‘Memorandum respecting the frontier between Mohammerah and Turkey.’ [‎35r] (69/82)

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house and one of the caravanserais, and these were the
only bricks that were ever known in the place, reeds and
mud were the exclusive ma' erials used in the other buildings.
The transit trade was no doubt flourishing at one time, but
a comparison, even in the proportion of their relative extent
between Mohammerah and our Indian capitals is preposterous
in the extreme. As for the lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of gold and silver money
in dai'y circulation, no one that 1 have ever conversed
with bel eve it possible that t'icre could have been at any
one time a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. collected in Mohammerah. The
staples of export and import were respectively dates and
rice, and at all times three-fourths of the inhabitants were
Arabs.
This geographical description is quite unintelligible, the
otal distance from the sea to Girdelan is about miles.
As you ascend the river ttie isle of Abadan stretches for
rabout 50 miles on the right, and this is all Cliaab territory,
but quite independent of Mohammerah ; then occurs the
mouth of the Hafar Canal with about a mile of territory
on the Sliatt-el-Arab belonging to Mohammerah. Above you
have for two miles the date groves of Buiidee, cultivated by
the Chaab, but paving revenue to the Bawee Arabs, then
occur for four miles the lands of Tamur inhabited by the
Chaabies subject to Fellahiah, but paying revenue to
Bussorah, and above that point the Muntifik and other
Turkish subjects possess the entire territory for 19 miles
into Bussorah.
The rivalry always subsisting between the two sub
divisions of the Chaab tribe, named Kdtis and Nasara,
appears to have had but little effect on the condition ot
Mohammerah. Hajee Jaaber was ot neither one tribe nor
the other, and admitted few of them into his town; he
formed and supported his own garrison, and as far as I
have been able to ascertain was well and faithfully served
by them.
This account of the capture of Mohammerah is slrangfly
perverted. Treachery was never imputed to the garrison,
nor did Jaaber fly from his own people but from the Turkish
soldiery. Relying in fact on support f'om Fellahiah, which
was withheld by Sheikh Thamir from jealousy of bis rival's
power, he rejected all overtures and determined to defend
his town to the last. The place was accordingly formally
invested, battered, breached, and finally taken by assault,
Sheikh Jaaber escaping in his boats by the Bamishere river
when the Turkish troops were occupied in plundering the
town.
Mohammerah was stormed on the western face, and when
the troops were fairly in possession of the breach there was
a general rush to the'boats on the Hafar, which runs along
the southern wall of the town, and numbers of persons
■who were without the means of flight throwing themselves
into the canal were drowned ; the total population of the
place when it was captured, including the Arab garrison of
fighting men may have been 3,000 souls, and as always occurs
when a place is carried by assault, the loss of life was no
doubt considerable. I have never been able, however, to
collect any satisfactory information on this point, nor can I
obtain an approximate estimate of the extent and value of
the plundered property.
Genaweh, Dilem, and Rishahan assembled at
Mohammerah and built bazaars, khans, caravan
serais, and coffee houses. The place became so
flourishing that the rent of a single room in a
caravanserai A roadside inn providing accommodation for caravans (groups of travellers). amounted to 10 kurush (ain) per
mensem, a sum equivalent to fifteen Shiraz rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. ,
and the merchants were only too glad to secure
accommodation at that exorbitant rate.
Wealthy and respectable mevcha.nts in fact have
certified that the condition of Mohammerah was at
one time so flourishing as to rival Calcutta and
Bombay, not considered in regard to its actual
extent, but as being more populous and celebrated
than either of the above-mentioned cities in refer
ence to the space which they relatively occupied.
Agha Abdul Mahommed, a merchant who visited
Mohammerah before the expedition of the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of
Basfdad on certain commercial affairs of his own,
has taken oath also that during his residence of
one month in the place lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of gold and silver
money were in daily circulation.
On the eastern bank of the Shatt-el-Arab from
the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. as far as Girdelan,
opposite to Bussorah, the port of Mohammerah
occupies to the south a space of 4 farsangs. the
whole of this tract produces dates and other fruits,
and it also contains within its limits fourty-four
forts belonging to the Keab Arabs.
Amongst the Arabs of those parts there are two
particular tribes, named respectively Derissis and
Ansar, who have risen into great power, and to
whom is owing the ruin of Mohammerah, Jaaber
having been deputed by Sheikh Thamir Khan to
govern Mohammerah, appropriated to himself the
entire revenues which arose from the gardens
without admitt ing the Keab Arabs to any partici
pation. On the arrival accordingly of the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
of Bagdad, and enmity having at the same time
broken out between the two tribes, a project was
formed for the assassination of Jaaber, who, how
ever, obtaining information of the plot three days
after the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 's arrival and before any slaughter
had commenced, fled away in a boat with his
family and servants. On this intelligence getting
abroad, the whole population was seized with a
sort of panic and cast themselves into the waters
of Shatt; women and children unable to swim
perished in the waves, about 4,000 souls were
carried into slavery by the Arnaouts and Turkish
soldiers, others saved themselves by flight. The