Adventurers, Emirs & generals
Rulers and military leaders from across Asia, and the Middle East contributed their skills to the Cold War of the Victorian Era
seemed lighted up, and our devoted rear-guard was enveloped in a circle of fire! The enemy … appeared all around us, screaming and yelling like fiends, blowing trumpets and bugles furiously, their horsemen galloping about in a frantic manner, and causing as much noise and confusion as possible.” Fortunately for Maude, his regiment was able to repulse the surprise attack.
Returning to Bushire, Outram had a rethink of his plans. He now decided to lead an expedition of almost 3,000 men to Mohammerah, a city on the west bank of the Karun River.
Arriving on 24 March, the British encountered particularly strong defences, and so ordered up warships to destroy the Persian batteries. With this achieved, troops were landed, the 78th Highlanders and the grenadiers of the 64th Foot leading the advance in skirmishing order. While approaching the Persian batteries and breastworks, a hot exchange of musket fire took place between the opposing armies until storming parties from the warships were able to land and drive off the Persians, costing the naval men five killed and 18 wounded.
An assault of the Persian camp was made next, the British and Indian infantrymen advancing in columns with artillery and cavalry in support. However, despite having initially been lined up ready to meet Outram’s force, the Persians simply vanished, allowing troops under Brigadier-general Henry Havelock to occupy Mohammerah unopposed on 27 March. Total casualties stood at 300 Persians killed or wounded, with the British losing ten killed and 31 wounded.
Although the Battle of Mohammerah had proved a relatively easy victory for Outram, around 13,000 Persian soldiers, again under Khanlar Mirza, had managed to escape up the Karun River to Ahvaz. In pursuit, Outram ordered 300 men of the 64th Foot and 78th Highlanders to board three steamers for the journey upriver. The following day, Ahvaz was sighted shortly after daybreak, where the Persian army could be seen drawn up behind a ridge on the right bank. By 10.00am the British troops were ashore, but the Persians suddenly retired to Shushtar, abandoning their supplies.
Captain J. Wray described the unexpected Persian withdrawal from Ahvaz, “With our glasses we saw a large army of 7,000 men, with a perfect swarm of Bakhtyaree horsemen, and five or six guns, retiring from a very strong position, before a body of 300 infantry, three small river steamers, and three gun-boats.”
“THE ENEMY … APPEARED ALL AROUND US, SCREAMING AND YELLING LIKE FIENDS, BLOWING TRUMPETS AND BUGLES FURIOUSLY”
Treaty of Paris
Unknown to the opposing armies at Ahvaz, a peace treaty had been agreed in Paris on 4 March. A month later, when news finally reached Outram, who had been planning an invasion of the Persian interior, hostilities immediately ceased. Although there had been relatively little fighting, the British had achieved their goal of forcing the Persians to leave Herat with a promise to never to interfere in Afghanistan again. In return, the British withdrew their expedition back to India.
The Anglo-persian War had been fought in Persian territory, but it had been borne out of tensions surrounding Afghanistan – one of the direct consequences of Britain’s Great Game with Russia.