'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎20r] (44/470)

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Erfore the war the Turfcisli border with Persia met the Sirwan River near the
mouth of the Quraitu River, but the boundary commission in 1914 added a large
tract to the Khamqm district on the left bank of the Sirwan, which included the
valleys of the Quraitu and the Ab-.-‘Abbassan; also the plain of Hurain and
Shaikhan. The war broke out before the Turks had taken over this new tract.
As a, result of the operations against the Sinjabis on the eastern border of
Khamqm and those against tne Turks on the western, the country looked like settling
i 0 ™’ t lG lea( ? 1I ? g shaikhs, most of whom had been in communication with
Major boane, came into Khamqm.
Major Goldsmith, Political Officer, was thus able to make an extended tour in
the northern area, and visited all the principal shaikhs. It was on this tour that
bhaikh Mahmud of Sulaimamyah sent his representative to meet the Political
Officer, askmg to be authorised to act as representative of the British Government
at bulaimamyah, pending our arrival there.
qk •| A i,\ t r h t be g inning . ° f Ju , n . e a Tl letter was sent from the Civil Commissioner to
Shaikh Mahmud, appointing him British representative in Sulaimaniyah and district
and at the same time plans were set on foot to enlist Kurdish Levies in Khaniqin
district to enable British officers to take up a force of Irregulars to the northern
limits of the district and initiate the recruiting of levies in the neighbourhood of
Halabja. it was hoped by this means to establish the position of Shaikh Mahmud
and as long as Kirkuk was held by the British there was every indication that these
plans would have been successful. Unfortunately an entire change came about in
the military situation. Kirkuk was evacuated by the British and the Turks
reoccupied Sulaimaniyah and Halabja and, at the same time,’ arrested Shaikh
Mahmud and sent him to Kirkuk.
About this time (end of June) ‘Ali Akbar Khan began to come into evidence
again, and was with Muhammad Taqi Beg at Zarin. Our Kurdish Levies were on
their way to Halabja, but m view of the changed situation withdrew to Maidan.
The political situation had now become extremely awkward for the chiefs in
the northern area, who had lately established friendly relations with us. 4 Ali Beg
son of Mahmud Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , who had arranged to raise levies in Halabja, was ordered
back by the Turks; and Uthman Beg, chief of the Sharafbaini, retired to the hills
to avoid complications with either party.
During July, the Turks moved out from Halabja and established outposts on
both banks of the Sirwan, in the area lately occupied by us, and the tribes found
themselves once more in their grip. The Kurdish Levies left Maidan and established
headquarters at Haushquru, about 15 miles north of Khaniqin.
For the next three months until the end of October the whole of Khaniqin
district north of the Quraitu river was out of our control and tribes were worried
by foraging parties of the enemy.
The final change in the situation was sudden and dramatic. With the British
advance on Kirkuk and Mosul the Turks withdrew hurriedly from this district,
and within a few hours the country between the Quraitu, 20 miles north of Khaniqin’
and Halabja was finally and completely clear.
The news of the armistice following on the retirement filled the tribes with a
feeling of confidence that their troubles were finally over, and the chiefs began once
more to come into Khaniqin.
December has been an uneventful month from the tribal point of view. Anxious
to benefit by the settled conditions, all their energies have been directed to securing
the maximum amount of cultivation for the winter.
The above is intended to describe the situation as it affected the tribes nominally
in Khaniqin district, but really for the greater part of the year out of our effective
control.
The tribes are not numerous and the area is thinly populated.
The most important is the Sharafbaini— Chief, ‘Uthman Beg ibn ‘Abdullah Beg
* inhabits the plain of Hurain and Shaikhan, and the slopes of Bamu mountain.
A good tribe and pro-British, and found themselves placed in difficult circumstances
throughout the year.
Sections of the powerful Talabani tribe under Sheikh Rauf ibn Jallal at Gura-
shalah about the Quraitu River, and Shaikh Tahir ibn Shaikh Muhammad at
Hajilar.
Several representatives of the Barzanji (a powerful Sadah tribe, the chief of
which is Shaikh Mahmud of Sulaimaniyah), among whom are Shaikh Muhammad
* 10 1162—1 n