'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎44v] (93/143)

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CHAPTER XI.
Land Tenure and Acquisition of Land by Foreigners in ’Arabistan.
The Persian Government have always viewed with disfavour the acquisi
tion of rights in Persian soil by foreigners, though the British Government,
by virtue of Article 12 of the Treaty of Paris, 1857, enjoy the same privileges
in this respect as were accorded to Russian subjects by paragraph 5 of the
Compact referred to in Article 10 of the Treaty of Turkmanchai, 1 1828.
In ’Arabistan, British subjects have been established hitherto only at few
places. Messrs. Lynch Brothers rent houses at Dizful, Shushtar and Ramuz,
at Ahwaz (from the Nizam-es-Saltaneh) and at Mohammerah (from the
Shaikh). His Majesty’s Vice-Consulate at Ahwaz is leased from a Persian
merchant: His Majesty’s Consulate at Mohammerah is leased from the
Shaikh. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company hold land on long lease at Brain
in ’Abbadan Island and at Ahwaz above the rapids and occupy a piece of
land on the Upper Karun in regard to which no settlement has yet been
reached. Messrs. Lynch Brothers lease a store house at Shalili, 5 miles south
of Shushtar, from Shaikh Murtaza, a Shushtari, and at Mohammerah they
lease a store and wharf from the Persian Government.
The Imperial Bank of Persia have leased land and a residential dwelling
above Mohammerah on the Karun from the Shaikh and an office in the town
on the river front from Haji Rais. They have leased an office in Nasiri from
a Persian merchant and a residential dwelling outside the town from Shaikh
’Abdul Hussain, a Persian subject, but naturalised as a British subject in
British India.
There are, therefore, no lands in ’Arabistan actually owned by British
subjects, although the Oil Company’s concession empowers them to purchase
land, as also does that of the Imperial Bank of Persia.
The reason for this is firstly the prohibition against the erection of build
ings or depots on the banks of the Karun contained in paragraph 6 of the
Karun River Regulations (Appendix 2), and secondly the extreme reluctance
of the Shaikh himself to part with his rights of ownership in land. The con
dition, which was essential in all his farmans, upon which he holds his lands
from the Persian Government, is that he shall not alienate any portion of them
to foreigners and this proviso he has strictly observed. The cemeteries at
Mohammerah and Ahwaz alone can be considered the property of foreigners.
The cemetery at Mohammerah was allotted free of cost for the purpose in
1903 by the Shaikh of Mohammerah at the request of the Persian Government,
who were asked by His Majesty’s Minister to issue the necessary order to the
Shaikh in the matter. The Mushir-ud-Dauleh wrote to Sir A. Hardinge on
January 3rd, 1903, that he had written to the Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Arfa, asking him to give
permission for the purchase of a piece of 'land for the purpose. The pur
port of the Mushlr-ud-Dauleh’s letter to the Shaikh is as follows :—
My honourable servant,
I have received a letter from the British Legation regarding a piece of ground
required for a Christian cemetery at Mohammerah. His Imperial Majesty the Shah
has seen the letter. I now forward a copy of a farman from the Shah and the leUer
of the British Minister. After proper enquiry you will be so good as to give permission
for the purchase of a piece of ground 50 yards square from the owners thereof. Of
course if you see any objection to this step, you should inform me in order that further
orders may be issued.
Considerable importance is attached by the Shaikh to this letter though
in reality it proves nothing except perhaps that the Persian Government at
this date recognised the lands at Mohammerah as being owned by private per-
1 “ Seeing that according to the existina usaoros in Persia, it is difficult for the foreign subjects to fi.
houses, ware-rooms or proper places for storage of their merchandise to let, it is permitted to Russian subjee
in Persia not only to rent but also to acquire, by every right of ownership, houses to live in as well as war,
rooms and places in which to deposit their merchandise.”