'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎74v] (153/470)

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The method indicated is, I think, the only one possible if the tribal system is
to be upheld. No other system of government is at present practicable, but I fear
that its days are numbered. The spread of education, the quickness of the Arab
to seize a chance of bettering his condition, the extension of irrigation, the intro
duction of new crops and improved methods of agriculture, and the obvious pecuniary
advantages to be derived from a settled life, are factors which cannot but ultimately
result in the disintegration of the tribal system. At the same time, government
through the Shaikhs is the only alternative to government by native officials and to
tyranny tempered by assassination. There are at present only two classes from
which native officials can be drawn—the former Turkish officials, the outward and
visible sign of the old regime, and the semi-educated young townsman, of whom the
less said the better. Ultimately, no doubt the bureaucracy will come; but its day
is not yet, and there seems to be no reason why its arrival should be hastened.
Meanwhile, the longer the tribal system can be preserved, the better; and when at
last it fails from natural causes, it is to be hoped that officials of sound training and
good family will suceed it, and that no low-born Baghdadi will be permitted to dance
prematurely and indecently on its grave.
2. Revenue : (A) Land Revenue : (1) General. — So far as can be judged from a
diligent perusal of political diaries, the Hillah district from a revenue point of view
is one of the most interesting in ‘Iraq. The amount of revenue is large, and the
district exhibits practically all kinds of right in land. Besides large miri and
mudawarwah areas, there are probably more tapu estates in Hillah than in any other
district, while I have come across one or two claims to land as “ Sirf Mulk.” ‘Uqr
rights are unfortunately endemic. There is a very large number of gardens affording
illustrations of the system of mugharisji tenure. Tapu rights are found in every
stage of development. The district can show examples of the Mallak who has paid
some attention to his estates, as of him who till the British occupation had never
so much as set eyes on his property.
(2) Assessment .—I have dealt very fully with the winter harvest of 1918 in a
special report. Owing to the inability of the Irrigation Department to complete
their measurements in time, and to the inaccuracy of the measurements when
completed, it became necessary to appoint committees to assess the revenue by
means of “ dharah.” There is nothing to recommend this method except that it is
familiar to the people, but this is a point of considerable importance. I am strongly
opposed to utilising irrigation measurements unless these are very closely supervised
by a British officer. They are probably no more reliable than “ dharah,” and they
emanate from subordinates who have attained a remarkable degree of unpopularity.
The Department of Local Resources was unable to effect any purchases of
grain in the district, and the whole of this work devolved on the Political Department.
Demands were issued on Sarkals and Mallaks, and the grain was collected by the
revenue staff. It was obvious long before the harvest began that this was the only
possible method of getting the grain required by the Army, and the present state of
affairs as regards tibn illustrates what would have been the result had the purchase
of grain been left to Resources. Out of some 11,000 tons of tibn available in the
district, Resources, who undertook the collection after their path had been smoothed
by my predecessor, have so far collected only 2,500 tons, a large part of which has
been destroyed by rain for lack of precaution for its protection. The demand and
collection to date are shown in Appendix A; but since Sarkals are allowed to sub
stitute revenue barley for wheat at two tons for one, and purchased barlev for wheat
at one ton for one, the figures are not accurate, and it is at present impossible to
disentangle the revenue payments from the purchased grain.
A large proportion of the land in the district is tapu and, as soon as shitwi
assessments were complete, the question arose on whom demands for revenue should
issue. It was decided that demands should be made on both Mallaks and Sarkals,
and many were the wails and laments from the Mallaks. Demands had never been
made on them before, and they loudly protested their inability to accept even ioint
responsibility. VV hen the time of Sflifi harvest came, demands were issued on
Sarkals, and the Mallaks performed a volte-face and protested indignantly. This
attitude was due partly to the low conversion rates fixed, but also to the desire of
Mallaks to assert their position. I regret that in some cases the Mallaks got the
revenue shaio out of the Sarkals, whereout sucked they no small advantage* but
some at least were compelled to disgorge. The whole incident is instructive as
showing the position of the Mallaks in Turkish times and the change brought about