'Military Report on S.-W. Persia, Vol. I. Bakhtiari Garmsir' [‎15v] (35/168)

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ligence Branch m Persia is largely due to this cause. Major
Sawyer m 1891 recommended the adoption of a line of defence,
against an invader from the north, which stretched from Parvlz to
Su tan Ibrahim, on the north side of the Zagros mountains : the
advantages of this line are fully set forth in his report. Its adop
tion would, however, involve the employment of a very laro-e force
operating m mountainous country, the inhabitants of which might
be hostile. The difficulties of supply and transport would be great,
and the advantages to be gained from the advanced position uncer
tain. I he proposed line, moreover, would not cover a Russian
advance ma Khurramabad and Dizful, and, if so out-flanked, it would
be diflicult to alter the disposition of the troops in time to block
this line of advance.
^ iS 0 ^ ne . defence suggested in this report is simply that of
the Karun river from Pul-i-Shalu to Shushtar. (If the Russian
objective should eventually turn out to be Dizful, via Khurramabad,
the line of the Diz could be rapidly taken up.)
,,, Bou ^ d 5T 1 e^ b 7 the unknown and impassable Kuhgalu
hills, and the Mangasht mountains, whose tops are snow-capped for
8 months out of 12, this line of defence would follow closely the north
bank of the Karun, past Susan, Bard-i-Qamchi, Gudar-i-Landar, and
G ^ a ^ d - t ? Shushtar * Its strength lies (1) in the natural features
° t i the g0 / ge ’ 111 lts communications. North of the line lies
a broad belt of remarkably unfertile country, very scantily popu
lated, and connected with the interior of Persia by only 2 or 3
possible routes. .From Pul-i-Shalu to Susan, the Karun runs in
a narrow gorge, impassable throughout to pack animals, and only
occasionally passable for infantry. At Pul-i-Shalu, the Isfahan-
waz road crosses the river by a bridge; at Susan another practi
cable road from the north crosses the river and proceeds to Malamir:
the intervening space between these roads is wholly impracticable
for troops, nor is there any choice of fords at either point. The
Karun above and below Susan runs in a deep gorge, from which
it only emerges for a few miles at Bard-i-Qamchi, If the river be
crossed above Pul-i-Shalu, the Karun must be followed until Pul-b
bhalu is reached, as there is no other possible road. At Bard-i-Qamchi
a practicable road leads from the district of Andakeh to Malamir:
here the river may be forded anywhere between Gudar-i-Qambu
andBard-i-Qamchi, a_distance of 3 miles; but from Qamchito Pa-
1 v- i! 1 x andai i a g ft in runs in a narrow gorge, access to
which from the north is impossible. At Pa-i-Pul-i-Landar, access
to the river from the north is only possible via the Tang-i-Dulau, a
narrow defile some 3 miles long, which a few hundred men could
ho a against a large force, and which could be made impassable by