'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎7] (34/466)

Servants.
of population, the rivers without traffic, the canals falling into disuse, &c., &c.,
to judge of the extent of the decadence of a once well populated and fertile
region, and to attribute it to the misgovernment so loudly and openly com
plained of by men of all classes and professions, even in the presence of the
rulers responsible for the downfall of their country [see pages 122, 174). " If
the Shah robs, why should not we " ? is the question asked by the extortionate
Khans and Wizirs who oppress the agriculturist, and the hill robbers who
plunder the caravans. The locust blight of Moslem misrule has converted a
garden of Eden into a desolate wilderness.
The party was now fully equipped and consisted of myself, orderly,
Madras cook, one Persian personal attendant, and two
Persian grooms in charge of four horses, besides two
muleteers, eight mules and two runagates, who, for their own purposes,
attached themselves to the party; one was a deserter from the Persian army,
the other, a thorough scoundrel, who was eventually ejected for attempting to
commit sodomy. The grooms were soldiers, belonging to regiments recruited
from thfi district of Khoramabad. Without pay for months, they had pawned
even their percussion muskets, government property. They, as well as the
personal attendant^ were taken out of pawn. The wage of a groom on the
march is one kran a day. In quarters they receive about 20 krans a month
(10 krans = Rs. 4 == 6s. Sri.).
The Persian style of dress is worn at Dizful; it consists of a high or low,
felt or Iambus skin hat, a frock coat, pleated at the waist,
with a stand-up collar and buttons down the centre;
the trowsers are wide and of cloth, much vesemh\ing pyjamahs in shape.
Black and blue are considered to be the most respectable colours.
An itinerary of the route taken from Muhammerah to Dizful is given
below :—
Dress,
Date.
Stages.
Distances.
Remarks.
Miles.
March 24th
Muhammerah
Guest of Shaikh Mizal; good
quarters.
Gisbah
7
Accommodated in a grass hut ;
very poor quarters.
„ 25th
Arab camp, six miles
30
Bivouacked.
south of Sab'a.
„ 26th
Arab camp
24
Accommodated in an Arab tent.
„ 27th
Ahwaz (2200
21
Accommodated in a village hut;
very poor quarters.
„ 28th
Halt
„ 29th
Band-i-kir
23
Accommodated in a village hut ;
very poor quarters.
„ 30th
Shustar (4000
32
Quarters in the house of the
Governor of Shustar ; excel
„ 31st
Halt
• ••
lent quarters.
April 1st
Ab-i-bid
18
Tents. Guest of the Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. .
„ 2nd
Halt
• ••
,, 3rd
Dizful (6800
18
Quarters in the Prince's resi
dence ; unsalubrious.
{See page 200.)
173
} DO
to Iw' 1
General Remarks .—Traverses the plain extending from the hills to the north of Dizful to
the Gulf.
Flies abound everywhere and settle in thousands on man and beast.
No ill effects result from exposure to the sun at this season. The nights are cold (55 c
day temperature not over 85° in the shade. Heavy dew falls at night.
the