'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎220v] (445/470)

422
T could commit myself no further than the witnessing of the sale, without any
authentication of title.
Tapu disputes have fortunately been few; all that I have heard, I have had to
settle by enquiry of the peasants living in the place under dispute. There is likely to
he a little friction when the Tapu Office is opened here and enquiries are made into
the origin of certain sanads.
The Sad ah (sometimes called the Tilishani family of Saiyids) had formerly great
influence with the local Government. One of their number, Saiyid Mustafa, was
Mamur Tapu. Unfortunately there are not few ugly stories of this man s methods
and at least one of his sanads, confirming Tapu rights, would appear after enquiry to
have been given on very strange evidence.
Waqf: Auqaf Department .—The Auqaf Department offices are at Kirkuk, from
the neighbourhood of which a certain amount of income is derived for the Auqaf.
From the Kifri district there is no income for the Auqaf Department—if a single
case at Qarah Tappah he excepted, where the produce (Gov. share and rent) of three
faddans, allotted to the 1 Mosque at Qarah Tappah, is sent to the Auqaf at Kirkuk in
return for the regular pay of the Mosque officials. The expenditure in the Kifri
district has been so far the salaries of Mosque establishments, hut some of the Mosques
are sadly in need of repair and these it is hoped to make next summer.
In Turkish times the salaries of Mosque officials were at first paid from sanniyah
funds, but since the Revolution they were paid by the Kirkuk Auqaf office. After our
occupation they were paid from general revenues and are still being so paid.
The following are the Mosques :—
Kifri.—Jami‘ al Kabir.
Jami‘ as Saghir.
Jami‘ Khanaqah.
Jami‘ Rashid.
Qarah Tappah Jami‘.
Tuz Khurmatu Jami*.
Kulaju JarnT.
Shaikh Baba Jami‘.
The total expenditure on salaries comes to about Rs. 350 per annum. The
following is a list, eo far as I have been able to discover, of Waqfs in the Kifri district.
They are probably all Dhurriyah.
Shaikh Muhsin lands near Tuz Khurmatu. Rent and Gov. share set aside for
pious object (Imam-shrine of Shaikh Muhsin). Probably 40 faddans cultivable.
Oniki Imam, Miri lands near Kifri. One quarter of rent and revenue set aside
for service of shrines of Oniki Imam, also produce of one faddan ; lands probably
12 faddans.
Shaikh Mahmud. One-tenth of the revenue tithe of 1 faddan in Qarah Tappah
district set aside for pious object of Imam service.
Ibrahim ‘Adhaim. Similar object. Share and rent of 1 faddan of Qarah Tappah
district.
Mosque Qarah Tappah. Case mentioned above. Single case of madbatah.
Zardao lands. Dedicated to Takiyah of Kirkuk, Qadiri TTaqf. Revenue and
rent allotted.
In addition to above there are Waqfs Dhurriyah and Mulhaqah of ‘uqr allotted
to various pious or charitable purposes.
1. Miscellaneous and Special Revenues. —Turkish Taxes: Wargi .—Wargi
was an annual property tax. assessed on the sale value of all property at the time
it changed hands last or on the value as assessed by a committee at the following
percentages:—
House property occupied by owner, 5 per 1,000.
House property let by the owner to another, 10 per 1,000.
Arable land and gardens, 10 per 1,000.
Wargi was levied, as well as on Tapu lands, on the lands described above as
Tahrir, and the Wargi receipt is produced by the villagers as their proof to a title.
During the war heavy cesses were imposed on both Wargi and Tamattu taxes.
Wargi, levied on other than house property in towns, must have been unprofitable
and vexatious taxes.