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‘Military report on south-west Persia, including the provinces of Khúzistán (Arabistan), Luristán and part of Fars.’ [‎73v] (151/470)

The record is made up of 1 volume (231 folios). It was created in 1885. 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. .

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112
There is telegraphic communication between Khoramabad and Burujnd,
and thence with the rest of Persia (.ve<? pnge 110). A telegram is said to
take, at times, longer in its transit than a letter. Persians do not value time
and with them procrastination is a virtue.
No more unsatisfactory measure of distance obtains anywhere than that
„ x * ,• of the farsakh, which seems to vary according to the
JJr“ caprice of the estimator alone! _ It was defined to he
the distance that a fast-walking horse could cover in one hour. Wealthy
Persians train their horses to a fast road pace, which may be estimated at
5 miles an hour; others, untrained, will walk to 4 miles an hour, and
hence no doubt arises the great discrepancies in estimating distances in Persia.
In Arabistan, Mr. Schindler estimates the farsakh to be 3'82 miles ;
in Persia generally it may be assumed to be 4 miles. Experience alone can
teach whether it should be given a value of 3, 4, or 5 miles.
It is most diiiicult to get trustworthy information from Arabs and
— . Persians. Thev think little, know little, and desire to
Information. J in\ t? ^ a e
know no more [see page Iz). itven the word ot a gov
ernor should not be believed; they never hesitate to speak falsely and to
exaggerate; promises will be given, but never carried out. To give a man the
lie in Persia is no offence.
For instance, Schif, opposite to Bushire, was described to Major Bell by
the son of Muhammad Khan of Mohrezi, Zabiter-i-Ruhilla, to be a large town,
amply supplied with provisions of all kinds, transport and water. He found
it to consist of one hut, and that neither water nor provisions of any descrip
tion could be obtained.
Fortunately this propensity to lie, in order to shift the burden of sup
ply, which every Arab or Persian host of position feels bounds to provide
gratis, being known, full supplies of food and water had been laid in at the ex
pense of his hospitable (?) host regardless of his assurances that such a pre
caution was quite unnecessary.
This is one instance only out of a thousand. Neither muleteers, guides,
khans, governors, nor princes should he believed, for each will speak only
what he wishes you to believe, and that which accords with his own indolent
Hospitality habits, or what will relieve him of responsibility and ease
his purse of the self-constituted burden of hospitality,
which he often most grudgingly performs, even against a thousand remonstran
ces that he should perform it at all [xee pages 6, 9, 5, 20).
The only two ports from which South-West Persia can be entered are
Travelling, South-West Muhammerah and Bushire. There is a large commu-
Persia - nity of Europeans at Bushire, merchants and telegraph
officials, and there are the head-quarters of the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of the Gulf ;
consequently it makes a good starting point for the land journey and carriage
can be obtained without great delay.
If the country is entered from Muhammerah, Basra is the best port at
which to outfit. If land carriage cannot be readily obtained at Muham
merah, the Karun river can be ascended by boat to Ahwaz. Land carriage
is not plentiful at Ahwaz or anywhere to the south of Shustar.
A traveller in Persia should be provided with a stock of presents and
Presents. medicines; of the former, those most appreciated
are, arms and ammunition, binoculars, silks, broad
cloth (black, blue, red, and drab), cutlery, silver cigarette-holders and cigarettes,
silver pocket compasses. Of the latter, the most useful are eye medicines,
quinine, pills, lint, sticking plaster, caustic for sores, and stomach and liver
medicines. The traveller is often asked to supply a set of false teeth. As

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Content

Report marked strictly confidential, prepared in the Intelligence Branch of the Quarter Master General’s Department in India, by the Assistant Quarter Master General, Major and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Mark Sever Bell, Royal Engineers. The volume was published by the Government Central Branch Press, Simla, 1885.

The contents of the volume are as follows:

  • part I, a narrative description of a journey from India to Muhammerah [Khorramshahr], through to the Luristán [Lorestān] hills, to Kúm [Qom]; from Kúm to Gulpaigán [Golpāyegān ], Chaman-i-Sultán [Chaman Solţān], Ali-Gúdar [Alīgūdarz], Imámzádá-Ishmail [Emāmzādeh Esmā‘īl], and the Zaindarúd River [Zāyandeh Rūd] to Isfahán; from Isfahán through the Kúhgehlú [Kohgīlūyeh] hills to Behbahán and Bandar-Dilám [Bandar-e Deylam]; from Bandar-Dilám to Bushire
  • part II, a detailed account of southwest Persia, compiled from Sever’s own observations and other available sources
  • part III, commercial considerations. A further section in this chapter on strategic observations, which is mentioned on the contents page and marked as secret, is not present in the volume
  • part IV, detailed road reports
  • appendix A, road reports, Isfahan to Shústar [Shūshtar], Shústar to Shíráz [Shīrāz], compiled in 1881 by Captain Henry Lake Wells, Assistant Director of Persian Telegraphs, with additional annotations by Bell
  • appendix B, a list of plant specimens collected in Luristán during April and May 1884
  • appendix C, extracts of a paper on the geology of the Turko-Persian frontier, written by William Kennett Loftus, June 1854
  • appendix D, meteorological observations at Bushire, from 20 March to 20 June 1885

The volume includes eight maps, two photographic plates, and illustrations throughout (topographical, architectural, anthropological). The two photographic plates and some of the maps are of an earlier date than the volume’s publication date of 1885.

Extent and format
1 volume (231 folios)
Arrangement

A contents page (f 7) and index (ff 222-226) refer to the volume’s original printed pagination.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 233; 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
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‘Military report on south-west Persia, including the provinces of Khúzistán (Arabistan), Luristán and part of Fars.’ [‎73v] (151/470), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/9, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048990082.0x000098> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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