'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎123v] (251/988)

743
MUH—MUH
History .—On or near the side of the modern Muhammareh, Alexander the
Great founded one of his numerous Alexandrias. This city having been
destroyed by flood; it was rebuilt by Antiochus and called Antichia. Again
washed away, it was again rebuilt and called Charax ; and having been
captured by an Arab chief named Spasines, received his name bpansin
Charax. Ardashir Babakan ; when rebuilding the town about 235 A. D v
changed its name from Kerkh Misan (Charax of Mesene) to Astarahad.
In the old days, some six centuries ago, when Ahwaz, Shushtar; and Diz-
ful were large cities, and the centres of popular districts and an extensive
commerce, Muhammareh was a port of some renown. In 1812 it was
rebuilt by a Shaikh of the Muhaisin tribe to resist the encroachments of
Turkey. In 1820 it was for a short time the head-quarters of the British
Besideney, which was moved thither from Basrah in consequence of the
disturbances between the Turks and the Arabs at the latter place, and the
prevalence of piracy on the river above. Soon after this Shaikh Thamir
opened Muhammareh as a free port, thereby bringing down upon himself
the vengeance of the Vali of Baghdad, who found the trade of Basrah
suffered severely from the competition of such a rival. The town was
plundered by the Turks in 1837, and during the course of the subsequent
troubles the Persians were first admitted into the town by the Muhaisin
in 1841. Their subequent right of possession was strongly disputed by
the Turks, but by the treaty of Erzerum (1847), owing mostly to the
support of England and Russia, Muhammareh was left, and has ever
remained, in Persians hands. Much had feeling has been induced between
the Persians and Turks in these parts, on this account, for the latter have
shown themselves jealous of the intrusion of any other power upon the
Shatt-al-'Arab, and still more so of the rising fortunes of Muhammareh
town. At a later date Muhammareh cut a somewhat inglorious figure in
the Anglo-Persian M ar of 1857, when it was hastily fortified by the Per
sians and was incontinently shelled from the river by 6 British men-of-war.
The Persians, whose army consisted of 13,000 men under prince Khanlar,
had erected 4 batteries on the mainland, and 5 on the opposite side
of the river on 'Abbadan island, with casemated batteries exceedingly
well placed. The north fort on the point west of Muhammareh was
one of the best, and this was the one with which our men-of-war were
principally engaged. It consisted (as did all the others) of a well con
structed parapet, made of layers of date leaves and clay, well rammed
and bound together. This battery had nine embrasures ; the others had
from five to three each. These embrasures were constructed at then-
mouths, of date-tree trunks, fastened together. Most of the batteries
were open at the gorge, the ground in the interior being covered with
pits dug as shell traps. With the exception of these, there are no other
defences near Muhammareh. The British force was composed of 5,000 men
with 12 guns, 4 armed steamers, and two sloops of war. At daybreak on
26th March 1857 the British guns opened fire upon the Persian batteries,
which were silenced in less than an hour. The troopships then advanced
passed the batteries am,id musketry fire, and landed the troops under Sir
II. Havelock. These drove the Persians out of the batteries (where alone
any of the enemy showed fight), and advanced through the palm-grove to
wards the camp where the main Persian army was entrenched. The latter