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‘Gazetteer of Persia, Part III, including Fārs, Lūristān, Arabistān, Khūzistān, Yazd, Karmānshāh, Ardalān, Kurdistān’ [179v] (363/686)
The record is made up of 1 volume (336 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
336
KAR—KAU
equally advantageous to England from a political and from a commer
cial point of view. Considering the political aspect of the case, it
may be remarked that it would give England, as the country which
would most largely employ the new route, paramount influence in
Southern Persia, while the possibility of bringing troops within a few
hundred miles of the most important towns would naturally contribute
largely to the re-establishment of British influence at Tihran.
From a commercial point of view it would appear that the only
chance of successful competition with Russian trade is the opening up
of the Karun. Twenty years ago British merchants almost monopo
lised the trade of Persia; at this moment English goods are rarely seen
beyond Isfahan and even at this place Russian produce is sold in
equal quantity with British merchandise.
This change is due to the development of steam navigation on the
Caspian and the construction of good roads from the Caspian to Tih
ran and Mashhad. If nothing is done towards developing communi
cations with the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, British trade will be driven out of all
the wealthy parts of Persia.
The importance to British interests of opening up the Karun by
British means is enhanced by the presence and designs of the French,
whose design is to construct a dam at Ahwaz and to irrigate and
cultivate the adjacent lands by a French Company. This scheme of a
dam at Ahwaz, which was once on the point of being conceded by the
Shah, is incompatible with the English one of opening up the naviga
tion of the river. It is sufficiently obvious what considerations in
duce Russia to encourage French designs. The proposal to open the
navigation of the Karun originated entirely from a firm of British
merchants who were supported by the Government on account of the
obvious advantages to British commerce. Hitherto, however, the
SkalFs Government have declined to assist in any way, or even to
allow foreign steam vessels to run on the Karun river. The Shah's
first peremptory refusal was dated February 1879.
In 1881 the Zil-us-Sultan, who had been appointed Governor of Fars
did his best for the scheme, but the Shah's opposition was not to be
overcome, and, finally, in February 1883 negotiations on the subject
with the Shah's Government ceased, and it was thought advisable to
leave the matter in abeyance.
(Chamjoain — Ross — Robertson — Wells — Thomson.)
KARUN—
The following notes are extracted from Lieutenant-Colonel Bell's
“South-West Persia," 1884—
“ Many opinions have been given upon the practicability of opening
up the navigation of the Kaiun river, some favourable, others un
favourable, all of which will be found fully recorded in the Karun
River Precis, 1879-83 (Indian Foreign Department, Confidential
Paper). From viewing the river in March and April 1884, Major
Bell concluded that its navigation would be feasible at all seasons for
fiat-bottomed boats of a burden up to 50 tons provided with expansive
sails similar to those navigating the Indus at Sukkur, and for flat-
About this item
- Content
The third of four volumes comprising a Gazetteer of Persia. The volume, which is marked Confidential, covers Fārs, Lūristān [Lorestān], Arabistān, Khūzistān [Khūzestān], Yazd, Karmānshāh [Kermānshāh], Ardalān, and Kurdistān. The frontispiece states that the volume was revised and updated in April 1885 in the Intelligence Branch of the Quartermaster General’s Department in India, under the orders of Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe Macgregor, Quartermaster-General in India. Publication took place in Calcutta [Kolkata] by the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, in 1885.
The following items precede the main body of the gazetteer:
- a note by Lieutenant-Colonel Mark Sever Bell, Deputy Quartermaster General, Intelligence Branch, requesting inaccuracies, omissions and suggestions for the gazetteer be reported to the Deputy Quartermaster General;
- a second note, dated 26 November 1885, describing the geographical scope of the four volumes comprising the Gazetteer of Persia , and also making reference to the system of transliteration used (Hunterian) and authorities consulted;
- a preface, containing a summary of the geographical boundaries of the Gazetteer, a description of the Persian coast of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , an abridged account of trade in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. for the year 1884, and a description of telegraphs in the regions described by the Gazetteer.
The gazetteer includes entries for human settlements (villages, towns and cities), geographic regions, tribes, significant geographic features (such as rivers, canals, mountains, valleys, passes), and halting places on established routes. Figures for latitude, longitude and elevation are indicated where known.
Entries for human settlements provide population figures, water sources, location relative to other landmarks, climate. Entries for larger towns and cities can also include tabulated meteorological statistics (maximum and minimum temperatures, wind direction, remarks on cloud cover and precipitation), topographical descriptions of fortifications, towers, and other significant constructions, historical summaries, agricultural, industrial and trade activities, government.
Entries for tribes indicate the size of the tribe (for example, numbers of men, or horsemen), and the places they inhabit. Entries for larger tribes give tabulated data indicating tribal subdivisions, numbers of families, encampments, summer and winter residences, and other remarks.
Information sources are provided at the end of each gazetteer entry, in the form of an author or source’s surname, italicised and bracketed.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (336 folios)
- Arrangement
The gazetteer’s entries are arranged in alphabetically ascending order.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 341; 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 volume has two printed pagination systems, the first of which uses Roman numerals and runs from I to XIII (ff 3-10), while the second uses Arabic numerals and runs from 1 to 653 (ff 12-338).
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘Gazetteer of Persia, Part III, including Fārs, Lūristān, Arabistān, Khūzistān, Yazd, Karmānshāh, Ardalān, Kurdistān’ [179v] (363/686), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100033249832.0x0000a4> [accessed 9 March 2025]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/1
- Title
- ‘Gazetteer of Persia, Part III, including Fārs, Lūristān, Arabistān, Khūzistān, Yazd, Karmānshāh, Ardalān, Kurdistān’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:340v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence