'File 2/4 III TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.' [42r] (88/461)
The record is made up of 1 volume (225 folios). It was created in 8 Dec 1932-26 Mar 1934. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
Els Majesty’s Oovarment which had so far failed to implement the
promise made by c»ir Percy Cox in hi a telegram Uo 9 4051 dated the
50th v^eptember 1917, copy of which had at tine time been given to
i
his predecessor Shaikh Salim by the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
. This was to
the effect that dates, etc., destined for the Sheikh of Kuwait’s
household us© should be exempt from Iraq Export Duty.
6 . While I am not prepared entirely to vouch for the
statements of the Shaikh’s Agent regarding the refusal of the
Mudir at Fao to allow reasonable measures to be taken for the
protection of tins cargo of dates, during the undoubtedly heavy
rains which fell on the 13th January and onwards, the latter prime
facie would appear to have displayed some lack of tact and courtesy,
more especially as he must have known that he was dealing with
dates belonging to the Huler of a neighbouring and friendly State.
There is little doubt I think that the dates did also suffer
damage, otherwise His Excelleney who for a close cm a month has
steadfastly refused to pay the Export l>uty in the hope© that some
thing would be arranged by Hi© Majesty’s Grovernment, would scarely
have decided suddenly to pay the tax#
7. It is very regrettable that the above indident
should have come on the top of the long drawn out delay in settl
ing the Bate Gardens and Blockade questions, and at the very
moment when the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and Eastern General »
syndicate having received His Majesty’s Government’s permission to
open direct negotiations with the Jhaikh, are engaged in trying to
get an oil concession out of him. For it is obviously desirable
that the Shaikh at this time more than any other should not have
his faith and trust in His Majesty’s Government ’o power to extri
cate him from his difficulties, further shaken.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant, ;
- ' " X*i#UtMGlll.,
Political. Agent, Kuwait#
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence related to the date gardens owned by the Shaikh of Kuwait, Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ, and the Shaikh of Mohammerah, Khaz'al al-Ka'bi, in southern Iraq. A particular taxation system called Istihlak (consumption) tax has been imposed by the Iraqi Government on the produce of the gardens. British Officials discuss payment of export duty on garden produce from the Shaikh of Kuwait’s gardens in Iraq, and the allegations made by the Shaikh of Kuwait against the customs authorities at Faw.
The British Ambassador in Baghdad reports that because of the enforcement of the new tax law, the Iraqi Government is no longer able to make exempt from taxes the Shaikh‘s gardens' produce that has been exported from Iraq for the personal use of the Shaikh.
The volume includes a copy of minutes of a conference on the Shaikh’s date gardens held in Baghdad and minutes of an interdepartmental meeting held in London in regards to the gardens issue.
The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait, asks the Shaikh of Kuwait to provide full and detailed statements showing all payments and losses resulting from the imposition of Istihlak tax by the Iraqi Government. The Shaikh in turn provides six statements (ff 194-221):
- Statement I. Showing the amount levied as Istihlak tax from merchants purchasing and exporting dates in 1932.
- Statement II. Showing the amount levied as Istihlak tax from merchants purchasing and exporting dates in 1933.
- Statement III. Showing the amount levied from the Shaikh as Istihlak tax and under the heading 'Customs duties' on articles exported for the Shaikh’s private consumption.
- Statement IV. Showing the quantities of dates which the Shaikh was obliged to surrender from his own share to the fellaheen Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. (peasants) working in his gardens under the Istihlak tax.
- Statement V. Showing the losses sustained by the Shaikh as a result of the disobedience of the fellaheen Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. due to the introduction of the Istihlak tax.
- Statement VI. Showing the grand total of the above lists.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (225 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 227; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 6-222; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/R/15/5/137
- Title
- 'File 2/4 III TAXATION OF SHAIKH’S DATE GARDENS.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:5v, 7r:20v, 22r:28r, 29r:78v, 78ar:78av, 79r:111v, 114r:117v, 119r:132v, 134r:193v, 222r:227r, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence