'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎39v] (83/470)

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For a week the troops in ‘Atiyah’s Khan were practically isolated; meantime
the blockade of the town had been commenced in earnest by a Brigade, and the
following conditions had been proclaimed by the G.O.C.-in-Chief :
(i) The unconditional surrender of certain persons known to be the
ringleaders and supposed to be among the attacking party.
(ii) A fine of 1,000 rifles.
(iii) A fine of Rs. 50,000/-. tt -i
(iv) Deportation of 100 persons to India as prisoners of war. until the
above conditions are fulfilled the town will be blockaded and the food and
water supply will be cut off.
On the 7th April, the Huwaish Mounds dominating the town were taken, and
the rest of the Government officials evacuated; and by the 4th May all the important
persons named had been surrendered and the blockade was declared at an end.
A Military Court was assembled in Kufah to try the offenders. The proceedings
of this Court resulted in 11 death sentences and nine sentences of imprisonment
varying from life to six years.
The incidents connected with the blockade of Najaf may be said to have closed
on 25th May, when in the morning the death sentences were carried out at Kufah,
while in the afternoon a large assembly in the Kiliddar’s house at Najaf, at which
the Civil Commissioner was present, presented Capt. Balfour with a gold sword in
commemoration of his having freed the town from its oppressors. Capt. Greenhouse
had arrived a few days previously as A.P.O., Najaf.
That the town was effectively purged there is no doubt, and it is improbable
that under any circumstances whatever the Zuqurt and Shumurt will again be
able to exercise their maleficent influence.
The proceedings of the Military Court brought to light the fact that the Najaf
riot which caused the death of Captain Marshall was but part of a plot to murder
all the Political Officers in the neighbourhood—a plot which might easily have
succeeded had not the Najafis commenced too soon.
The district remained quiet, though at intervals its attitude was doubtful, and
the punishment of the guilty persons had an effect as profound amongst the tribes
as in the town of Najaf itself.
From the beginning of June it has, therefore, been possible to proceed apace
with the work of reorganisation and reconstruction throughout the Division.
• (6) British Administrative System .—The year 1917 had seen two stages as
described above in the British administration of Shamiyah—the first, local autonomy
under subsidised Shaikhs; the second, control through Government Agents.
The end of 1917 saw the beginning of the third stage—direct control through
British Political Officers.
The situation at the beginning of the year was Captain Balfour as Political
Officer with his headquarters at Kufah, with his Government Agents at Kufah,
Najaf and Abu Sukhair.
January saw the addition of an A.P.O., Captain Prothero, for Abu Sukhair.
At the same time a military occupation was begun, troops being stationed at Kufah.
Events in Najaf, however, speedily brought to light the necessity for a greater
control of Najaf. Captain Marshall was, therefore, posted as A.P.O. Najaf in
February and given a personal guard of a platoon of Punjabis. In matters connected
with the town of Najaf he corresponded direct with Baghdad, but in all others was
subordinate to the Political Officer, Shamiyah.
After the murder of Captain Marshall on 19th March the town underwent a
military blockade. Captain Fisher was appointed A.P.O., Kufah, Captain Balfour
being engaged as Political Officer with the troops blockading the town.
On 23rd May, on the termination of the blockade, Captain Greenhouse was
appointed A.P.O., Najaf, his position being analogous to that of the late Captain
Marshall, and a British regiment was cantoned just outside the walls of Najaf.
On the 6th June Mr. R. E. L. Wingate took over from Captain Balfour as P.O.,
Shamiyah, with his headquarters at Kufah.
The administrative division of Shamiyah at this stage under British control
may now be briefly outlined. At Kufah was a Political Officer in charge of the
Division as described above. Under him at Kufah was an A.P.O. in charge of the
town of Kufah and the two Shu‘bahs of Kufah and Hor al Dukhn, that is roughly of
that part of the Division North of Kufah and Abu Shorah; at Abu Sukhair an
Assistant Political Officer in charge of all the Divisions South of the line, which