"دليل بلاد فارس. مجلد III. جزء I: من A إلى K" [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٨] (١٢٧٨/٢٨١)

Government. —Ma’shur is understood to be the joint property of the
Nizam-us-Saltaneh and the Mashir-ud-Dauleh, having been obtained by the
former from the Persian Government as a tiyiil in 1895. It is farmed from
the owners by the Shaikh of Muhammareh, but the terms of the lease are
not at present ascertainable. The local authority until about 8 years
ago was a certain Mir ’Abdullah, belonging to a tribe or family called
Amareh of Khalafabad ; and to him belonged the ruined fort which is still
visible at Ma’shur. In the time of Mir ’Abdullah the Shaikh of Muham
mareh had not perhaps obtained the farm of the revenues of Ma’shur, for
they were then paid into the treasury at Shushtar. Four or five years ago
Mir ’Abdullah died, having been held in imprisonment for the last 3 or 4
* years of his life by the Shaikh of Muhammareh, whose displeasure he had
incurred. Since this event the influence of the Shaikh at Ma’shur has
become supreme and undisputed, and he has been represented locally by a
-confidential agent named Shaikh Salaiyeh, who was at one time among
his personal attendants, and whose position and powers as regards Ma’shur
as well as the Hindian district, also controlled by him, appear to be indefi
nite. The Shaikh of Muhammareh is exceedingly feared at Ma’shur, but
there, as elsewhere in Southern ’Arabistan, he seems to be regarded as a
just man. ^ i
The only agricultural tax is one on land actually cultivated at the rate
of 110 lerdns per khish, but the Shaikh also recovers one chehdrak per man
(or the monetary equivalent) on the flesh of every animal slaughtered for
food ; and there is reason to believe, though every effort is made to conceal
the fact, that he collects an excise of 2 tumdns on every hundred fleeces
exported from Ma’shur.
The customs of Ma’shur before their transfer to the Imperial Persian
Customs Department were valued at 6,000 tumdns per annum ; no proper
estimate of their yield under the new regime can be framed, but it is said
to amount to 20,000 tumdns yearly. There is no telegraph office. A
post office managed by the customs exists, however, and a weekly service
to Muhammareh, Hindian, and Bushire is maintained.— (Burton, 1903—
Persian Gulf Gazetteer, 1908.)
BANDAR NASIRl or NASIRlEH— Lat. 31° 19' N.; Long. 48° 45-30' E.;
Elev.
A small but flourishing town in Southern ’Arabistan, which has sprung
up since the opening of the Karun river to steam navigation. It is situated
on the left bank of the river Karun immediately below the Ahwaz rapids,
and about 1 mile from Ahwaz town. It stands upon a slight elevation
overlooking the river, and (1905) contains 118 houses of stone, brick, and
mud, two caravanserais, two public baths, two mosques, 196 shops, of
which 106 are occupied, and two coffee-shops.
The importance of Bandar Nasiri which, after Muhammareh, is the
chief place on the river Karun below its junction with the river Diz, de
pends partly on its being the chief place in the Ahwaz district and the seat
of the Shaikh of Muhammareh’s Governor, but still more upon its favourable
situation in regard to trade. The run of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam
Navigation Company’s steamer on the Karun ends at Bandar Nasiri, and
the cargoes for the Upper Karun are here discharged and conveyed by a