'Military Report on Mesopotamia (Iraq)' [‎61r] (126/226)

The fehammar Jarba are essentially nomads, but the
reported settlement of families at Ain Ghazal may
adumbrate the operation of new and more civilized ideas
in the tribe. They usually and in normal years spend
the months April to August inclusive north of the Jabal
feinjar in the vicinity of Nisibin and the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
ouwaidiyah. In July, 1921, however, owing to dearth of
grazing many Shammar families moved south of the
Jabal Sin jar and settled temporarily on the streams
between lei Alar and Sinjar and the larger water-holes
m the Jazirah to the south. They usually spend the
period between August and April in the Jazirah, south
oi the Jabal Sinjar. Their usual migrating routes are
trom the south via Hadhrah-Abu Maria-Boga, i.e.
along a line east of Tel Afar across the Mosul-Tel Afar
loads; via Hadhrah-Ain Sino-Ibra-Boga, i.e., a line
vest of lei Afar across the Tel Afar-Sinjar roads and
vest ot the Jabal Sinjar via A1 Bidea-Abu Hamdha-
Ahatumyah. Daham uses the two former routes and
the latter is employed by Ajil al Yawar, Jarullah, Asi
and Hachim. It has been estimated on a rough and
tentative basis that the tribe can muster 6,000 horses,
4,000 cattle, 12,000 camels and 250,000 sheep. These con-
stitute the wealth of the tribe, since from their mode of
life they possess no immovable property. They have,
however, other sources of income: (a) Tribute drawn
iiom weaker tribes and settled villages. It is axiomatic
that any tribe _ which is unable to resist Shammar
demands must either suffer depredations or pay a price
for immunity from such. It is usual for tribute of this
kind to be paid to certain specified chiefs who make
themselves responsible that others do not claim a like
recompense. The Jubur, who formerly paid tribute to
Al Asi, were released from their dues in 1905 because
of the assistance they rendered to Asi against his
brother Jarullah. The Girgiriyah pay no tribute
because their Chief. Sulaiman Agha, is related by
marriage to the shaikhly family of the Shammar, anil
also because he is well able to resist their demands.
(b) Tribute drawn from caravans. The principle
underlying this exaction is that as government is unable
to protect its traders and travellers the Shammar under
take for a given price per animal and person to protect
the caravan in their territories from further exactions
and the attentions of freebooters. In the time of
Farhan’s leadership, this arrangement proved a boon to
traders and others, but he unfortunately left 130
descendants who all claim to have a finger in the tribute