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'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.' [34r] (72/640)
The record is made up of 1 volume (316 folios). It was created in 3 Nov 1914-12 Dec 1930. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
governmeri receiving a single farthing on account of miri fees
in respect of the extensive estates of these two Shaikhs, on
the grounds that the British Government of Occupation had
promised tho two Shaikhs to exampt their estates in B&srdh
from miri fees. These foes ai'e assessed annually at 12,000
Liras (Turkish gold). Accordingly the total loss to ’Iraq
up to date, on account of this exemption amounts to some
100,000 Liras. In foregoing this considerable sun the already
poor treasury of ’Iraq suffers an undoubted loss. In addition
to such loss, there in to be taken into account the prejudicial
effect on the independence of ’Iracr of the compulsory exemption
from fees of certain estates, a thing which rising ’Iraq
cannot in any way tolerate.
f, fhen the budget estimates were submitted to the
Chamber of Deputies at the last parliamentary session, H.E. the
Minister of Finance (in reply to the violent criticism
directed to him in connection with this exertion which is
derogatory to ’Iraq’s scvreignty) stated that discussions
on the subject were in progress between the ’Iraq Government
and H.E. the High Commissioner. In the meantime the
l inister of Finance referred to the assistance which the
British Government claimed to have been rendered by the two
Shaikhs to the British Expeditionary Force in ’Iraq during the
Great War - assistance which the British Government thought at
the time fit to reward by the exemption of the Shaikhs’
estates from miri fees. Assistance might have been rendered
unheard of and unnoticed on our part because those who
rendered it happened to be, say, in the wilds of Africa; but
Kuwait and lohamnerah being so close to ’Iraq and at only a
short distance from Basrah, we cannot possibly remain ignorant
of any assistance rendered by these two dependencies to the
British Expeditionary Force, as we were close to all and we
witnessed all the military operations and political activities
wldch took place in , esopotamia. On the other hand we hap, en
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. In particular, the correspondence concerns the Government of Iraq's intention to end the immunity from taxation (on the gardens) that had been granted to the former ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Mubārak Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah by the British Government in return for their military support against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. The volume contains letters (ff 16-20), dated November 1914, from the British Resident and Consulate-General, Bushire, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to both shaikhs in respect to this issue. The volume also contains correspondence between British officials discussing the British Government's obligations to Kuwait and how it should react to the Government of Iraq's plans.
The Iraq Government had considered and continues to consider that the exemption from taxation is illegal. This issue was discussed in an extract of an article that appeared in Al-Iraq newspaper and published in 1927, in which the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. gives the exact amount (12.000 Turkish gold liras per year, or 100.000 in the past 7 years) Iraq was losing annually as a result of the exemption from taxes granted to the two shaikhs.
The British officials had direct correspondence with the Council of Ministers, Iraq. They conveyed the British Government’s approval to the Government of Iraq to open up direct negotiations with the Shaikhs of Kuwait and Mohammerah regarding their revenue exemptions. Correspondence between the High Commissioner, Baghdad, and the Government of Iraq were made as early as 1924 in regard to the issue. The correspondence between the British officials includes articles of the Anglo-Iraq Treaties as well as reports prepared by the Law Officer of the Crown, Downing Street (ff 116-123).
The volume also contains correspondence between Sayid Hamid Bey Al-Naqib, Basra Deputy to the Ruler of Kuwait, and Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir conveying to him the procedures taking place in Iraq regarding his date gardens. Al-Naqib also paid visits to the Shaikh on behalf of the Government of Iraq. The volume also includes statements of the properties of both Shaikhs between the years 1914-1928.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (316 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 318; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
Additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 4-313; these numbers are also written in pencil but, where circled, are crossed through.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/5/135
- Title
- 'File 2/4 I TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.'
- Pages
- 33r:36v
- Author
- al-Iraq xx Al-'Iraq
- Usage terms
- Public Domain