'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1039] (76/688)

KHA-KHA
1039
would be impolitic to raise the question of Government's rights just now. The amount
of revenue at stake is very small and except for the profits they make out of blockade
running—the income of the inhabitants of Khamisiyah must be very small, though
trade, not the soil, is their raison d'etre. We can therefore afford to waive the revenue
question altogether till a later and more suitable date. In due course revenue will
have to be assessed if only as a tangible sign of British domination but even then it
may be found expedient to remit it in favour of the Shaikh.
7. The Future. —The future is certain to see a branch line to the town and possibly
on to Suq or in the alternative the transplanting of Khamisiyah to Talh al Lahm.
In any case the prosperity of the house of Khamis and its followers is assured
and the wisdom of Sheikh Hamad's father justified who cut himself off from Suq
al Shuyukh to be a link between the desert and the sown in the season of floods.
Whether the desert will in due course become a granary is a matter which depends on
the irrigation and river control questions. Neither of them should be incapable of
a satisfactory solution.
8. The Khamis family —-Is said to have migrated from Najd to the Suq-ash-Shuyukh
region attracted by prospects of trade and agriculture less than 40 years ago and the
foundation of Khamisiyah dates back 27 years. The family tree is as follows : —
Khamis.
Muhammad.
Salih.
Abdulla.
Hamad. Mahammad.
Salih. Abdul Aziz.
KHAMMARAH (B ani)—
One of the Hinawi tribes of the 'Omin Sultanate {q. v.).
KHAMMAS—
One of the principal divisions of the Bani Rabi'ah triba {q. v.) of 'Iraq.
khan—
A village in Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -al-Jizi {q. v.), in the 'Oman Sultanate.
khan—
A village on the coast of Trucial 'Oman, in the Sharjah Principality. It stands about
2 miles south-west of Sharjah Town on the north side of a small inlet called Khor-al-
Khan with two branches, one of which runs north-east and joins, or almost joins, at high
tide the Sharjah back water, while the other turns south behind Abu Hail. In passing
between Sharjah and Khan the Sharjah creek must be crossed or a detour made so as
to pass between it and the Khan creek. The land in shore of the village is for some dis
tance low and swampy. Khan consists of about 200 houses, the majority of stone set in
gypsum mortar or mud, the rest huts of date branches. The inhabitants, who belong
to the Al EuMahair. Mazari, and Manasir tribes, are pearl divers and fishermen, owning
about 74 pearl boats^but no other sea-going vessels. Their fishing boats number 40,
and they also possess some 115 camels, 85 donkeys, 35 cattle and 170 goats.