"دليل كرمانشاه." [ظ‎‎٢‎٢‎١] (٥٠٤/٤٤٧)

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that the ancient frontier line should be restored, which had been established
in the time of the Safavi monarchs. According to a subsequent treaty
Zohab ought certainly to have been given up to the Turkish authorities, but
Persia had neither the will to render this act of justice, nor had the Pasha
of Bagdad the power to enforce it, and Zohab, although still claimed by the
Porte, has thus remained to the present day in possession of the Grovernment
of Kermanshah.
“ Zohab having been acquired in war is Khalesseh, or Crown land ; it
has been usually farmed by the Government of Kermanshah at an annual
rent ... to the chief of the Guran tribe, whose hardy Ilayats inhabit
the adjoining mountains. . . . The amount of the revenue must depend,
in a great measure, upon the value of rice and corn, its staple articles of
produce ; but in years of plenty, when the price of these commodities is at
the lowest possible rate, a considerable surplus will still remain in the hands
of the lessee. The revenue system of this district is simple and more
favourable to the cultivators than in most parts of Persia. It is thought
derogatory to the chief to take any part of the cultivation into his own
immediate hands. He distributes grain to his dependents, and at the harvest
receives as his share of the produce of rice two-thirds of corn in consequence
of the water consumed in its irrigation, which is the property of the landlord
or of Government, and is rarely to be obtained without considerable expense
and labour.
“ The rice grounds of Zohab are chiefly irrigated by an artificial canal,
brought from the Hal wan River, a distance of about 10 miles. The canal is
said to have been an ancient work, but was repaired and rendered available
for its present purposes only 100 years ago by the same Pasha who subse
quently built the town of Zohab.
“ The revenue accruing to the chief averages 10,000 tomans.”
Sir H. Rawlinson estimated the produce of the district of Zohab at
2,000 kbarvars of rice and at 2,500 kharvars of wheat.
“ Under the Turkish rule Zohab yielded, with its dependencies, an
annual sum of 30,000 tomans but it then included several fertile and exten
sive districts, which are now detached from it, and there were also above
2,000 raiyats resident upon the land, whereas at present this number is
reduced to about 300 families, and the great proportion of the cultivation is
in the hands of Guran Ilyats, who, after sowing the grain in the spring,
move up to their summer pastures among the mountains, and leave only a
few labourers in the plain to get in the crops. The soil of Zohab is naturally
very rich, but owing to the little care bestowed on its cultivation, a tenfold
return is considered as good. Manure is never employed to fertilise the lands.
After the production of a rice crop, the soil is allowed to lie fallow for
several years, in order to recover its strength, or is only sown with a light
grain. The interval between two rice crops upon the same ground is never
less than seven years, but even this is said to exhaust the soil. Wherever the
extent of the lands willgdmit of it, an interval of 15 years is allowed.
(( Scarcely a fifth of the arable land in this district is now under culti
vation, and certainly the revenues might he raised, with proper care, to ten
times their present amount.”
The district of Zohab is at present rented to the chief of the Gurans for
the sum of 12,000 tomans.