Skip to item: of 988
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎119r] (242/988)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (490 folios). It was created in 1918. It was written in English. 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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

MUH—MUH
738
the Captain’s skill and knowledge of the river that the delays are no longer,
Following the opening of the trade route, a British
Vice-Consul was appointed in 1890, to be raised to the status of Consul a
few years later as trade developed and the number of British subjects in
creased.
As might be expected from the name Arabistan, the population of Moham-
merah, numbering some 4,000—5,000 excluding the oil refineries of the
Anglo-Persian Oil Company at Abadan, is mainly composed of Arabs. The
remainder is made up of natives of Dizful and Shuster, a few merchants from
other parts of Persia, Baghdadi Jews and Christians. Mention must also
be made of the community of Sabians, some 20 families of whom occupy a
small and entirely distinct village outside the main town. Many and
conflicting reports have been written of this interesting people who style
themselves followers of St. John (Mandai Yaheiya). According to Curzon,
they recognise St. John the Baptist as their chief prophet, although acknow T -
Jedging the divinity of God. They have no churches and running water
plays an important part in their ritual. The visitor if he is fortunate, may,
as he passes the village in his ff belum,” see one of their baptisms. These
baptisms are frequently renewed ; marriage and prayer also require running
water. In appearance and dress, the Sabians cannot be distinguished from
the local Arabs : they intermarry only among themselves, are smiths by
trade and usually in a state of poverty.
The Sheikh of Muhammerah though flying the Persian flag and nominal
ly a Persian subject, is virtually independent. He is the chief of the already
anentioned Muhaisen Arabs, the majority of whom living on the right bank of
the Shatt-al-’Arab are of course Turkish subjects. His palace at Feilieh on
the same river, four to five miles above Muhammerah and quite close to the
Perso-Turkish frontier, is an imposing two-storied structure fitted with
electric light. Here on the King’s birthday and the Id he entertains most
of the European community at dinner : he also keeps an English speaking
doctor.
The town itself is governed by an official styled the Naib-ul-Hukumeh
who pays the Sheikh a yearly stipend for this privilege. He derives his
income from the fines he can extract from malefactors, various rentals and
other privileges which are in his giving. Even more important than the
above is the Rais-ul-Tujar (chief of the merchants). Himself an enterprising
and most successful merchant, he is the^ Prime Minister and chief adviser
to the Sheikh on all matters relating to trade and other affairs. Nor must
mention of the Kar Guzar (Akram-ul-Mulk) or Foreign Office Agent be
omitted. Appointed by the Central Government, his duties are to r su
perintendent merchantile operations and represent the Persian Foreign Office.
Lord Curzon in his Persia mentions having been put to grave inconvenience
during his travels in this part of Persia from one of these officials, but at
the present time, the position of the Kar Guzar is to all intents and pur
poses a sinecure. The present holder of the office is a most charming man,
who regards his sojourn among the Arabs as little short of exile. Like many
Persians he is devoted to gardening and always welcomes Europeans with
that charm of manner for which the better class Persians are so justly re
nowned.
\

About this item

Content

The item is Volume III, Part II: L to Z of the four-volume Gazetteer of Persia (Provisional Edition, 1917, reprinted 1918).

The volume comprises that portion of south-western Persia, which is bounded on the west by the Turco-Persian frontier; on the north and east by a line drawn through the towns of Khaniqin [Khanikin], Isfahan, Yazd, Kirman, and Bandar Abbas; and on the south by the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .

The gazetteer includes entries on towns, villages, districts, provinces, tribes, forts, dams, shrines, coastal features, islands, rivers, streams, lakes, mountains, passes, and camping grounds. Entries include information on history, geography, climate, population, ethnography, administration, water supply, communications, caravanserais, trade, produce, and agriculture.

Information sources are provided at the end of each gazetteer entry, in the form of an author or source’s surname, italicised and bracketed.

The volume includes an Index Map of Gazetteer and Routes in Persia (folio 491), showing the whole of Persia, with portions of adjacent countries, and indicating the extents of coverage of each volume of the Gazetteer and Routes of Persia , administrative regions and boundaries, hydrology, and major cities and towns.

The volume includes a glossary (folios 423-435); and corrections (Index to the sub-tribes referred to in the Gazetteer of Persia, Volume III, folios 436-488).

Printed by Superintendent Government Printing, India, Calcutta 1918.

Extent and format
1 volume (490 folios)
Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 492; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎119r] (242/988), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/4/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034842568.0x00002b> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100034842568.0x00002b">'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [&lrm;119r] (242/988)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100034842568.0x00002b">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100025472827.0x000001/IOR_L_MIL_17_15_4_2_0242.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100025472827.0x000001/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image