'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎120v] (245/470)

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has caused a few minor alterations, and last spring it became necessary to
deliminate a definite boundary between the Zoba s and the Bani Tamin, to put an
end to intertribal fighting regarding the rights of cultivation in the Duwairthan,
which for years past both had contested. The line of the Saqlawiyah canal has
been given' as the northern boundary of Fallujah, but in reality the boundary will
have to become dependent on the limit of the land cultivated from the Saqlawiyah.
The tribes on both banks are those from this district, and it will be simplest to keep
them under Fallujah.
Left Bank Boundary.— Reierence T. C. 100 B. From the mouth of the
Saqlawivah canal joining the Euphrates in square /S 32 B, along the line of the
canal to Imam Ibrahim al ‘Ali, in T.C. 99 B, square AE 35 D 8 / 8 . Thence direct
line to Tel Isa, in T.C. 99 B, square AE 57 A 9/9. Thence following ancient canal
line southwards to junction in AE 77 A 3/7. Thence eastwards about half a mile
along the same old canal to junction with Busaitin in square AE 87 A S/O. Thence
south-eastward along the dotted line (pathway) to masonry bridge in T.C. 102 B in
square W 2 B 8 / 6 . Thence south-eastwards to Tall Muhawwish, point 134 in
square W 3 C 10/1. Thence south-east to Tall Muchari, point 5 r in square W 20
B 3/5. Thence south-eastwards to Tall Dubbiyah in square W 21 C 7/1, beside the
old Decauville railway embankment, where it touches the Musaiyib boundary for
the first time. From Tall Dubbiyah the Fallujah boundary turns south-west along
the railway embankment to Kushuk in square W 28 D 8 / 8 . Thence westwards
along the faintly marked channel running into the old Radhw'aniyah canal at
W 28 A 4/1. Thence westwards along the clearly marked line of the Radhwaniyah
Canal until it nearly reaches the river south of Imam Hamzah in square W 28 C 8/2.
Thence to the nearest point of the river bank in square W 28 C 7/1.
Right Bank Boundary .—Reference T.C. 100 B, the western boundary is where
the high ground of the desert reaches the river Euphrates at Sinn al Dhibban in
square S 43 A 2 / 6 .
Western and Southern Boundary .—The desert, to South-Eastern boundary,
where the high ground again reaches the river Euphrates in the form of a “ sinn ”
in T.C. 102B in square W 41 A 6/0.
The sketch-map showing tribal boundaries submitted with the report is reduced
from the T.C. maps mentioned.
2. Revenue : (a) Land Revenue .—Fallujah district is miri land, with the
exception of the two large canals of the Abu Ghuraib and that portion of the
Saqlawiyah canal called the Qurmah {i.e., that eastwards of Rauf at Shammar in
T.C. map 100 B square S 17 D, where the canal bends), which are sanniyah land, the
Radhwaniyah canal, which is tapu, and most of the right bank land, w T hich is
also tapu.
The miri and tapu lands pay one-fifth of the total produce to Government,
while the Sanniyah, as usual, pays two-fifths.
As regards karads in sanniyah land, they pay at a fixed assessment of
Rs. 25 and 500 huqqahs of wheat and 500 huqqahs of barley each karad.
From summer crops of sanniyah karads Government takes a fixed assessment
of Rs. 12— 8 , and 500 huqqahs of whatever crop is grown, convertible into cash.
Other karads pay on a fixed assessment of Rs. 20 and 500 kilos (not huqqahs as
in sanniyah land) of wheat and 500 kilos of barley.
Abu Sudairah tapu is worthy of mention as an exception. This pays only
one-tenth to Government, instead of the usual fifth. This is in the tapu sanad
and dates from the time of giving the tapu, the reason being that the ground is
rather high and was considered too poor to pay the usual fifth to Government.
The land revenue was promptly paid this year, with very few exceptions of
delayed payment, but has suffered from the unfavourable conditions prevailing.
Regarding the Abu Ghuraib canal, this was only opened in January for last winter
crop—far too late a date to derive the greatest advantage from it. In addition
to this the district was still suffering from war conditions and scarcity, while there
was insufficient rain at the proper time to assist the cultivation and the" crops. Last
winter’s crop was according^ below the average for the district.
Summer crops suffered from the exceptionally low level of the Euphrates The
floods on the Tigris did not communicate themselves correspondingly to the
Euphrates, and while the Tigris had a short severe flood, the Euphrates suffered
from a paucity of water.