'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎136v] (277/1278)

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from BehbeMn. The Bandaris are said to have been the founders of the
place and the Qanavatis later immigrants.
The entire community is bi-lingual, speaking both Persian and Arabic;
but among themselves the peoples use a low form of Persian of the Lur type.
Their dress is in the main ’Arab in pattern, but it is not free, especially in
the case of women, from Persian modifications. Men wear the Arab
Kafieh or kerchief, the ’Arab ’Aqul or head fillet and the ’Arab ’ Aba or
cloak ; underneath the last is a Zabun or long cotton coat reaching to the
heels. Women all wear the ’Aba, their coiffure is ’ Arab and the Persian
Burqa’ is not seen among them. On the other hand, trousers frequently
form a part of their costume, shoes are worn—which are not found among
’Arab women of the lower classes—and as children, they frequently adopt
the bandage round the forehead which is not assumed by ’ Arab women
until after marriage.
Until two generations ago the permanent inhabitants of Ma’shur were all
Sunnis, at least so the people themselves aver ; now they are all Shi’ahs.
Ma’shur is at present the seat of a Mulla named Shaikh Husain, who has
considerable local influence and receives Zaqat even from the villages on
the Jarrahi. His sentiments are believed to be anti-European. The people
of Ma’shur are fairly well armed and possess in all about 100 rifles.
Agriculture and Livestock. —There are traces of extensive irrigated culti
vation to the north and west of Ma’shur village, but the fields have long
ceased to exist. The necessary supply of water is said to have been drawn
from the Jarrahi by means of a dam at Haddaneh. There is now no irri
gation on the north side of Ma’shur, nor is any met with on going westward
till the Khatar canal of the Shatul tract is reached near Jmamzadeh ’Abdul
Hasan in the Fallahieh district. Cultivation is now restricted to 50 or 60
kliish or ploughs of land in the neighbourhood of the village, on which pre
carious crops of wheat and barley are grown by rainfall alone.
Water-supply and other resources .—Rain-water is collected on the east
side of the town by an embankment faced with brick, built about 10 years
ago by the merchant HajI Nasir, before mentioned ; on the open tank thus
formed, the people of Ma’shur depend for all purposes during 8 months in
the year, and during the remaining 4 months they drink from wells, of
which there are many small ones m the town. There is also, to the west
of the town, an underground ci^lern which holds excellent water and is
also due to the liberality of Haji Nasir ; the entrance is kept locked during
the winter. The fact that the livestock of Ma’shur is not sent elsewhere
in the hot weather seems to indicate that the water-supply is in no way
deficient, but the well-water at least is brackish and unhealthy.
Fodder is brought from the Jarrah and Hindian districts, and fuel con
sisting of small bushes only, is mostly cut within a radius of 10 miles of the
village on its east and west sides.
The prices of ordinary supplies frequently range high in Ma’shur. In
March 1906, the rate for wheat was 23 to 27 krdns , and for barley 14 krdns
per local Hashim man of 248 lbs. English. Fish and excellent prawns are
caught at Zangi and the rate for the latter, at the time just mentioned, was
I hdn per Bushire man of 7f lbs. if dried, and 8 krdns if cleaned.