File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [‎151v] (313/995)

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his men as a whole. He cannot at present except in very few cases consider
his own interests and those of his tribe as being even equal in importance.
The former far outweigh any other consideration. In revenue matters similar
facilities for justice should be afforded the sarkal and cultivator. He should
not only be told that the revenue demand forms ,are always open for his inspec
tion at Revenue Headquarters, but at the time of issue of the demands the
practice should be made of insisting upon the presence of every Shaikh and
sarkal at least in the office of the A.P.O. when the revenue demands can be
read out. More than this cannot be done.
As far as the settlement is concerned the terms should, I think, include the
deposition of Buraid al Jahil and probably Haji Ajjah al Dalli. The former
though in many ways useful to Government—in normal times he is continually
at the elbow of the A.P.O.—is unpopular ^.amongst the members of his tribe
other than those of his own section. Haji Ajjah is neither popular in his tribe
nor of use to Government. He is weak, unambitious and quite unable to hold
a position greater than that of sarkal over his own section. Even here he has
a rival—a much stronger man—in the person c Abdui Husain.
The places of the above should, I consider, be filled on the elective prin
ciple, not only as being a proceeding on a parallel with our announced inten
tion of forming a General Council in ‘Iraq and therefore good propaganda, but
also as a move by which Government will itself benefit by reducing the chances
of a future outbreak or lesser trouble with an unpopular and oppressive Shaikh
as its cause.
It will not be possible in this note to do anything more than outline the
suggested basis of such an election. The following points however should I
think be considered : —
(«) Candidates for election should be non-grazers. The sheep-grazer,
"as distinguished from the cultivator, is more difficult to deal with
being for a considedrable part of the year out in the desert, and
his following are less law-abiding.
(b) The electorate should include not only those men at present holding
the official position of sarkal, but also those in the tribe, who
either because they have previously held this position or for other
more personal reasons, are forces which are by no means to be
neglected. There are several of these and they have exercised at
at times even more influence within the tribe than the sarkal
appointed by Government.
(c) It might well happen however that the successful candidate would
be a'man popular and well respected enough in his tribe but never
theless inaceeptable as being* from Government’s point of view
totally unsuited to hold the position. In order to obviate this,
candidate could in the first place be appointed by Government.
2. The following have been the chief agents through whom propaganda
has been spread : —
Saiyid Hadi al Muqotar of Shinafiyah.
Saiyid NTir ibn Saiyid Aziz of Mishkhab.
Saiyid Muhsin abu Tabikh of Kharm.
ShaTan ibn Abu Chon of Dhawalim.
Abdul Wahid, Shaikh al Fatlah.
Salman al Dhahir of al Kkaza‘il.
There is very little doubt, though I have no actual proof in this area, that they
in turn have been backed up financially and otherwise by the Sharifian and
Turkish Nationalist parties. The fountain head of their activity has been.
Karbala and Najaf from which two places there has poured via the agents
mentioned above an unending stream of anti-British propagandist letters,
pamphlets and money, before and also during the disturbances. There is not
a Shaikh who has not received some or other of these letters and pamphlets:
there are very few who hav not been offered (or have been at all loth to accept)
their money.
As far as Samawah town itself is concerned, the “ Hairjah ” ( )
party have been the local agents. This party is headed by Saiyid Taffar
(formerly Rais Baladiyah and later a political prisoner in Baghdad) and
Robat al Salman , both large land and property owners and very influential men
in the district. These, however, noticeably changed their attitude when the
tribes announced their intention of raiding the town. Indeed they were the
first to repudiate such a move and have given me up till now what appears to
be valuable assistance in raising a force of “ Wahaish ” for the protection of
the inhabitants.
3. The partial confiscation of rifles, has no doubt weighed heavily in the
scales, however necessary from our point of view it was. The market value of
a rifle before the disturbances was anything from £T.2 to AT.15 depending
upon the make and condition. A man’s rifle, being to him one of the most
valuable parts of his ‘ hallal ’, it is clear that its handing over to Government
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