"تقارير إدارة أقسام ومناطق الأراضي المحتلة في بلاد الرافدين لسنة ١٩١٨. المجلد I" [ظ‎‎١‎٩‎١] (٤٧٠/٣٨٧)

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In other respects the killing vice is, under British rule, not nearly so prevalent
as in former years. Rifles are now rusting in their owners’ huts. Indiscriminate
firing goes on at night during the date season either by date-garden owners, firing
to frighten away thieves, or, on the other hand, thieves firing on the garden owners
whilst stealing fruit. No casualties were reported this year, so, presumably, no
one was injured.
On the whole the Hammar Lake tribes are the most unruly, though, since
their inclusion in the Bani Khaiqan Confederation under the Mudirship of Shaikh
Farhud al Mughashghash, there has been a noticeable and welcome change for the
better. The settling down of these tribes I attribute largely to the Hammar Lake
dredging operations. These tribes, knowing little of and caring less for the outside
world, and to whom the sight of a tax collector was unknown, now see large
steamers, gunboats, and an unending line of balams passing constantly to and
fro, and are made to realise the trend of events of the outer world.
Shaikh Hatim al Mozan, Rais of Al Juwaibir, who at one time exacted a fee
for every balam that passed by his way into the lake, is now one of Government’s
staunchest supporters.
The boundaries of Suq al Shuyukh and Hammar districts are as follows :— •
To the North : Albu Salih, tribal boundary inclusive.
To the South : Khamisiyah, inclusive to the railway line beyond.
To the East: Albu Shamah, tribal boundary inclusive.
To the West: Al ‘Asachrah, tribal boundary inclusive (left bank of river).
To the West: Ahl al Kut, tribal boundary inclusive (right bank of river).
A statement of confederations and tribes in Suq al Shuyukh and Hammar
district, showing names of Shaikhs and approximate strength of tribes, is attached,
see Appendix E. .
A revised map, showing tribal boundaries, has been compiled and is being
forwarded under separate cover (Appendix G.).
2. Land Revenues : Date Revenue. —The basis of date revenue collection in
this district is the tree count. A very rough count of trees took place some 20
years ago, and was chiefly confined to the areas round about Suq town. In 1917,
as a rough way of raising revenue without disturbing the tribes by tree-counting,
a 30 per cent, increase was made on all the old Turkish “ buslah ” (revenue receipt)
figures. In August last a count of trees was made throughout Suq district, including
the Hammar Lake. As was to be expected, the systematic counting of date-trees
for the first time, was the signal for the opening up of all land disputes, and in all
about 50 disputes have, been settled. All these have been chiefly in connection
with disputes over tribal boundaries or disputes of tribes inter se. A short explana
tion may, perhaps, be useful. Each tribe is split up into subsections, and each
of these in turn is under its own headman. The actual payment of the taxes due
by the tribes is made either through the Shaikh or else by other sarkals (or headmen)
of the tribe, that is to say, the headman of each subsection of each tribe. These
pay all taxes into the Government Treasury direct. It has been customary for
these Shaikhs or Sarkals to levy a small tax (sarkalah). on their own fallahs,
but such sarkalah rarely exceeds one anna per tree. Hence the count of date-trees
this year has witnessed each sarkal doing his utmost to get as many fallahs as he
could entered up under his own name.
In the case of disputes over tribal boundaries, the trouble has generally been
due to the fact that each Shaikh has attempted to get all fallahs on or near a
boundary line entered up under his own name. In settling these disputes I have
been guided by the fallah himself. If he owned allegiance to Shaikh “ A ” he would,
therefore, be entered on “ A’s ” buslah. If, on the other hand, it was proved that
he belonged to, say, Shaikh “ B’s ” tribe, he would be entered as “ B’s ” fallah in
“ B’s ” buslah.
In the case of disputes within tribes, most of these have been due to
the numerous claimants to the role of headman. With the settlement of all
disputes this year, collection of date revenue next year should be a much easier
matter.
Hate-garden taxes, in this district, are assessed at double rates, if the ground
under the date-trees is not cultivated. Until this year the rate per tree for land
under cultivation (‘ammar) was two annas six pies, that for the other gardens
(kharrab) was four annas nine pies. In order to bring the Muntafiq Division into