'Military Report of the Nushki-Chagai-Western Sinjarani Country' [‎28r] (60/302)

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CHAPTER V.
Resources.
The Nushki-Chagai-Sinjarani country is in course of de-
velopmcnt, and it may reasonably be expected that all its resources
will increase to a very considerable extent when the country ^ as
enioyed a more prolonged period of rest, and the advantages o
tranquillity and orderly government begin to make themselves
fdti
Judwhiff from the remains of large irrigation works, and t he Agriculture,
traces of & a "former cultivation around the ancient mined tombs
and forts on the plains, the country was at one time far more culti
vated than at present, and efforts are being made to encourage
the people to settle on the land. It is important for the success
of the trade route that food supplies should be locally pro
curable, and it would certainly increase the value of the countiy,
from a military point of view, were it rather less of a desert than
it is at present. # .
The principal crops grown are barley, wheat, and/oywm. The Crops,
method of cultivation is simple, and similar to that ot India
generally.
The area under cultivation is very small considering the
.... i p j-qj.
area under cultivation is
amount of suitable land ; the following
this :—
(a) By far the larger proportion of the
flock-owners. The country has been
are the chief reasons
(*)
( c )
inhabitants arc
in an unsettled
state for £»o long that it has been found more con
venient to have all the property in a movable form.
Standing crops would, to a certainty, have been des
troyed by enemies.
The scarce and intermittent rainfall and general want
of water for irrigation purposes over the whole country.
Bands and irrigation cuts were also liable to be
destroyed.
The character of the people who are too lazy and
indolent to care about the hard manual labour neces
sary to raise crops.
hA The proximity of the Helmand, where grain is plentiful
^ and cheap. The year’s supply being easily obtained
by bartering a few sheep or goats.
The chief agricultural districts are the jauds of the Dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. A^ural
watered by the Lora river; the Nusbki lands watered by the
K-iisar river; the Baghak lands watered by karezes’, and the
Chaffai lands near Chagai and Dalbandin irrigated by karezes.
The produce is no more than enough to supply the requirements of
the inhabitants in the vicinity. A large amount of grain is
imported from Garmsel.