File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎16v] (30/450)

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Tigris Line. ^ . ■. »
Lieutenant-Colonel Gressmann is reported to have arrived m Bagdad about t e end
of October as “ German Commissioner in Iraq. .. ^
Shavkh Hatim-ibn-Saihud, of the Al-bu-Mohammed tribe was reported fronT'
Amarah, on the 4th November, to have fled to the Turks This Shaykh was consp.cuous
in his enmity to us in the first half of 1915, being one of the last to make submission
after the capture of Amarah. On the 5th November he was reported to be in Mai
town (on the Shatt-al-Hai), and to have defected owing to the blocking of the Jaw war
Canal,® as regards “mahaila” traffic, by the bridge carrying the Qurnah-Amarah
^/subsequently transpired that Hatim had carefully collected all revenues due to
him before taking his departure. At the beginning of December Hatim was reporte
to be with Bedr Rumayidh, the chief shaykh of the Al-bu-Saleh tribe on the JNahi
Bedaa, about 10 miles north of Lake Hammar, who has been passively hostile to us for
a long time. .
Bedr Rum ay id h was also accompanied by Shaykh Hassacn (of the Beni Mausm),
Shaykh Faris, and Shaykh Zaboon (the latter also of the Al-bu-Mohammed tribe).
Hassach is the cousin of the friendly Shaykh Hamud, of Medina (on the Lower
Euphrates); he is hostile to us, and recently made an abortive raid on Medina.
Shaykh Faris is unknown. These shaykhs were reported to have received rifles and
money from the Turks recently. Ghadban, principal shaykh of the Beni Lam, was
showing signs of restlessness at the beginning of November.
Arab Labour.
About the middle of November difficulty was reported in finding the necessary
labour at Ali Gharbi and on the Tigris road near there. The harvesting of the summer
crop prevented tribal Arabs taking up this work except under pressure. The political
officer had some hope of getting men in from Pusht-i-Kuh.
Persian Frontier.
Arming of Persian Tribes.
An Algerian trooper, who was captured at Arras in June 1916, and escaped
from Bagdad on the 11 th October, said that there were 75 Germans there, and that
10,000 Fieneh rifles, with 700 boxes of ammunition, had been despatched to Persia by
the Germans to arm the tribesmen.
This statement was confirmed by an agent, who stated that a large consignment
of rifles had been sent to Nizam-es-Sultan eh (believed to have raised the irregular
Persian “Division of Vengeance” early in 1916 for service with the Turks on the
Persian frontier).
On the 20 th October Captain Napier wrote from the camp of the Wali of
Pusht-i-Kuh that Nizam-es-Sultaneh had raised 2,000 tribal levies, and that there w ere
about. 500 more at Kermanshah. On the same date Capiain Noel wrote from Dizful
that Nasr Ali Khan, a Lur chief, had again joined the lurks, and that Nizam-es-
Suitaneh was at Kermanshah, while Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Muhi, formerly associated with one of the
German parties in Persia, had been appointed governor of Burujird by the Germans in
the place of Ali Mardan, the former governor appointed by the Russians. Nasr Ali
Khan was said to he in Burujird with Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Muhi, and most of the Luristan
tribes to be on their side. The Bairanwand section of these tribes, however, under
Ali Mardau, had remained faithful to the Russians, and was said to be doing good
work.
In the middle of November news was received from Captain Napier confirming
previous information that tribal levies sent from Kermanshah to madan after
mid-October dispersed to their homes en route, and stating that Nizam e ultaneh was
still at Kermanshah on the 27th October, having postponed his departure rHamadan.
The Wall of Pusht-i-Kuh.
The Waifs “ amlah ” was, on the 20 th October, at Doab about 7 miles east-
south-east of Zorbatieh according to Captain Napier, and our aircraft located it about
1 mile north-west of Kala Sayid Hassan (i.e., in the same locality) on the 31st October
* The Nahr Jawwar takes out of the Tigris by the right bank about 12 miles below Amarah. Mahailas
are vessels with masts which cannot easily be unstepped.