'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎49] (78/466)

49
7
ir iti(
sta^ The authority of the Wall now extends only over Hawizah and a
e ^| Hawfzah. ; ^ ew t r ihes encamping' to the south and west
of the Karkhah and Karun rivers. Hawizah is now
am]-a town of no importance [see page 20o) . The tribute now exacted amounts to
ite S)Jt 23,000 to 80^000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. annually. Its inhabitants are composed of the Sadat,
^Nei, Kutii, and Saki tribes of Arabs; the principal dependent tribes are Ali
Arus Sheriff Bani T^zar, Bani Hard a n^ Sadir, and Salamat. The Arabs came
tly D first as conquerors, afterwards as settlers and traders. The Wall could with
difficulty muster 5,000 badly armed followers. The tribes are impoverished.
The name of the present Governor of Hawizah is Mula Mutallib.
The Chiefs of Hawizah are always of the old ruling family, the Mualy.
The ease with which the Arabs can retire to the Hawizah marshes and
^ decline to pay tribute is a check on Persian rapacity.
® After a good harvest prices in Arabistan are low; bread will sell at
Provisions. per lb.; mutton at 2i. per lb.; wheat at 10^. per 35
lbs.; barley at lOi. per 50 lbs.; a sheep at 'Is. 6d. to 5^.;
straw at a mere nominal rate.
The present Governor of Arabistan is Khan Lar Khan Mirza, the Ihtish-
Governor. am-ul-Sultanah, appointed in 1881 [see page 4).
■D 111
Jestil
== *T he K a ^ b A rabs.
The territory of the Ka^b (Chab) Arabs extends from the Karun river,
the right bank of which river they occupy to W r ais, to the Hindiyan river
—on the east, and from the gulf to the plain of Ram-Hormuz on the north, in
which direction they camp on the northern slopes of the low hills stretchino-
iiu from Ahwaz to the Zeitun valley. They occupy the left bank of the Shatt-
al-Arab to Basra, and a small strip along its further bank. The divisions of
m the tribe are those of—
Residence, FellaMjah.
000]
A li Bu NIsie
I deis (18 subdivisions) ... ... ... Residence, left bank of the lower part of
the Karun and the Bahmeh-shir.
NasaeX ... ... ... Residence, right bank of the Bahmeh-sMr
and southern part of Muhammerah.
Muhaisen (12 subdivisions) ... ... Residence, right bank of the lower part
of the Kama and the northern part of Mu
hammerah.
Biwf (16 subdivisions) ... ... Residence, right and left banks of the
(III 1 Karun above and below Ishmailiyah and that
Bejlngh of the Bani Temim
H^DEEf
Hitadee
village.
Residence, Hindiyan and the right bank
of the river ; Deh Miila and Zeitun hills.
Residence, banks of the Jarrahi.
Residence near Fellahijah.
Each division is governed by a Shaikh, the chief of whom exercises a
GoTernment, strength, but P recarious authority over the whole tribe.
Ac. Lhe rersian Government has at all times found it pos
sible to take advantage of the dissensions existing
amongst the tribes, and to array them one against the other. The total force
» Layard, 1846.