"تقارير إدارة أقسام ومناطق الأراضي المحتلة في بلاد الرافدين لسنة ١٩١٨. المجلد I" [ظ‎‎٢‎٨] (٤٧٠/٦١)

50
APPENDIX No. 1.
Office of the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad,
From October, 1918.
Lieutenant-Colonel A. T. Wilson,
C.M.G., C.I.E., D.S.O..
Officiating Civil Commissioner,
Baghdad.
To
Ghulam Riza Khan Amir Jang,
Wall of Pusht-i-Kuh.
After compliments,
I take up my pen, firstly, that I may have the pleasure of renewing my correspondence with you,
an honour which I greatly esteem, and, secondly, that I may bring to your notice certain matters
concerning which the Assistant Political Officer, Mandali, has written to me. These matters are
very unpleasant, and it is with great unwillingness that I approach them, yet I think you cannot be
ignorant of them.
Firstly, as regards Karim Gurda, it is not necessary that I should describe his crimes at length, »
and indeed we have talked about them before. And the afore-mentioned officer acknowledges with
thanks the sum of 25 liras sent as a compensation to his victims. But seeing that the afore
mentioned robber carried off as many as 287 sheep from the inhabitants of Mandali, the above sum
is hardly sufficient. Moreover, for many months Karim Gurda troubled the road between Mandali
and Kirmanshah and prevented those that wished from bringing their flocks to the Menzil, and the
whole time he was living in your territory, and you would not punish him, nor even cause him to cease
from his acts.
Secondly, as regards ‘ Ali Shimal, it is well known that last winter he settled in Neh Khidr, a tract
which the Boundary Commission determined to belong to the Turkish Empire, and he made an attack
on the tribe of the A1 Mu c alla. Then, when the aeroplane came, he fled to you and you gave him
lands in Saifi, well knowing what an unspeakable scoundrel he is. After that he made three attacks
on the afore-mentioned tribe and, in all, killed or carried off 11 horses, 4 cows, 10 donkeys and 7 sheep.
And, finally, some of his followers killed a man of the ‘Bani’ Uqbah, a tribe with whom they had no quarrel.
All this time you made no attempt to restrain ‘Ali Shimal, and he only attacked because he knew that
the British Government had too much respect for your rights to endeavour to punish him when he
was on your soil. And besides ‘Ali Shimal, you give protection to another worthless criminal, Yasin
A1 Musa, from whom many things are owing.
Thirdly, as regards the tribe of Khizils, who are your subjects. In the middle of the winter they
began to rob travellers on the road between Mandali and Badrah, and 5 sheep and 10 camels are still
due from them. Further, they dared to attack Deh Shaikh flour mill, carrying off six loads of flour.
Later, several sections of the Khizils entered British territory without permission, and their chief men
refused to obey the Asst. Political Officer, Mandali, when sent for. Also they fired on the police of
the British Government who were sent in connection with the collection of the koda, a tax which the
Government of Traq has a right to collect on all sheep which graze within its boundaries. The koda
is still due from them.
Also many other things have occurred. On 18th Rajab (April 30th) two citizens of Mandali were
robbed in Hashimah by some of your subjects, and the following things were taken from them, viz. :
their clothes, four liras of money, two loads of wheat, two loads of rice, one load khordwat and one
donkey. On 14th Ramzan (June 24th) four Arabs of the Sa’ada tribe, living in Mandali district, were
similarly attacked in the same place. One was killed and the others were stripped. On 5th Shawal
(July 14th) Hasan, son of Huwais, a notorious thief, stole a valuable mare from the A1 Hamad tribe.
A few days later news came that this mare was with ‘Abbas, son of ‘Abdul Husain, son of Mali. On
30th Shawal (August 8th) two men were robbed of one load of wheat and one load of barley in
‘Umairiyat by some Arabs from your territory. On 29th Zil Qa‘da (September 6th) one Taufiq of
Mandali was wounded by the herdsmen that tend the buffaloes in Dasht i Lih and robbed £T24/-
and one load of ghee. Of all these events you are not ignorant, yet you have made no reparation nor
kave you punished the offenders.
Further, now it is reported that you are collecting a tax of two krans churukh, or one rupee, on
all sheep which leave your territory for Mandali. The Mamurs who collect the tax’take also another
two krans for themselves. This increases the price of sheep in Mandali by two rupees. The exaction
of the tax shows that you are not friendly to the British Government.
Also since cholera became rife in Mandali, you have placed Mamurs in Saumer on account of the
quarantine so that none may come in or go out. The aforementioned mamurs prevent none coming
in or going out, but take money from all men by force.
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