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‘Military Report on ’Arabistan (Area No. 13).’ [55v] (115/366)
The record is made up of 1 volume (179 folios). It was created in 1924. 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.
Political
attitude.
- The political attitude of the area is determined by the oY-w-
ing forces:—
(1) British Government.
(2) The Shaikh of Muhammarah.
(3) Persian Government.
(4) Religion.
(1) British Influence .—Previous to the war the power of
Great Britain was little more than a name to the natives of
’Arabistan. During the war, however, British troops were
compelled to invade the country to eject the Turks, who were
endeavouring to create disorder amongst the tribes. The troops,
though frequently only in small numbers, made their power
felt, partly by their organisation and discipline, partly by the
fact that they were British troops, and partly by the knowledge
that unlimited reserves could be called upon both of troops and
arms. Such an invasion of modern arms into an uncivilised coun
try is bound to make an impression on the uneducated minds
of the tribesmen, and an impression which will not be quickly
forgotten. At the present time the Shaikh of Muhammarah
receives the support of the British Government, and it is for the
presence or absence of that support to which every eye in 5 Arabi
stan is turned. It would not be fair to the Shaikh, whom no one
will deny is a man and a ruler, to suppose that if British support
w 7 ere taken away, his power would be broken, but it is not incor
rect to say that his task would be a hundred-fold more difficult,
and that those looking for revenge would realise that at last they
could enter upon a task with some hope of success.
(2) The Shaikh of Muhammarah .—To a very large extent the
attitude of the tribes is affected in the same way by the Shaikh
of Muhammarah as by the British Government, since so long as
the Shaikh has the support of the British the two are the same in
the eyes of the tribesmen. The Shaikh, however, has other forces
at work, which call for him to be considered by his people for
other reasons than the mere tool of a foreign Government.
Chief of these are his never failing purpose in disencouraging the
pretensions of tribal Shaikhs by creating representatives of his
own selection to control his tribes, and his wealth with which
he buys over to his side any wavering chiefs of importance.
Such carries weight to a considerable extent and with the back
ing of the British Government is sufficient to hold the tribes in
*
About this item
- Content
Confidential military report on Arabistan [Khūzestān] compiled by Air Headquarters, Iraq, and printed by the Government of India Press, 1924.
The report contains nine chapters (numbered I-IX) and seven appendices (A-G) as follows:
- chapter I – history (general, ancient, modern, political attitude);
- II – geography (boundaries, area, general description, altitude, mountains, rivers and fords, towns and villages, tracts of land, islands, fortified places, political divisions);
- III – climate (general, temperature, winds, rainfall, mirages, general medical and sanitary conditions, principal diseases, conditions affecting aviation and military operations);
- IV – economic resources (general, labour, agriculture, livestock, manufacture, power, commerce, customs, banking, revenue, tables of imports and exports);
- V – ethnography (general, population, races, religions, languages);
- VI – tribes (general, armed forces, tribes in relation to possible centres of disturbance, political attitudes, military considerations, tribal action, punitive measures, recapitulation, lists of tribes);
- VII – personalities;
- VIII – communications (general, communications by sea, inland waterways, railways, telegraphs and telephones, post, aerodromes and possible aerodromes, wireless and visual communication, principal routes by land, sea and river);
- IX – administration (general, government establishments, northern province, southern province);
- appendix A – bibliographical notes;
- B – weights and measures, coinage and time;
- C – glossary of topographical terms;
- D – Karun river [Rūd-e Kārūn] regulations;
- E – concession granted to the “Nasiri Company”;
- F – customs schedule;
- G – Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
The volume contains a single map in a pocket attached to the inside back cover (folio 180).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (179 folios)
- Arrangement
A contents list (ff 4-5) and index (ff 171-177) reference the report’s original pagination system.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 181; 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 file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/16
- Title
- ‘Military Report on ’Arabistan (Area No. 13).’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:163v, 168r:168v, 171r:179v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence