlyeh, and Behbehan). The Jerrahi is formed in the Ramuz district
in eastern Arabistan by two streams, the Ab-i-Ramuz from the
northern part of the Kuhgalu country and the Marun from Behbehan.
After winding through the plains it reaches the Eellahlyeh district,
where it irrigates and floods a considerable area, breaking up into a net
work of water-cuts. Its main channel here becomes the Eellahlyeh
Marid canal, which connects with the lower Karun, about 15 miles