'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎131r] (266/470)

rent of about a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. . The lessee is now making a profit of a sum represented
by the difference between these two figures.
(b) Effort 8 towards Efficiency. —Khan Sahib Muzaffar Shah has worked hard
in the discovery and correct assessment of rent of house property in Basrah, ably
assisted by Sulaiman Faizi, the third member of the Arab Committee. Their labours
have been regarded with alarm by those, great and small, who have enriched them
selves by illegal means on wafq property, but the people generally have watched
their work with strong approval. To instance the advance in efficiency in this
department I quote the estimated income for the current financial year as
Rs. 2,75,886/-, an increase of Rs. 1,18,351/— on that of the previous year. The
credit for this great improvement is due chiefly to the Khan Sahib.
(c) Property. —TheAuqaf of this Division comprise some 300 shops and houses,
749 date gardens, and 234 plots of ‘arasah land. The want of a survey and the
consequent laxness of description of property in Turkish registers conspired with
the corrupt spirit of the former Administration in the prevention of the too rapid
growth of religious endowments; and the Assistant Political Officer notes, in his
report, on the danger to the State of the excessive growth of such endowments
likely to ensue from the combination of the continuance of the pious sentiment
which is responsible for them and of an honest Government.
(d) Expenditure. —Expenditure in administration, in the upkeep of mosque
establishments, maintenance of property, &c., will fall within Rs. 60,000/- for the
current financial year. When the restrictions imposed by the Military occupation
have been removed, much renovation and repair of house property and improvement
in garden lands will be necessary. There is, further, great demand for the con
struction in Basrah of a mosque of more pretension than any that now exists, a
work which will call for funds greater than we have at our disposal.
The good administration of auqaf in Basrah will bring in a greatly enhanced
and growing revenue during the next decade, and it is to be hoped that there will
be no demand for the complete management of affairs by Mohammedans without
the supervision of a British official. Popular sentiment does now T call for direct
management by an Arab under British control, and I hope that some person suitable
for the post will soon be discovered.
Sanniyah. —The Sanniyah Department was, for a time, under the Revenue
Board, but was placed again under the Assistant Political Officer on the 1st of
April 1918.
Origin of Sanniyah. —The Dairah Sanniyah originally controlled estates that
were the private property of the Sultan of Turkey. When the young Turks rebelled
and established the parliamentary system in Turkey, the Sultan’s estates w r ere
confiscated and made the property of the Government. The revenues derived
therefrom are said to have been appropriated by the Union and Progress Party
at that time in power.
All Government buildings, such as barracks and store houses, were then entered
upon the Sanniyah registers. In order to increase their party funds all ‘Amiriyah
lands that were cultivated solely in winter rain crops, were also entered on these
registers. These ‘Amiriyah lands do not properly belong to Sanniyah and should
revert to the former status under the control of the Land Revenue Department.
They are cultivated by any who choose to take them up and pay revenue at a tenth
of the produce.
Property.—A.t present Sanniyah property consists of :—(1) a certain number
of buildings such as the ‘Ashar Barracks, the Indian base depot or ex-Turkish naval
base headquarters, the sto're houses and ex-Turkish Military bakeries near the
Customs House, ‘Ashar, &e.; (2) certain date gardens near ‘Ashar and Manawi;
(3) large agricultural estates in the district, viz. :—
Dawasir -
Aradhah - - - - -
Du‘aiji - - - - ■
‘Amiyah -
Qaus -
Harthah -
(4) the ‘Amiriyah lands in Harthah and those behind the palm belt in the Shatt-
al-‘Arab Nahiyah such as Daimat Ghadhban and Bab Zaid.
Over 3,000 jaribs.
„ U200 „
„ 2,300 „
„ 800 „ •
„ 100 „
200 „
.. S 2