'Report on Fars by Captain A T Wilson, Indian Political Department' [‎63r] (130/396)

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(screen it from the view of the traveller as he approaches on that side. The
only defensive work is the loop-holed, semi-fortitied residence of the Khan,
built of stones and mud. The village possesses a few date trees, and two
unimportant shrines.
Administration .—Bandar Rig is the residence of Haidar Khan, the heredi
tary local Governor of the Haiat Baud District (q.v.). There is a Custom
j)ost here.
History .—The general history of Bandar Rig is included in that of the
Haiat Daiid District. Herein 1754 the English blast India Company, whose
trade in the Gulf had been seriously crippled by the troubles arising out
of the Afghan invasions, endeavoured to found a factory An East India Company trading post. and sent out an
agent. Owing to Dutch opposition and intrigues, the attempt was a
failure, and a few years later Bushire Avas selected as a substitute. A little
later in the same century a famous Gulf pirate, an exceptional ruffian,
of the name of Mir Muhanna, had his stronghold here. His foit was taken
and razed to the ground by British troops.
Bandar Rig is said to be very ancient. *
Population .—The inhabitants number about 2,000 souls : they are a mon
grel breed in whom Arab and Lur blood predominates. Persian, modified
by the Lur dialect , is the language spoken. The people are culti\ r ators, boat
men, sailors and traders; they are reputed peaceable and not fanatical,
but they are fairly well armed with Martini rifles, about 3 to every house.
They are Shi’ah Muhammadans, but traditions survive of a time when
some of them were Gabrs.
Trade and Bandar Rig is a very prosperous port, dealing princi
pally with Bushire and Kuwait and serving the considerable district of
Haiat Daiid and a part of the district of Shabankareh. The bazaar con
tains about 50 shops and trade has increased during the last few years; the
monthly imports are said now to average 100 packages or bags of sugar, 5 cases
of t( a, 50 bags of Indian rice, 100 cases of kerosine oil and 50 bales of Man
chester prints, all from Bushire. There is also a considerable importation
of camels from Kuwait. Exports are wheat, barley, gum, wool and cattle,
all to Bushire except wheat, of which about ^ is sent to Muhammareh and
other Gulf Ports. The Persian kran is the basis of currency, but rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. and
dollars also circulate. The unit of weight is a Hdshim man equal to 26 Tabriz
man of Bushire, and consequently different to the Hdshim man of that
place, which is equivalent to 16 Tabriz man of the same town. The stan
dard of length is a gaz of 8| inches.
In 1911 some 3,000 tons of wheat were exported.
Resources and communications .—Water is obtained from wells, and some
wheat, barley and straw are locally procurable. About 50 horses, 100
camels and 150 donkeys, also 100 cattle and 600 sheep and goats are owned
in the town and there are 8 bums besides 10 mdshuwehs and 15 fishing
boats. A Persian post office was opened here about 1901 and a telegraph
office about 1904: but very little use is made of the latter, which is in
termediate between Burazjan and Bandar Dilam on the Burazjan-Ahwaz