'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎12v] (29/143)

10
The troop? re-embarked and the fleet arrived at the mouth of the Shatt-al-
’Arab on the 8th March. The village of Maamir (Qasbat-al-Nassar) was
occupied by the enemy but no acts of hostility were committed on either side^
On the 23rd March the fleet moved up the river to a point 3 miles below the
mouth of the Karun. 1 The troops were now transhipped, together with the
guns and horses, into steamers and vessels of lighter draught, the enemy,
making no attempt to interfere.
At nightfall on the 25th some engineer officers, after a reconnaissance m
a small canoe of the enemy’s forts, which they approached to within 300 yards,
established a mortar battery on a raft behind the low swampy island which
lies in midstream opposite Mohammerah, and was to be taown henceforward
by Arabs, from this circumstance, as Umm-ar-Rassas— Mother ot lead or
“ bullets.” At daybreak on the 26th March the mortars from this rait
opened fire with deadly effect. At the first shot, the fleet, consisting ot 7
vessels, of which two were sloops, weighed anchor and steamed up river and
poured shell on the enemy’s batteries which were situated one on each side ot
the mouth of the Karun : the shell-fire, it is recorded, felled many date trees,
and many old trees in the Jabiriyeeh lands can still be seen with the gashes in
them caused by round shot, which are frequently found in the gardens. The
ships passed unhurt within one hundred yards of the battery and the trans
port ships, whose decks were crowded with men, similarly passed unscathed.
The Persians stood to their guns for about 3 hours, after which their fire
slackened. Troops were then landed just beyond the western battery {i.e.,
above the Customs, at Hauz-ul-Malakeh) and were only feebly opposed. The
Persian Army fled precipitately, leaving their tents standing whilst arms
and ammunition, accoutrements and food lay about in profusion. Not less
than 300 men had been killed on the Persian side, not including those killed
by the Arabs who butchered all Persians they came across : The loot of the
Persian camp is still a popular theme amongst the greybeards of Moham
merah.
The Persian General was the Governor-General of ’Arabistan, Ihtisham-
ud-Dauleh, uncle of the King : his troops seem to have been all Persians : the
Arabs being ready, as usual, to side with the conquerors.
On the 29th March 2 steamers each towing a second vessel left Moham
merah for Ahwaz. Sab’ah was reached the following afternoon, and the
next evening Ismailiyeh was reached. ’Amaireh was reached next evening
and on the 1st April Ahwaz was reached. The enemy were found in force
on the right bank, only a small force of 500 men being in the town as a guard
for the stores, to capture which was the object of the expedition.
Troops Were landed and the town was captured without resistance, the
Shaikh having surrendered himself, and the Persian garrison having fled as
also did the main body. On the 6th April the expedition returned to Moham
merah.
Peace with Persia had been concluded at Paris on the 4th March
previously. On the 15th May the expedition left Mohammerah for India, the
town having been handed over on the previous day to Shaikh Jabir’s tribe of
Arabs (the Muhaisin).
It might have been thought that the signal exhibition of cowardice on the
part of Prince Ihtisham-ud-Dauleh would not have been without its effect on
the Arabs, who had had such an excellent opportunity of gauging the true
value of the Persian Army for military purposes- But it was not so. Shaikh
Paris was sent for by the Prince whose summons he meekly obeyed : he was
put in chains and sent to Tehran, where he remained for some years. In his
place Haji Jabir was installed as Chief of Fallahiyeh and Mohammerah,
and left Diaji to live at Mohammerah, (i.e., Kut Paris or Kut-i-Shaikh on
the opposite bank). Shortly afterwards he sent his son Muhammad to act as
Deputy Governor at Fallahiyeh, a step which was not actively resented. But
. ^J r ’. 1 ^ e was still completely subservient to the Persians of whose
inefficiency he had had such signal proof. Sent for by the Prince he repaired
to Burujird, then a long and dangerous journey. In his absence the Ka’ab
The place is called Havteh al Bun&ji in native laistory.