'Field notes: Mesopotamia. General Staff, India. February, 1917.' [‎38r] (82/350)

67
the Russians on account of the latter’s “stringent action”
towards their co-religionists, i.e., in Northern Persia, and
favour the British. Their power for action and their influence
are, however, very limited and they lack capable leaders.
Both at Karbala and Najaf (see pages 36 and 37) the Turks
have stirred up disturbances. Being themselves Sunnis they
are antagonistic to the Shiahs who have their principal Shrines
at the above mentioned towns. The outrages committed are
not likely to lead the inhabitants to support the Turkish cause.
The principal towns (with number of inhabitants or houses
shown in brackets) are : — '
Baghdad (145,000).
Karbala (65,000).
Basrah (33,000).
Hillah (30,000).
Najaf (12,000)’.
Amarah (10,000).
Nasiriyah (10,000).
Shatrat-al-Muntafik (500
houses).
Musaiyib (6,000).
Qurnah (5,000).
• Kut-al-Amarah (4,000).
Diwaniyah, Samawah,
Rumaithah (500 houses).
Zubair (1,500).
Basrah.
The population of Basrah, including suburbs, numbers
33,000, mostly composed of sedentary Arabs.
Zubair.
The population of Zubair is virtually all Sunni Muhammadan
as is natural in a place which holds the tomb of Zubair, arch
rebel against ’Ali and killed here in fighting against him. Many
notables and land-owners of the Basrah neighbourhood have
country houses at Zubair, to which they retire in the hot
weather in quest of a drier atmosphere; and some important
families f]f Central Arabian origin are also located here.
Muhammareh.
The population of Muhammareh amounts to 23,000, and
that of the neighbouring district of Fallahiyeh (’Arabistan) to
45,000. ^ ’Arabistan is potentially one of the richest provinces
of Persia, but the country lacks the population necessary to
develop its great agricultural resources.