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'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part II. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎1774] (291/1262)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (1165 pages). It was created in 1915. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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1774
a preliminary examination of the ground in the winter of 1903^04 and
then returned to Tehran^ where his project was favourably received by
the Persian Government ; but the Shah, while approving of it provided
it could be carried out by Persian enterprise^ was strongly averse from
granting a concession for its execution by a foreign company. The
Shaikh of Muhammareh was opposed to the scheme, unless it were
executed by himself or by the British Grovernment, and he professed
to fear that it might injure date cultivation on the lower Karun and
Bahmanshir. The British Government were concerned at the prospect
of any reduction in the volume of the Karun, which was already hardly
sufficient to maintain navigability at certain seasons. In a minute, dated
1st August 1904, Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India, remarked :
Any sach scheme, if successfallj carried out, will pracfcically destroy the Karrni as
a navigable river, and will put an effectual stopper upon on the enterprise o£ Messrs.
Lynch.
Even now the depth of water is only 3 feet in many places, and th3 steamers rud
agroand constantly on their way up to Ahwaz. A redaction of even 6 inches in tte
depth would block navigation for the four months from August to December. Our
Indian experience in the Punjab has shown that large navigable rivers, such as the
Jumna, Eavi, Chenab, Sutlej and Jhelum, are drained quite dry for most of the year
by big irrigation schemes, and I entertain little doubt that this also would be the
fate of the Karun.
His Majesty's Government must, therefore, balance the advantages to be derived
from irrigation against the damage that will be inflicted upon British commerce. It
is obvious that, if Messrs. Lynch are pushed out, and if their place is taken by
Belgian officials and Dutch engineers or concessionnaires working a big irrigation
project in purely selfish or in anti-British interests, we should be vpry greatly the
losers by the change.
On the other hand, if we had a substantial or preponderating voice in the control
we might be able to replace one form of commercial activity by another j and might
open up another route for navigation to the plains of 'Arabistan by utilising the
Khor Musa, or one of the adjoining inlets which we have recently explored, and hy
making new roads from thence into the interior.
What I have said emphasises the supreme importance of British participation anil
joint control in any Karun irrigation scheme, if it is to be started, but conversely abo
the striking danger to British interest that would result if we were left out of sight
in any such enterprise.
At the end of 1904 Mr. van Roggen, who thoroughly appreciated the
desirability of obtaining British co-operation, and who during a visit to
Europe had endeavoured to interest the British Foreign Office in
his project, returned to Ahwaz with two European assistants, and pro"
ceeded to elaborate his plans.

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Content

This volume is Volume I, Part II (Historical) of the Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , ’Omān and Central Arabia (Government of India: 1915), compiled by John Gordon Lorimer and completed for press by Captain L Birdwood.

Part II contains an 'Introduction' (pages i-iii) written by Birdwood in Simla, dated 10 October 1914, 'Table of Chapters, Annexures, Appendices and Genealogical Tables' (pags v-viii), and 'Detailed Table of Contents' (ix-cxxx). These are also found in Volume I, Part IA of the Gazetteer (IOR/L/PS/20/C91/1).

Part II consists of three chapters:

  • 'Chapter X. History of ’Arabistān' (pages 1625-1775);
  • 'Chapter XI. History of the Persian Coast and Islands' (pages 1776-2149);
  • 'Chapter XII. History of Persian Makrān' (pages 2150-2203).

The chapters are followed by nineteen appendices:

Extent and format
1 volume (1165 pages)
Arrangement

Volume I, Part II is arranged into chapters that are sub-divided into numbered periods covering, for example, the reign of a ruler or regime of a Viceroy, or are arbitrarily based on outstanding land-marks in the history of the region. Each period has been sub-divided into subject headings, each of which has been lettered. The appendices are sub-divided into lettered subject headings and also contain numbered annexures, as well as charts. Both the chapters and appendices have further subject headings that appear in the right and left margins of the page. Footnotes appear occasionally througout the volume at the bottom of the page which provide further details and references. A 'Detailed Table of Contents' for Part II and the Appendices is on pages cii-cxxx.

Physical characteristics

The foliation sequence is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the first folio with text, on number 879, and ends on the last folio with text, on number 1503.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part II. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎1774] (291/1262), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C91/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514761.0x000059> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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