'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎119v] (243/470)

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Administration Report for the Fallujah District for 1918.
1. Political and Tribal.— The tribes of the Fallujah district fall naturally
under two heads, the Zoba‘ and the Dulaim; the Zoba‘ being of Shammar origin.
The Zoba‘ are united under the Shaikhship of Shaikh Dhari Ibn Dhahir, and
have also, in the course of time, absorbed a few small cultivating and settled
sections of other tribes. Thus there appear sections of extraneous origin, such as
the Albu Sodah, the Hitawiyin, the Qaraghul (Dulaim), and the A1 Haib (Jubur),
mingled among the real Zoba‘ sections, and under Shaikh Dhari’s influence. The
A1 Haib is the only large section of these, and has latterly shown a tendency to
become independent of the Zoba‘. It is expedient, however, to keep them under
Shaikh Dhari, for the present at all events, as they are cultivating in Zoba‘ land,
and are only a small and isolated section of the Jubbur.
The Zoba‘ sections are all situated on the left bank of the Euphrates, on the
Abu Ghuraib and Radhwaniyah Canals, and on the upper reaches of the Saqlawiyah
Canal. None of them are found on the right bank of the Euphrates.
The Dulaim tribesmen in Fallujah district are not united, as are the Zoba 4 ,
under a single Shaikh. Although they acknowledge Shaikh ‘Ali Sulaiman as the
ultimate Shaikh of the Dulaim, they are grouped under the virtually independent
Shaikhs of the large Dulaim sections of the Jumailah, the Albu ‘Isa, and the
Muhamdah, and a smaller section of the Dulaim, the Halabsah.
By far the largest of these is the Albu Ts^i tribe, containing various subdivisions
and occupying nearly the whole of the right bank of the Euphrates in the Fallujah
district as far as the desert. These are under Shaikh Harat, now a very old man,
but enjoying a wide reputation as a good Shaikh. His work is now mostly carried
on by his son, ‘Aifan, who appears capable. The Albu Tsa are some 3,500 strong,
and also comprise several sheep grazing sections.
A small section of the Dulaim, some 250 strong, cultivate property on the
right bank opposite Abu Faiyadh. These are the Albu ‘Alwan.
The next largest Dulaim section, after the Albu Tsa, is the Jumailah, some
2,500 strong, of whom about 200 cultivate the right bank opposite the head of the
Abu Ghuraib Canal. The Jumailah are under Shaikh ‘Abbas al Jassam, a pleasant,
extremely capable, and energetic elderly man, with a strong hold on his tribe. The
Jumailah, besides the section on the right bank, cultivate along the mouth of the
Abu Ghuraib Canal, and a wide portion of the Saqlawiyah Canal. They have
supplied the best labour in the excavation of the new feeder channel into the old
Saqlawiyah Canal, which work was accomplished this year.
The Muhamadah, some 2,400 strong, are the third largest Dulaim section in
the district. Three hundred of them, the Fulaihat section, cultivate the right bank
down-stream of Sinn al Dhibban. The remainder, comprising the Albu Shijal, the
Albu ‘Adham, Al Musalhah, Albu ‘Akash, and Al Shihah, cultivate the left bank,
between the old mouth of the Saqlawiyah Canal and Fallujah, also the portion of
the Saqlawiyah Canal from the mouth to Raufat Shammar, where a section of the
Baqarah, forming part of the Muhamdah, cultivate the North bank. The Shaikh
of the Muhamdah is Shaikh Habib al Shallal, a well-meaning Shaikh, but poor,
and consequently with rather a weak hold on his tribe. It is possible that the
opening up of the Saqlawiyah Canal will improve his circumstances and his prestige.
The Halabsah are the small Dulaim section cultivating the North bank of the
Saqlawiyah Canal between the Zoba and the Jumailah. A portion of them,
100 strong, cultivate part of the right bank down-stream of the Albu ‘Alwan. The
Halabsah are about 800 strong, all told. Their Shaikh is Shaikh ‘Abdullah al
Muhammad al Dhahir.
the dispositions of the sections and the boundaries of the tribal groups are
shown on the accompanying map.
. oaa he t J otal j strell g th of the Zoba‘ in Fallujah district under Shaikh Dhari is about
4,300. A reduction in the numbers of the Zoba' in Fallujah district was effected
when most of the strong Zoba section of the Chadadah were moved from the
Radhwaniyah Canal out of Fallujah district on to the more favourable cultivation
ot the Yusufiyah, excavated this year in Musaiyib district.