'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎17r] (38/982)

AHW-AHW
25=
from Shushtar and the Bakhtiarl country and a few from Isfahan. There
is a ferry at Ahwaz with twr* small boats. Ahwaz is situated in the southern
’Arabistan district of Ahwaz ; and its revenue is divided equally between
the local headman and the Shaikh of Muhammareh.
The rapids at Ahwaz are formed by 7 ledges of rock crossing the river
in the direction north 85° west to south 85° east. These reefs are merely
a prolongation of the Pusht-i-Kuh across the plain. The rapids are fully
described in the article on the Karun river.
The country on the town side of the Karun is a bare plain, with very
slight patches of cultivation here and there, and on the south-east side of
the town is a range of sand-stone hills, perfectly bare. A few hundred
yards north of the town is a ridge, round which the river passes, rendering
it a very strong position. On the occasion of the advance of a British de
tachment up the Karun in pursuit of the Persian troops from Muhammareh
in 1857 the Persians took up a position on this ridge, but finally did not
defend it.
xlhwaz occupies a portion of the site of the ancient city of Aginis, with the
materials of which it is built. There was once a large and flourishing city
here, as is testified by the numerous ruins in its vicinity. Of the ruins of
the ancient city, the most noteworthy are an old bridge and the remains
of a palace, on part of the side of which the present village has been erected.
In the vicinity of the ancient city, and excavated on the west side where
the face of the hill is abrupt, are numerous hollows, some in the form of
sarddbs, and probably used by the former inhabitants as such, whilst
others have exactly the shape and dimensions of a coffin. Under the name
of Hormuz-Ardashir, Ahwaz was in former times the capital of ’Arabistan,
but it suffered greatly during the rebellion of the Zanj in the 9th century
A.D., and was for a time the residence of their leader. It was partially
restored by the Buy ids in the 10th century, and the main town, situated
on the east bank of the Karun, was then connected by a masonry bridge
with a quarter which stood on an island in the river.
[Curzon — Ainsworth—De Morgan—Persian Gulf Gazetteer, 1908.)
AHWAZ (District)—
The largest but not the most important district of Southern ’Arabistan.
Position and boundaries .—Ahwaz district reaches on the west almost to
the Karkheh river, meeting there the district of Havizeh. On the south
it is bounded by the districts of Muhammareh and Fallahleh, on the south
east by the district of Jarrahi, on the east by the district of Ramuz, on the
north-east by the Bakhtiari country, and on the north by the districts of
Shushtar and Dizful.
Natural features and general topography. —The great plain between the
Karun river and the Ramuz district, which has no general name, though
parts of it are distinguished and designated, lies entirely in the Ahwaz
district, of which it forms about half. This plain is generally grassy, and
in favourable years it is sprinkled with patches of wheat cultivation. After
rain it becomes swampy, and in some seasons the mosquitoes are very
troublesome. The Gupal stream enters the plain at its eastern end and
forms a marsh at Shakheh towards its centre. The principal hills are those
112 IB B, ,