File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [‎151r] (312/995)

rendered to this Administration during the past six years, and particularly
during- past few difficult months, by officials of Indian origin employed in
Administration. Without the skilled assistance of Indians of all grades and of
all departments the Civil Administration of Mesopotamia could never have
taken shape or been maintained. Their services, ungrudgingly given for a
long period of years, often in circumstances of great difficulty and danger
have been invaluable, and I have no reason whateveiyto think that they have
by their actions or by their example done anything but enhance India’s good
name abroad. I have seen little or nothing to justify the statements made at
home regarding the prejudice of Arabs against Indians as such. On the con
trary both in executive and in administrative work they have proved their
worth not merely to their departmental superiors but to the public.
May I finally be permitted to draw .the attenion of the Government of
India to the very notable services rendered to Government during the last few
months by Indian railway, telegraph, postal and other civil officials in Meso
potamia. Th.ey have remained and often died at their posts with a steadfast
ness which has commanded the admiration and respect of all. They have
worked whole-heartedly for the common good and have placed alike the people
of this country and the military and civil authorities under an enduring obli
gation.
As my tenure of this post is drawing to a close I trust that this spontaneous
expression of my sense of obligation to the Government of India and to Indian
officials serving under me may receive publicity.
NOTE ON THE CAUSES OF THE TRIBAL DISTURBANCES IN
SAM A WA11 DISTRICT.
The following note has been compiled at the present time in the hope that
the remarks contained in it may serve as a guide in the consideration of the
peace terms later. Moreover a knowledge of the evils of which the disturb
ances are the outcome may facilitate the determination of these peace terms.
The note applies naturally only to the Sam a wall district and it will be remem
bered that it is an estimate of the position based on two or three months’ expe
rience of the district only.
As far as has transpired at present the rebellion was due primarily to the
following causes: —
(1) Unpopularity of chief Shaikhs owing to their oppression of tribes
under them.
(2) Anti-Britisli propaganda.
(•3) Confiscation of rifles.
(4) Intrigues by the late Rais Baladiyah, Haji Ali, and a former Inter
preter in the office of the A.P.O.
(5) Abolition of allowances to Shaikhs.
These five main heads will be treated in detail.
1. There is little doubt that the chief offenders have been Buraid al
Jahil, chief Shaikh of Al Zayyad and Haji Ajjah al Dalli, who occupies a
similar position in Albu Jaiyash. Their activities have been mostly evident
in revenue matters and have usually taken the form of a large increase in the
revenue demand leviable from sarkals and “ Sahibs Salim ’’ over and above
the demand issued by Government. The amount of this increase has gone
direct into the pocket of the Shaikh . Though, in order to guard against this,
I understand it has been made clear, under orders of the Political Officer,
Diwaniyah Division, to sarkals and sahibs salmi in the past that details of the
revenue demands issued by Government were always open to the inspection of
revenue payers who could thus ascertain the exact amount due from them, as
is usually the case, sarkals and others were either too afraid or too lazy to come
into Revenue Headquarters to see for themselves and they were, as a result,
swindled right and left. The same thing went on, of course, though m a lesser
degree, in the dealings of the sarkal with the actual cultivator.
Nor was this robbery confined entirely to the sphere of revenue. The evil
-was rvrosent also in the general relations between chief Shaikh, sarkals and
cultivators. A complaint was in rare instances brought against the Shaikh
whose word, in accordance with our policy of" backing him up, was generally
taken as correct in preference to that of the sar-kal and cultivator. I lie result
was that the Shaikh as elsewhere used his official position with Government
for the furtherance of his own personal ends. This, of course, is natural and
a most difficult factor in administration to combat. Nevertheless the present
trouble has made it clearer than ever that although as I understand it, oui
nolicv is to strengthen the power of the chief Shaikh so that we may be able
better to deal with him as the sole representative of his tribesmen, the greatest
care should be exercised in the investigation of complaints brought against
him it being always borne in mind that he has not by a long way yet arrived
at the stage when he can put aside his personal interests m favour of those of