"دليل كرمانشاه." [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٩] (٥٠٤/٢٨٣)

188
dependent upon Bagdad, until about 60 years ago, when Mu bammed Alt
r Mirza, Prince of Kerman^bab, annexed it to the crown of Persia. By the
treaty concluded between Persia and the Porte in 1823, it was stipulated
that the district^, acquired by either party during the war, should be respec
tively surrendered and that the ancient frontier line should be restored,
which had been established in the time of the Safavi monarchs. According
•to a subsequent treaty, Zohab ought certain'y to have been given up to the
Turkish authorities, but Persia had neither the wdl to render this act of
justice, nor hud the Pasha of Bagdad the power to enforce it ; and Zohab,
although still claimed by the i oite, has thus remained to the present day
in possession of the Government of Kermanshah.
“ Zohab, having been acquired in war, is Khalesseh, or crown land ; it
has been usually farmed by the Government of Kermanshah at an annual
rent ... to the Chief of the Guran tribe, whose hardy Ilayats inhabit
the adjoining mountains. . . .-The amount of the revenue must depend,
in a great measure, upon the value of rice and corn, its staple articles of
produce ; but in years of {denty, when the prije of these commod ties is at
the lowest possible rate, a considerable surplus will still remain in the hands
of the lessee. The revenue system of this district is simple, and more
favourable to the cultivators than in most parts of Persia. It is thought
derogatory to tlie chief to take any part of the cultivation int > his own
immediate hands. He distributes grain to his dependents, and at the
harvest receives as his share of the produce two-thirds of the rice and corn; in
consequence of the water consumed in its irrigation, which is the propertv
of the landlord or of Government, and is rarely to be obtained without
considerable expense and labour.
“ Tne rice grounds of Zobab are chiefly irrigated by an artificial canal
brought from the Holwan river, a distance of about 10 miles. The canal
is said to have been an ancient work, but was repaired and rendered avail
able for its presont purposes only loO years ago by the same Pasha, who
subsequently built the town of Zohab.
" The revenue accruing to the chief averaged 10,000 tomans.
o ‘ ^ aw * inson es ^bmated the produce of the district of
2,000 kharvars of rice and at 2,500 kharvars of wheat.
Zohab
at
Unaer the lumsh ru ] e Zohab yielded, with its dependents an
annual sura of oO,<h 0 tomans, but it then included several fertile and
. extensive districts, wh|ch are now detached from it, and there were also
above 2,000 raiyats resident upon the land ; whereas, at present tH. n 7
18 reduced to about 300 families, and the great proportion of f i u ber
i. % «. hand, of Goran Ilyats, who,
move up to their summer pastures among the mountains oh W 1 f ’
a few labourers in the plain to get in the°cro P s. The h of Z 11^"^
natura ly very rich, but owing to the little care bestowed on its cJT on*
a tenfold return is considered as o^orG Manrm 1Cb cu - i lvat!0n >
the lands. After the pr.-d, lonh a rt h p tlTroii mp]03 ;? d
fallow for several y«T ia or ler to reeov^if e allowed to 3ie
with a light grain. The interval between two riTcrcS\l’ S 8 ° W “
groun.l is never less than seven years, but even this is &7 0 A " tT
sml. M herever the extent of the lauds will admit If , ° ! xliausfc the
15 years is allowed. 0 an interval of