'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎22v] (49/470)

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DIVISIONAL REPORT.— KHANIQIN DIVISION.
1. Revenue : (a) Land Revenue .—With the exception of Mandali, where
conditions have been more or less normal, the Division has been too much affected
by the war to be expected to produce the proper revenue.
Practically no winter crops were sown in 1917—1918 in Khaniqin or Qizil Robat,
and the summer crops were also less than usual.
Assessment of land revenue differs in the various districts. In Khaniqin and
Qizil Robat the Government share is one-tenth of the total crop, and there are no
cash assessments.
In Mandali there is a fixed shitwi cash assessment on certain lands, varying,
according to the quality of the land, from Rs. 12/8/- to Rs. 26/4/- per faddan.
Other lands pay one-fifth of the total crop, with the addition of a tax of Rs. 3/2/— for
every faddan cultivated. Summer crops and vegetables in Mandali pay one-fifth.
On Tapu lands one-tenth is taken.
Khaniqin has been distinctly unfortunate in its Revenue Staff. There has
been a constant stream of incompetent officials discharged either for dishonesty or
inefficiency.
Estimation of crops presents many difficulties as the Staff are not yet trained
to survey and measure the areas under cultivation. Attached (Appendix No. 2)
are the details showing revenue in cash or kind for the year.
Tax on dates is taken in Khaniqin and Qizil Robat at 5 annas per full bearing
palm, and in Mandali at 5f annas.
Vegetables and fruit pay one-fifth as revenue.
{b) Except in Mandali, it has not yet been possible to organise a local
Tapu Department. Existing records were all removed by the Turks.
Reorganisation has started at Mandali and preparation of lists of house and
garden property has been completed.
There are very large areas of Tapu property in the Division. Between
Khaniqin and the Quraitu River most of the land is Tapu, granted in the time of
Midhat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . This is likewise the case in Qizil Robat, where almost the whole
district was divided into two estates by Midhat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and sold.
In Mandali, with the exception of the large date gardens and one small estate, all
the land is Miri.
(c) Waqf.—In Khaniqin the only Waqf property is the ‘Uqr, and is confined to
four estates. It varies from one-twentieth to one-twenty-fifth of the crop after the
deduction of the land revenue, and is allotted to two charities in Baghdad, namely,
the Jisr-al-Mas‘udi and the Marjan Mosque. The estates on which ‘Uqr is taken
are the Haji Qarah, Qolai, ‘Aliawah, and Khaniqin Muqata‘ah.
In Qizil Robat there is no Waqf property, but ‘Uqr one-twenty-fifth is taken on
the Qizil Robat estate and paid to Waqf at Baghdad.
In Mandali the revenue of the Auqaf Department in Turkish times was consi
derable, amounting in 1325 to £T930, the largest item being ‘Uqr on Miri lands.
In addition to these official Waqfs, the land revenue on 15 faddans of Miri land
in the Mandali Muqata‘ah used to be devoted as Waqf to various pious purposes.
There are 55 gardens in Mandali on which one-fifth ‘Uqr is taken, and credited
to general Auqaf. In addition there is the private Waqf of the Jum‘ah Mosque
in Mandali; proceeds are derived from the Khalil garden and about a dozen shops.
The present Mutawalli is Saiyid Zahir. On Dahalah, Tahmayah and Naft lands*
‘Uqr one-twentieth is taken. As Tahmayah and Naft lands have a fixed assessment
‘Uqr is taken in cash at rate of Rs. 6/4/- per faddan. This is on the shitwi. On
Saifi, payment is taken in kind.
(d) Miscellaneous and Special Revenues .—The following is a list of those
current in the Division :—
Kodah, tax on sheep, camels and buffaloes.
Special grazing tax also for buffaloes in addition to kodah.
Tax on wood and brushwood.
Arab qozi root, found in small quantities in Khaniqin district, used for
dyeing.
Slaughter tax on all animals. Half proceeds to Revenue and half to
Municipal funds.