'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1038] (75/688)

■ . . .. .. ^ ■'-/ ■ ■ • - ■
I
ll
K HAM IS I YAH
the date gardens in point of fact belong to others, to whom they were given by the Shaikh
or his father to plant with a view to encouraging people to settle down permanently.
Two of the gardens still belong to the Shaikh and are cultivated for him by Najadah
tenants who pay him half the produce of the date crop, while the other gardens have been
given over as above stated to Ibrahim (north side), Mutlaq al Sibbi (north side) and Ali
(south side), all of them Najadah. These are self-cultivating owners and pay nothing
to the Shaikh. In addition to dates, lucerne is grown under the palms, as aho a certain
amount of wheat and barley (south side) and vegetables. On crops other than datea
nothing is paid to the Shaikh by his tenants, who however keep him supplied with
vegetables, etc., by way of occasional presents. It goes without saying that nothing
has ever been paid on these gardens by way of revenue to the Turks or to us.
4. Salt. —The most interesting feature of Khamisiyah is its salt-pans which are worked
throughout the summer and autumn but not during the rainy season. There are two
main salt areas or mamlahas both on the southern side of the town, separated from each
other by the date groves already mentioned. In each of these areas a number of wells
(called Bir) are scooped out and the water found there in ladled out by the Maadan
(mostly women), who work the pans, with instruments like largo ladles made of gourds
and known as diliyah into runnels known as Saja from which it runs into beds which
are called haudh and there stands for 24 hours by which time nothing remains of it
but a thick white sediment of salt. This is then collected and is to all appearances
excellent salt of considerable purity and snow white. The Shaikh as owner of
the land takes a rent of Rs. 2-8-0 and one maund of salt per hir. There are said
to be about 30 Abyar so the Shaikh's annual income from this source is Rs. 75 and 30
maunds of salt which is worth about Rs. 1-4-0 a maund. The total income is thus a
about Rs. 110 only. The out-turn of each hir is said to be 20 maunds a year so the
Maadan who pay such a small proportion in all say 3-20ths do very well. The salt is
sold mainly in Khamisiyah and Suq-ash-Shuyukh and it is understooJ that the Nasiriyah
contractor is also drawing on this supply which should be capable of unlimited exten
sion. All the subsoil water in these parts is brackish but not all of it is capable of
producing salt.
5. The Town. —The Shaikh's father was certainly a man of ideas to judge by the
way the town was laid out. It is a rough square with great wide streets, a bazaar, a
sif for giain and a square for the camels and other animals of the Bedouin visitors,
who come from the desert to barter their livestock, ghi, etc., for rice and other
necessaries of life. The sumptuous mosque was apparently the gift of Falih Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
as-Sa'dun and its leaning tower which is a prominent land mark affords an excellent
view of the town and its surroundings to Suq-ash-Shuyukh on the north, Tel-al-Lahm
on the south-west and Tel-Jabbarah on the south-east, the last two beina until recently
the residences of 'Ajaimi and his brother Thamir-as-Sa'dun respectively. Everywhere
else is the desert on the one side and the endless reeds on the other.
The town is, or rather is supposed to be, walled though the wall which should
surround it is conspicuous by its absence in a very large portion of the perimeter Its
absence is serious in view of the undoubted smuggling of piece-goods, etc., to the
enemy of which Khamisiyah is an important centre and it must be admitted that this
smuggling can not be effectually prevented until the wall is rebuilt and its exits
guarded by military or other trustworthy guards during the hours of darkness. The
wall should therefore be built up if the blockade is to be worked seriously.
6. lieienue.—tio far we have made no attempt to collect any revenue from this tract
eitheronthedate-grov^ oron thesaH produce while no restrictions have been
placed on the working of the salt pans. The Turks had apparently never thought it
worth while to raise the question and the Shaikh has been left to his own devicls till
now. He has certainly shewn himself worthy of his position. From the people to
whom he has given land for cultivation he takes nothing—not even the Haqq al Hukumah
W f V 01 h ^ OWn 1 he t t keS half the P roduce ' and n o more—the only point in respect
ot which he exacts a royalty is salt but even here he is studiously moderate in his
demands. Strictly speaking Government would be entitled to levy about Rs 200 per
annum on the date groves and to take a royalty on each salt-well in work ng aAn
alternative to closing them down with a view to making the salt monopoly more of a
reality but I am generally of opinion that in view of the good work which the Shaikh
and his people are doing for Government especially in connection wilh rSway it