'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎12r] (28/470)

The system adopted in the case of the winter crops was to ascertain through
the Mamurs the total weight of seed sown, and to estimate the yield at 11 times
the amount of the seed. This estimation would not have been hard on the cultivator
had the basis of estimation, i.e., the report of the Mamur been correct. Mainly,
however, owing to the extreme scarcity prevailing in the winter of 1917—18 and
the consequent very high price of grain, the cultivators ate a considerable proportion
of the seed grain issued to them by the Agricultural Development Scheme as well
as eating grain which they would themselves normally have reserved for seed.
In order to shield themselves from possible punishment for putting seed to improper
use, they made false declarations to the Mamur. The consequence was that
estimations based on the 11 to 1 rule proved to be very excessive and had to be
reduced.
The summer crops were estimated by trained estimators appointed by the
Political Officer. When possible, the A.P.O. accompanied them while estimating.
A.P.O., Dali ‘Abbas, complains that the year under report was bad from a
revenue point of view as the exigencies of the Military situation required the con
struction of defences in his area, which had to be maintained intact, and, though
these defences were small in extent, they prevented large areas from being
cultivated, and the removal of restrictions came too late to benefit either his
winter or summer crops. His district, as well as Daltawah, suffered from the
failure of the Khalis Canal in the summer months. There are a large number of
bearing date-trees in the Division, paying a tax of 6 | annas per tree.
The date-tree tax yielded during 1918—
Rs.
Left bank Diyalah ----- 39,240/10/6
Right bank Diyalah - - - - -50,816/10/6
In addition, a small revenue of Rs. 18,656/2/- was received from winter crops,
such as hartaman and adas, in which the revenue was taken in cash and not in kind.
(b) Tapu. —The Tapu Department started work in Ba‘qubah on 25th August.
Tin numbers have been put on all houses and shops in Ba‘qubah town and
landowners have been warned to get their tapu sanads registered immediately.
The present registration is confined to house property and garden land.
(c) Waqf. —Waqf property covers a large area on both banks of the Diyalah,
and, when the effects of the war have passed over, it should bring in a very good
revenue to the Waqf Department. The large Qadiriyah Waqf in the Khurasan
Canal is managed by the Naqib of Ba‘qubah and not by the Waqf Department.
The principal blocks of Waqf property are—
(1) Qadiriyah Waqf, managed by the Naqib.
(2) Qarnabit village and gardens, the revenue of which was left for
one year to Mustafa Chalabi for Rs. 42,000/-.
(3) Kashkin, which brought in a revenue of Rs. 32,000/-. A large
amount of this estate had to be left uncultivated owing to Military defences.
(4) Mansuriyah al Jabal. The revenue during the year was derived
mainly from the date-tree tax, about Rs. 200/-, and out of the 1917-18
shitwi crop about 15 tons of barley was distributed as seed advances. In
ordinary years this is a most profitable estate, but owing to Military restrictions
it was left practically uncultivated.
There have been two Mamurs of Waqf throughout the year working on the
left and right bank Diyalah respectively, and reporting direct to the Political
Officer.
The revenue from the Waqf property managed by the Waqf Department
in this Division during 1918-19 is estimated to be Rs. 162,543/- (Khurasan,
Rs. 95,427/6/-; and Khalis, Rs. 67,115/10/-).
(d) Miscellaneous and Special Revenues. —The Kodah tax was at the rate
of :—
Sheep and goats - Annas 8 per head.
Camels ------ Rs. 1 „
Buffaloes ----- R g> \ ^