'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1062] (99/688)

1062
KHO—KHO
kh O jah sect*—
The headquarters of the Kh6jah sect in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. are in the Sultanate of 'Oman
chiefly at Matrah, where they number about 1,050 souls ; but they are found also a
Khaburah (125 souls), Sohar Town, Suwaiq (30 souls), Barkahand Masna'ah, in Batinah •
at Quryat (1 family) ; and at Gwadar, where they number about 300 souls. A consider
able number live in the coast towns of Trucial 'Oman and Persia.
The entire Khojah community of Matrah reside in a large fort or enclosed quarter upon
the sea beach ; security from attack by the Arabs and privacy for their women are the
principal motives of this arrangement, and, except menials, the only non -Khojahs
admitted to the enlosure are the British officials at Masqat, whom they regard as their
natural protectors. The Khojahs of Matrah marry, for the most part, among themselves.
Only about 10 families of those at Matrah are now adherents of the Agha Khan of
Bombay ; the remainder have been converted to Thain ' Ashari Shi'ism, but preserve to
some extent their old social usages and customs.
The majority of the Matrah Khojahs are petty merchants and shopkeepers dealing in
piece-goods, spices, etc. Only about 12 of them do business on a large scale, but there are
seven or eight others who some times receive small consignments of goods on their own
account. The business of the large Khojah merchants at Matrah consists in the importation
of rice from Calcutta and of piece-goods, oil and drugs from Bombay, and in the exporta
tion to India of dates, both wet and dry, and of a small quantity of dried fish (Matut).
Some land in the Masqat District has been acquired by Khojahs, particularly at Birain,
at Darsait near Matrah, and at Ghallah in Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Boshar.
The Matrah Khojahs are mostly of Sindi or Kachi extraction, but very few of them
now have homes in India, and of 250 male adults only about 120 are British subjects, those,
namely, whose ancestors immigrated after the British conquest of Sind. Of 41 families
of Khojahs in other parts of the'Oman Sultanate except Gwadar, 29 are under British
protection and 12 are Arab subjects; those of Gwadar, are comparatively recent im
migrants and all claim British nationality. In the ports of Persia and Trucial 'Oman
the Khojahs are all regarded as British subjects.
In the Sultanate of 'Oman the Khojahs are known to the Arabs as Lawatiyahf and
in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. they are called Lutiyan; the singular in either case is Latiyah. They
are also commonly spoken of as Haidarabadis.
KHOKHI (S AB I L-AL)—
A halting place on the coastal route between Mecca and Al-Madlnah, situated as the
crow flies, some 40 miles north-west by west from Mecca. Sabil-al-Khokhi lies between
Bir-al-Basha and Asfan.—(/. D., Cairo).
KHOR—
A large saline depression in the district of Habl (q. v.), in Hasa, eastern Arabia.
KHOR (A RDH-AL)—
See Kuwait Principality.
khorah—
A village near the right bank of the Shatt-al-'Arah (,. a little way below Basrah.
KHORlYAH—
The western side of the island of Masirah (q. v.), of the 'Oman Sultanate.
KHOS (N AHR)—
A village and creek of the Shatt-al-'Arab (a v) nn fho i u x t> ,
Muhammarah. g ^ ^ arl ^ between Basrah and
*A derivation of this name ahs been sueeested frnm t
to carry when they first arrived in the country. Aonthef is ^ ater - vess el, which (it is said) they used
natured sense. y - Aontfcer is from a word meaning a scamp, used In a good-
tThe Khojahs never call themselves Lawfttiyah, and they dislike the name.