"تقارير إدارة أقسام ومناطق الأراضي المحتلة في بلاد الرافدين لسنة ١٩١٨. المجلد I" [ظ‎‎١‎٩‎٠] (٤٧٠/٣٨٥)

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are sometimes incorrectly spelt; moreover, in cases tliey appear to have been
tampered with and are more than confusing. Fourthly, with the gradual reclama
tion of land from the marshes, it is extremely difficult to discriminate between the
boundaries shown on the sanads as existing when they were drawn up and those
of the present day. The most that can be done for the moment is to in\estigate
all demands for mallakiyah, and, provided that the mallak produces documentary
evidence to support his claim, to arrange an amicable compromise between landlord
and serf. This, however, is purely a temporary measure and settles non-disputed
Cases. The crux of the acute agrarian discontent which prevails concerns the tribes
who have never hitherto acquiesced in the change of status from landlord to tenant,
and it is with these we must concern ourselves. Moreover, it should be borne in
mind that in many cases a tenant is not averse to paying a small rent to a so-called
landlord, for he realises fully that, should his land be declared to be miri, he may
be mulcted of a much heavier rent to Government.
The work of investigating claims is one that would keep a Lands Officer fully
employed. A special Officer, if provided with the necessary machinery, could work
on the following lines: First, carry out a complete survey of the whole district;
secondly, scrutinise title deeds and demarkate boundaries; thirdly, register in detail
the claims of different landlords to the same estate. If some such system was
adopted, the work of the land commission would be greatly facilitated.
A map of Suq district, giving the names of claimants’ to tribal lands, is being
forwarded under separate cover (Appendix F.).
Apart from the agrarian problem between landlord and tenant, much land
grabbing between tenants or Shaikhs of tribes is attempted. During the past
year over three hundred land disputes have cropped up, and a temporary settlement
effected in each case. Land disputes between tribes to-day are mainfy due to the
chaos that reigned in the past, when each braggart Shaikh was a law unto himself.
A common form of land-grabbing was to build towers in a strategic position on the
land coveted. In many cases, I have been told, these towers were erected in a night,
full preparations were made beforehand, all materials were conveyed to the site,
and in the morning the temporary owner of the land upon which the tower had
been built found himself the victim of an aggressive neighbour. The next step
then would either be an attempt to drive off the invader, ending up probably by
bringing all the tribes round and about into the fight, or a retirement from the
holding until a favourable opportunity occurred for downing the invader and
getting back the land. These towers were manned day and night, usually one
man being told off to live there.
For a certain period this man’s pay, generally in kind, was not uncommonly
a levy upon the whole tribe. The tribesman of to-day having turned his sword
into a ploughshare, these towers are now nothing but a landmark of past battle
fields. Many have been demolished at one time or the other by Government,
others have collapsed, and, again, others are being used as granaries. In connection
with towers, it is laid down in para. 35, chapter V., clause I. of the Tribal Criminal
and Civil Disputes Regulation, that no tower may be constructed without the
previous sanction of the Political Officer. This law puts a stop to the building of
fresh towers, but the process of demolishing old ones is slow, and, in view of the
fact that they are a constant menace, it is suggested that time nas now come for
demolishing all towers once and for all. But to return to the question of land
grabbing. Tribes are constantly trespassing upon each others’ territory, and
disputes in the past on account of tribal boundaries have been the cause of much
bloodshed. After fighting on this score, the usual rule was to declare the land in
dispute neutral territory, and a saiyid would invariably be installed in this land to
keep the peace.
To turn now to the events that have occurred during the year under review.
Two incidents are worthy of mention, necessitating the presence of gunboats.
The first was to quell, disturbances in the Umm Nakhlah, where two subsections of
A1 Sorah, A1 Busharah and Albu Jasim were giving trouble. After a short
bombardment five towers were destroyed.
The root of the trouble in this case was general misrule by Shaikh Muzai‘il
al Busharah, a hardy veteran reputed to be over 100 years of age. In March,
this Shaikh was superannuated, and, shortly after, his son Shaikh Hammudah was
appointed Mudir of Al Hasan, and the following tribes were included in his
Nahiyab : Albu Hamdan, Albu Humaidi, Mushairjah, Bani Muslim, Shahlawiyah,
Al Sorah.