'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎169v] (343/470)

“ Political Relations with Shaikhs .—On the whole relations with the Shaikhs
have continued satisfactory, and there has been no real trouble with them. Abu
Rishah has, however, a reputation for grinding the faces of the poor, while Juwi,
whose dignified presence makes criticism seem indecorous, is perhaps not quite so
innocent of al knowledge regarding certain happenings in his muqata‘ah as he would
lead one to suppose. It took the Assistant Political Officer a month to extract
a mare from him that had been stolen from one of his qolchis when on duty in his
muqata’ah, Juwi’s own brother-in-law being strongly suspected of being the thief.
“ There was also a scrap with a caravan a short time ago in which Juwi’s party
had a mare shot, and the Kurds with the caravan had two of their number killed.
As both parties were agreeable, this case was sent to Shaikh Najm of Kumait for
settlement. The caravan routes will not be really safe until we have a few
Shabanah posts out by the Persian border.
“ The trouble is that with only four Shaikhs in the district, each with an ample
muqata‘ah and with no real ill-feeling existing between them, they are able to
form a ‘ combine ’ and arrive at complete agreement regarding the attitude they
will assume towards the 1 hukumah ’ on any given question, thereby making it
extremely difficult for any one outside to arrive at the real truth of things.
“ As for the Shaikhs identifying themselves with the Government, as one would
wish, I can see no prospect of it, excepting in so far as it suits their own ends. The
dispossessed Shaikhs are always with us and spend as much time as they are
permitted drinking coffee and pouring out the same old tale of woe in the Hakim
al Siyasi’s office.
“ Certain of them have grounds for asking that their claims may be considered
sympathetically. Rut in any event I think they should no longer be left in doubt
as to the manner in which Government is prepared to deal with them.
“ There are more cultivators in the district than ever before, a fact that may
be attributed to the Government’s policy of giving loans to Shaikhs, who in their
turn are able to offer attractive advances to ‘Ashirahs.
“ There have been very few cases of robbery amongst the tribes. Two or three
Shabanah posts on the caravan routes to the Pusht-i-Kuh would be a boon to
traders and would enable us to keep in touch with that large tract of country that
lies between the river and the hills.”
32. Revenue : Land Revenue, 'Amafah .—There is, fortunately, little to say
on this point. We were fortunate in good rains and the crops were everywhere
good. The Assistant Director of Local Resources has been able to recover the
91 tons of wheat which were given to Shaikhs of ‘Amarah district on loan in 1917.
In the Ali Gharbi district Ralasim lost considerably owing to a heavy hailstorm,
but it is probable that he exaggerated his losses and sold considerable quantities
to the Pusht-i-Kuh and Badrah districts. Mutashshar suffered considerably through
the breach of the LJmaiyah bund. He was allowed a reduction on this account.
Majid’s rice crop was materially affected by the damming of the Majar Canal. As
compensation for his losses he has been allowed to retain the Jawwar muqata c ah
for a further period and his revenue has been reduced by £T.4,000. All Shaikhs
suffered to a certain extent by unusually heavy rains in November, which spoilt
quantities of rice. The Shaikhs to whom the various muqata c ahs are farmed out
are treated very generously and have no difficulty in paying their agricultural
loans. The farming system affords an easy system of collection and probably
saves in reduction of staff and the peace of the district as much as might be gained
by a more direct system of management by Government. On the other hand it
would put the sirkal and the fallah Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. completely in the hands of the Shaikh if the
Shaikh, fortunately, were not compelled to more or less just treatment by the
independence of his fallahs Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. , who, if they do not like a particular individual, can
move to the seivice of another and do so. This is peculiarly the case with the
"Amarah Division owing to the familiarity of the tribes with each other. For
instance, when the time comes to reap the rice, the threshers are not Albu Muhammad,
but Rani Lam and other foreign tribes. And, again, the three or four big heads
of the Albu Muhammad tribe compete against each other for fallahs Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. . This
competition explains the demand for agricultural loans which are to the Shaikhs
an instrument whereby to attract fallahs Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. in the shape of advances of ready cash.
Below is an interesting estimate of the acreage of the Chahalah muqata‘ah,
prepared by certain townsmen confidentially.