'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎192] (199/466)

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nniav the ruined Walls of the west face of the town, seems to have been built
with the greatest care. When full, this canal irrigates the district of Miyandab
to the extent of 10 or 12 miles south of Shusfcar. The Ab-i-Khurd forms
a ditch on the southern side of the town. When seen, there was a difference
of level of 8 to 10' between the waters above and below the bridge. Be
tween the Band-i-Kaisar and the Band-i-Mizan the bed of the river is said
to be paved with hewn stone joined by metal clamps. Water was flowing
over the Band-i-Kaisar (concave up stream) when visited. At times the band
is dry, and may be traversed on foot, six narrow openings being left for the
passage of the water.
The Pul or Band-i-Gargar k an embankment thrown across the Ab-i-
Gargyr, about 800 yards below the Band-i-Kaisar, connecting the town with
its suburb, the village of Boleiti. The water of the canal is carried round
the band through four tunnels, two under either bank, excavated in the
sandstone rock, and turns numerous small mills, the mechanical construction
of which are most defective. Below the band the canal is 120' wide, and its
bed 50' deep.
A few hundred yards below the Pul-i-Gargar is a second band, over wliicli
water was flowing when visited.
The final band across the canal, and over which Water was also flowing, is
situated about 4 miles down-stream, below the Pul-i-Shah Ali.
Shustar, once the capital town of Khuzistan, is now second in import-
T , , ance to Dizful, The number of its inhabitants, from
45,000, has dwindled within the last century to 6,000;
its trade is now insignificant and its bazar nntenanted—-a decadence attri
buted by the inhabitants themselves to official exactions and a total want of
all government [seepages 4, 6, 7, 90).
Selby considers the character of the Shustaries to be far superior to that
of the Persians generally [seepage and remarked that, "although oppressed,
yet they themselves did not oppress, nor did they fawn when in your powerj
they hate the Persians.^ Other travellers have painted them in less favourable
colours. So far as could be judged, the bigotry assigned to them formerly does
not now exist. The race is the result of the intercourse between Arabians and
Persians. Shustar is so isolated from Persia Proper by the Zagros range, that,
did the opportunity offer, they would doubtless join the Lur and Arab tribes,
living within and to the south of those mountains, in revolt against their Persian
masters [see page 154, and Part III, Strategical considerations),
The plague and cholera morbus in 1881-32 depopulated Shustar; the
Health. general salubrity of the district is good (see page 57).
I^rom the foregoing description it will be seen that Shustar occupies a
Importance of Shustar. site important, both politically and commercially
I.—Politically, on account of its natural military strength ; its geographical
position with reference to the tribes of Arabs occupying the coast plains to
the foot of the hills, and the Iliyat tribes of Lurs, Bakhtiaris, Kashkai,
Kuhgehlu, &c., occupying the mountainous country extending to the line
Burujird-Isfahan, all more or less disaffected towards their extortionate Persian
masters; the pressure which the possibility of its occupation by troops could
not fail to bring on the Tehran Court; and the paramount influence over
South-W est Persia, which would follow of the establishment firm relations there.