File 1202/1912 'Arabia:- Travellers. Capt. F. F Hunter. Herr Runkiar (Danish Expedition). Capt Shakespear.' [‎116r] (236/358)

the Abudah section of the Bani Hasan from the Hindieh Kadha who were encamped
in the same locality.
The Dilaim succeeded in obtaining an order from the vali of Bagdad for the return
of 500 sheep, but it remained of no effect until the present month, when, the Abudah
^ having made their appearance at Razazah* * * § a force of gendarmes under a major was
sent out by the mutessarif of Karbala to surprise them. About midnight on.the 13th
the gendarmerie returned to Karbala, bringing with them about 400 sheep and the
leading men of the Abudah, the latter with their arms bound.
2. About the beginningof February a'fray occurred within 3 or 4 miles of Kut-el-
Amarah between the Ju’aifariehf and the inhabitants of a place named Nahr Izmam.
The cause was a dispute about land. Two men were killed.
111.— Bagdad City.
1. In January last the case of a Jewish girl, the daughter of one Sasun, who is a
Turkish subject, but is employed in the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Post Office at Bagdad, came
before the vali and his administrative council. The proceedings took place apparently,
on a complaint from the father, to the effect that a Mahommedan, who wished to marry
the girl, was endeavouring to persuade her to become a Mahommedan. The action to
be taken depended on the age of the girl, who, if under fourteen, would have no power
to change her religion without her guardian’s consent; and Vali Muhammad Shaukat
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , who is an enlightened man, gave his opinion in favour of the father. An
acrimonious discussion took place between a Jewish member of the Council and the
Mohammedan members, in consequence of which the latter presented a mazbatah or
round-robin against the former—a son of Mr. M. S. Daniel—accusing him of having-
insulted them, and, indirectly, their religion also; but the vali succeeded in inducing
the Mahommedans to drop their complaint. The girl, her case being still undecided,
has been left for the present in charge of the headman of the quarter.
I shall recur to this incident further on in another connection. It is very like
those that sometimes occur in India, causing dangerous excitement when Hindu women
become proselytes to Islam for the sake of marrying Mahommedans.
2. The supply of public vehicles in Bagdad, notwithstanding their limited value
in consequence of the narrowness of the streets, does not appear to keep pace with the
demand. The municipality have approved a regulation under which coachmen will be
punishable with fine if they take more than 10 G.S.P. (2s.) per hour for drives within
the town.
IV.— Bussorah Vilayet.
1. Before the middle of January, apparently, Falah-bin-SaihudJ of the A1 Bu
Muhammad (see Summary, December 190.9-January 1910, IV, 2) paid a visit to the
sheikh of Mohammerah, after which, it is said, he proceeded to Bussorah to see the
Turkish vali. Towards the end of the month, Ghaddban, the fugitive sheikh of
the Bani Lam, appeared within a few miles of Filaifilah,§ accompanied by two
of his brothers and their followers, and by some 200 Sagwand horsemen, from the
territory of the vali of Pusht-i-Kuh, who is his brother-in-law. Ghaddban had come
on purpose to attack Jawi and Shabib, the leaders of the portion of the Bani Lam tribe
which is loyal to the Turkish Government; but those sheikhs, supported by Sheikh
Fahad, who crossed from the right bank of the Tigris to their assistance, defeated him
in a battle on the 29th January, and pursued him and his followers to the Persian
frontier. The casualties in the engagement are estimated at 100, and it is believed that
the result will be conclusive for a time.
2. In January rather severe fighting took place in the Shatrat-al-Muntafik Kadha
between the A1 Bu Seyyid|| and Ban Zaid tribes. The cause is unknown.
3. The pause in the “ Muntafik ” operations (see Summary, December 1909-
January 1910, IV, 1) still continues.
* See Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Gazetteer, vol. ii, pp. 1587-S.
| Apparently a section of the Bani Rabi‘ah twice mentioned at p. 1046 of vol. ii of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
Gazetteer.
f The name appears to be Palah , not Fa‘lah as in the last Summary (IV, 2.)
§ See Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Gazetteer, vol. ii, pp, 1900-1,
| Not identifiable. Probably sections of larger tribes.