'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1252] (301/688)

1252
MUHAISIN
Estimated
Name of section.
Places at which found.
fighting
strength.
Remarks.
Zuwaidat
At FailTyeb ..
400
Small bodies of Zuwaida
are found planted as
police guards on the
Karun, e. g., at Rahwali
and QajarTyeh, where
there are permanent
posts, and sometimes at
the Marid creek and in
the Umm-al-Wawiyeh
tract.
The Muhaisin in 'Iraq appear to belong almost entirely to the Bait Kana'an v
section.
The Abu Hamreh in Northern 'Arabistan, who arc said to have 200 fighting men and to
frequent the country south of the Haddam towards its source, are considered by some to
be a section of the Muhaisin ; but others class them as Hamaid. The Al Bu 'Atuwi
section of the Bavvlyeh were originally Muhaisin and in some respects still belong to the
tribe.
The fighting strength of the Muhaisin proper in Persian territory would appear from
the table above to be about 6,000, and the present Shaikh of Muhammareh estimates it
at double that number ; but a computation by settlements gives the total number of
Muhaisin in Persia as about 12,000 souls only. It is estimated that about two-thirds of
the fighting men of the tribe are armed with rifles and that about one-sixth of the total
muster are provided with horses.
Mode of life and character. —The Muhaisin in Persia are a settled, but not altogether
sedentary, tribe, having their permanent headquarters in the Muhammareh District;
at their homes they are cultivators of dates, but they also grow wheat and barley upon
both banks of the Karun as far up as Moran and even in the vicinity of Wais. Their custom
is to leave the Muhammareh neighbourhood in November for their grain lands on the
Karun ; in February, after sowing these, they return to Muharnmareh to fertilise their
dates ; in May they revisit the Kama to reap their crops of wheat and barley ; in Juno
or July they reappear at Muhammareh in expectation of the date harvest, which begins at
the middle of July. The Muhaisin own many sheep and goats, some cattle and a few
buffaloes; when they return from the Ahwaz to the Muhammareh District they leave
part of their flocks in charge of sections of the Pawiyeh tribe. Tn religion, except some of
the Bait Gha iim, who are Sunnis, the Muhaisin are all Shi'ah Muhammadans. They are
described as a cheerful and lazy race, thoroughly amenabls to tribal custom and
authority.
Origin, history and 'political 'position. —The Muhaisin are said to be descended from a
certain man whose name was Muhaisin and from his son-in-law Kasib (pronounced
Cha^ib). TradiLion represents these individuals as belonging to a tribe of the Muham
mareh District whom the encroachments of their nslghbr.urs the Ka'ab compelled to
emigrate and to settle on the Tigris under the name of Al Husain Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . Muhaisin
and Kasib, however, having purchased land near the site of the present town of Muham
mareh from the Ka'ab, returned with some followers to their native country and founded
the Muhaisin tribe, of which the headship has remained vested in the house of Kasib.
The later authentic history of the Muhaisin is included in that of 'Arabistan. Hero
it is enough to observe that on the conclusion of the Anglo-Persian war in 1857 Haji
Jabir, then head of the tribe, was recognised by the Persian Government as Shaikh of
Mtihammareh in his own right and with plenary powers ; the Shaikhship up to that time
hai been held by him merely as nominee of the Ka'ab Shaikh. Shortly afterwards,