'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎4r] (12/470)

(13) Concerning other tribes in the Division there is nothing of importance
to note, and, broadly speaking, they have behaved themselves.
2. Irrigation. —(1) The Dnjail Canal, the only irrigation canal in use in this
Division, takes off the Tigris at Hulaij al Dhib, whence it flows with many branches
through Balad and Sumaichah to about 6 miles below the latter town.
According to Le Strange, the plain watered by this canal was the most fertile
spot in the whole of ‘Iraq, containing in its area over 100 towns in the time of the
Khalifs. . _
This year the Dujail ceased to flow on June 28th, and the Irrigation Department
were immediately asked to survey it with a view to a more economical use of its
waters during the next floods.
In August, the District Irrigation Officer carried out a preliminary survey,
when it was decided to deepen the bed of the canal.
The District Irrigation Officer anticipates it will now flow for eight months of
the year. . . . . .
Coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. labour, supplied by the Fallahin Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. of the area irrigated by the canal to
the extent of 26,579 man days, was employed, and 3,791,584 cubic feet of earth was
removed. ,
The task was a particularly heavy one as in some places the earth removed
had to be lifted about 20 feet over the top of the canal banks.
The clearance was finished on the 23rd December, and to complete the work
the Irrigation Department are now arranging to erect a head regulator, which it
is hoped will be in position shortly.
(2) During 1919 it is hoped to deepen the Tarmiyah and Naif ah Canals and
bring water into them for irrigation purposes.
In considering these projected schemes the great question is : will the labour
for cultivation be forthcoming ? The answer so far as the Naifah^ is concerned
will be more readily arrived at after the majlis mentioned in Tribal, paragraph 6 ,
has been held. It is hoped that the Ubaid will supply a large proportion of the
necessary fallahin Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. .
3. Revenue. —Nearly all the land throughout the Division is miri land, and
tapu is conspicuous by its absence. ^
The charad tax varies according to the fertility of the zirrah.
A comparison of the revenue for 1917-1918 and 1918-1919 is given below
Particulars.
1917-18.
1918-19.
Rs.
Rs.
Land revenue -
-
29,745
1,65,449
Tapu
Waqf ;
Miscellaneous and special, be., fish,
1,003
1,053
kodah,
6,687
31,844
wood, butchery, dates, and tobacco.
Customs
1,640
4,033
Total
39,275
2,02,379
4 Agriculture. —(1) A good deal of agricultural activity was manifest during
1918 up to and including the fertile Al Hawi upstream of Samarra on the left bank
of the Tigris, in spite of the fact that the Turks on their retirement damaged or
destroyed several pumps and many baqarahs.
Al Hawi is a strip of low-lying land of varying width, stretching from about
11 miles to 5 miles upstream of Samarra.
“ Two pumps, one of 10J h.p. and the other 26 h.p., together with 47 baqarahs,
supply the necessary water.
In the hot w'eather the verdant green of its crops presents a very pleasant
aspect as compared with the dust of Samarra and its immediate vicinity.
(2) The Samarra right bank cultivation was somewhat hindered by the presence
of camps along the river bank.
( 3 ) The horse-power of pumps in the Samarra Nahiyah is 114, including one
brought down from Daur by sappers. The owner was quite pleased to get the
opportunity of bringing it down, but doubtless will soon want to take it back to
its original site now that he no longer fears damage by the Turks. It probably
* 10 1162—1 A 3