File 1283/1913 Pt 5 'MESOPOTAMIA TRADE Issue of new Trade Report' [‎107v] (210/270)

between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , on the main trade route from
Enzeli in the north to Bushire in the south, while numerous other routes
radiate in almost every direction. Ispahan up till recent times served as a
distributing centre as far as Kum on the north, Abadeh on the south, the Yezd-
Kerman road on the east and the Bakhtiari country on the west. For many
years it drew most of its supplies from Bushire, but the opening of the Lynch
road from Ahwaz and the increasing insecurity of the Bushire-Shiraz sector,
together with the disappearance of many of the transport mules, has resulted at
the present moment in the diversion of by far the greater portion of the trade
to Mohammerah and it is unlikely in the opinion of the Commissioners, that
Bushire will ever regain the ascendency which it once enjoyed. The special
advantages of the Ahwaz route may be summed up as follows :—
(tit) Bushire-
Ispahan.
(to) Bandar Abbas
to Kerman.
Importance of im*
proving the Ahwaz-
Ispahan route,
(1) The fact that the distance from Ispahan to Mohammerah is only 380
miles as against 460 to Bushire. If the problem of supplies and
accommodation were systematically attacked on the Lynch road,
the popularity of the route would grow rapidly.
(2) The superior facilities which Mohammerah possesses as a port.
(3) The prospects which Arabistan holds out as% field for the investment
of British capital. This point is dealt with later.
75. (3) Bushire-Shiraz-Ispahan.—In the opinion of the Commissioners,
there are grounds for a firm belief in the future of Bushire as a collecting and
distributing centre both for the hinterland up to Shiraz and for an extensive
littoral * area, but it is improbable that
No.xv/(i). epara ‘ e °° te 0 ° B '“ hire ' Aw,endk the connection between Shiraz and Ispahan
will afford the best route for the transit of
merchandise to central Persia in view of the easier route via Ahwaz, and of the-
permanent disabilities * of Bushire as a harbour.
76. {4) Through Bandar Abbas to Kerman and Yezd and other smaller
centres. —The importance of the route from Bandar Abbas to Kerman has bfcen
insisted upon by many authorities. Kerman is a distributing centre for
western Afghanistan, Khorasan and south-west and central Persia. British
trade there is open to attack since Bussian trade advancing from Tehran has
an ideally easy route to follow through Kum, Kashan and Yezd, and protective
measures are therefore required. The harbour at Bandar Abbas possesses
advantages not met with elsewhere on the Persian coast and a route is available
over a comparatively easy country via Minab and Began to the interior. Trade
at present follows the Tang-i-Zindan route for reasons of safety but in the
absence of raiders the route via the Tang-i-Zagh is preferred.
On the other hand, it is by no means certain that outlay on the Bandar*
Abbas-Kerman route would be commercially remunerative. The principal
imports are tea, sugar, oil, piece-goods and general merchandise in sufficient
t Valued at about £ 145,000 in 1913 - 14 . quantities f to supply a community num
bering about one and a half million, while
t valued at about £ 150,000 in 191344 . the only valuable exports are carpets.:[
But for the carpet industry, which
occupies directly or indirectly almost the entire population, Kerman would
probably sink to insignificance since it is situated in the midst of a waterless
and almost desert tract. There are said to be coal, manganese and asbestos
fields in the neighbourhood of Kerman but nothing definite has hitherto been
ascertained in regard to them.
77. Three at least of the four trade routes might be expected to develope a
considerably greater trade, if cart or rail transport could be substituted for pack
animals, but the construction of railways in Persia involves very difficult
problems.
If financial or political considerations preclude for the present the building
of railways by any one of the three main routes then, assuming that every
thing possible will, in any case, be done to develop the Baghdad-Khaniqin
route, the Commissioners would invite special attention to the importance of
improving the Ahwaz-Ispahan and the Bushire-Shiraz routes by any alternative
means available.