The document: “The number of Arabs in Abushahr, Ahwaz, in 1913 was 10,750 out of a total of 15,945.”

 

In an in-depth analysis of the document by John Gordon Lorimer, which is considered one of the foundational documents in the history of the Arabs and is carefully preserved in the United Kingdom, we find that it offers a unique glimpse into the demographic composition of the city of Abushahr in Ahwaz in 1913.

Historical documents convey fascinating information about the presence of Arabs in the Ahwaz region and Persians in the city of Abushahr in 1913.

According to John Gordon Lorimer’s report, the city’s population that year was 15,945 people.

According to sources, the number of Persians in the city was 220, representing a very small percentage of the total population.

While another ethnic group totaled 520 people, the report did not specify more details about them.

The report also mentions the existence of a Jewish community in Behbahan with 1,000 people, reflecting the religious diversity in the region.

In Kazerun, there was a mix between Qashqai Turks and Persians totaling 1,000 people, indicating cultural interaction between different nationalities.

In Shushtar, 2,500 people were recorded, but the report did not specify the nationality they belonged to, adding an element of mystery to this population group.

The vast majority of the population of Abushahr in Ahwaz were Arabs, numbering 10,750, indicating that Arabs were the main fabric of society in that period as they were the original landowners before the Iranian occupation took control.

Lorimer’s document is a valuable source of information, not just for its demographic data but also for revealing the original landowners in the Gulf region during the twentieth century.

A second source, by Abdul Hussein Kanani in 2012, supports the information mentioned in Lorimer’s report.

In his book “Geography of Bushehr Province,” Kanani mentioned that the population in this area that year was 15,945, confirming the accuracy of the original report.

These valuable documents and historical reports are an important reference for studying the presence of Arabs and Persians in the region before the Iranian occupation.