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'File 53/11 V (D 79) Date Gardens in Irag [Iraq] of the Shaikhs of Mohemmarah and Kuwait' [22r] (53/516)
The record is made up of 1 volume (266 folios). It was created in 23 Jul 1931-27 Aug 1932. It was written in English. 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.
to Government and the latter loses the "Ashur" tax due
from his dates.
3. The
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
then asked the
Shaikh how he thought the new law would work if applied
to the five great Kuwait properties situate on the lower
reaches of the Shatt al-Arab.
The Shaikh without hesitation replied that
it would fall harder on himself than, if he had to pay the
ordinary "jarib" taxation, as
4. .Then asked to explain how he arrived at
this conclusion, the Shaikh pointed out
(a) That he was not in the same position as the
resident garden owner, for he was both an absentee
landlord, and worse, resided outside ’Iraq.
Actually he anployed only ’’fellahs'’ 'or gardeners
in the gardens and these were the only persons who
resided there. Hence under the new law only these
resident
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.
would be entitled to take their
share of dates free of taxation, while he and the
remaining 100 branch families of the al-Subah who
resided in Kuwait would presumably have to pay the
’’Ashur” taxation on the large stores of dates,
garden produce, fruit, wood, palm fronds, barley,
fodder, lucerne grass etc. etc. which was annually
brought to Kuwait for their own use, under the
plea that they had been exported from 1he garden
areas, and also out of ’Iraq.
In this connection the Shaikh pointed out
that the amounts brought to Kuwait by himself did
not merely include that share of the gardens produce
vhich he and the 100 junior families of the al-Subah
(numbering some 1000 souls, I suppose) had a right
to, in their capacity as joint shareholders in the
estates, but included the annual free food ration
of his body-guard and paid ’’fidawi” land forces
numbering some 500 men who with their families all
About this item
- Content
This file contains correspondence between British officials regarding date gardens in southern Iraq owned by the rulers of Mohammerah and Kuwait. The correspondence discusses changes in legislation proposed by the Government of Iraq regarding the collection of land rent and land produce duties, and the impact of these proposed changes on the Ruler of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ). Copies of this legislation are contained in the file on folios 30-52.
Correspondence in the file explains that in November 1914, the British authorities had given a letter to the shaikhs of Mohammerah and Kuwait promising them perpetual exemption from taxation on their date gardens in Iraq in return for their assistance against the Ottoman Empire (f 177). Much of the correspondence in the file discusses whether or not this assurance previously given to the Shaikh can be upheld and how the British should react to the Iraqi Government's desire to tax the produce that is grown on Shaikh Ahmad's land and then exported to Kuwait. The broader regional implications of the issue are also discussed at length.
The file also contains details regarding a legal case brought against Shaikh Ahmad by members of the Al Zuhair family regarding the ownership of some of his date gardens in Iraq.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (266 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 244; these numbers are written in pencil 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. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. The sequence contains 14 foliation anomalies, 1a, 1b, 3a, 8a, 18a, 80a, 85a, 100a, 160a, 160b, 160c, 184a, 198a and 198b.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'File 53/11 V (D 79) Date Gardens in Irag [Iraq] of the Shaikhs of Mohemmarah and Kuwait' [22r] (53/516), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/487, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100079296710.0x000036> [accessed 18 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/487
- Title
- 'File 53/11 V (D 79) Date Gardens in Irag [Iraq] of the Shaikhs of Mohemmarah and Kuwait'
- Pages
- 1r:1v, 1ar:1bv, 2r:3v, 3ar:3av, 4r:8v, 8ar:8av, 9r:18v, 18ar:18av, 19r:29v, 53r:80v, 80ar:80av, 81r:85v, 85ar:85av, 86r:100v, 100ar:100av, 101r:111v, 120r:124v, 128r:160v, 160a r, 160a v, 160br:160cv, 161r:161v, 163r:184v, 184ar:184av, 185r:198v, 198ar:198bv, 199r:211v, 230r:244v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence