Author name:
عبد الله خير الله مسير الركابي
Supervisor name:
عماد جاسم حسن الموسوي
Abstract:
(Nigret Al - Salman : A study on Its Administrative, Economic and Social Status During the Period 1921 - 1968”) is one of the most central topics in the history of contemporary Iraq, for it addresses a vital region in Iraq that has contributed, in one way or another, to the manufacture of some political events in Iraq history. This area is characterized by its far distance from the Iraqi urban areas. The researcher chose the year 1921 as the beginning of his topic for this year marked the establishment of the modern Iraqi state and the official declaration of the beginning of the monarchy in Iraq. The researcher also chose the year 1968 for it marked the 17th of July coup.Despite the large volume of academic studies in Iraqi universities that have been interested in the history of contemporary Iraq or its local history, these studies did not shed light on the area of "Nigret Al - Salman," hence the significance of the topic stems from the fact that the subject has not been studied previously in the same direction that we studied. This added a great burden on the researcher in terms of the scarcity of resources on the subject, especially with regard to its economic and social aspects.The study is divided into Introduction, four Chapters, a large number of Annexes and Conclusion. Chapter One is an introduction in which we provided a geographical and historical overview on Al - Salman area until 1921. The chapter included two main sections : Section One discusses the geographical location of the area, its naming and population, while Section Two was a historical sketch on Al - Salman area until 1921. Chapter Two addresses the development of the Administrative System of Al - Salman from 1921 to 1968. It has been divided into three main sections. Section One discusses the Wahhabi attacks on Al - Salman area until 1932, and its subsequent halting after the Iraqi government has turned to fight back those attacks and demarcation of the border. Section Two is a follow - up to the governmental procedures set to protect the Iraqi Kingdom at a continuous and direct basis. Section Three is devoted to the great administrative developments that the Salman area passed through various ages, especially during the British occupation, monarchy era and towards the end of the Republican era in 1968.Chapter Three of the study focuses on the administrative aspects of Nigrat Al - Salman and its development from 1921 until 1968, especially the buildings of the Iraqi government, such as the border post and the prison. The chapter also follows on the administrative development of Nigrat Al - Salman within the study frame - time, besides taking note of the development of teaching, health and other services in Nigrat Al - Salman.Chapter Four shed light on the economic and social conditions at Nigrat Al - Salman during the period between (1921 - 1968). The first section elaborates on the economic developments of Nigrat Al - Salman (1921 - 1968), and in particular the economic activities on which people relied to provide such necessary needs as food and drink to themselves and their animals or watering their plantations, and the most important economic revenues that the people benefit from these various activities, with the most chief minerals and treasures that Nigrat Al - Salman has. The second section is the societal developments that Nigrat Al - Salman underwent from 1921 to 1968, the social formations in Al - Salman and the social constructions and tribes settled therein, and the development of the population, whether in terms of health conditions, education or other necessary services, such as electricity, water, roads, transportation, and even archaeological sites spread out in Nigrat Al - Salman, and ending with sports.The Salman region formed a significant geographic dimension to the Iraqi border which made the region in the forefront among the Iraqi regions that has faced hardships caused by Wahhabis throughout the ages, especially as it was a way to transit goods and commodities from Iraq to neighboring countries, so it became the focus of traders for temporary stability before they move on their route. The presence of watering holes and wells as well contributed to the arrival of pastoralists to settle in the area for the shedding of animals and irrigation form those wells and holes that continued from ancient times, through the establishment of the Arab Islamic state towards the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1918.The establishment of the modern Iraqi state in 1921 has major repercussions on Al - Salman area towards which the government has drawn great attention because it is located on the ground trade routes of the Iraqi kingdom, making it a residential areaacting to fight back recurrent attacks by the Saudi Wahhabis nearby. The Iraqi government had to take seriously the proposals made by Glope Pasha to establish a border post at Al - Salman in October 1927 - the post that is considered to be the precursor of the establishment of this region in a permanent and stable manner.The emergence of Nigrat Al - Salman was linked to the permanent population stability, which was the residence of some tribes that had a significant impact on the successive Iraqi governments to provide different ways of livelihood, especially during the stagesof the monarchy era (1921 - 1958) and delivery of whatever possible as drinking water, construction of schools and mosques, in order to sustain the lives of the settled citizens. The social developments in Al - Salman region were great compared to the harsh place characterized by Al - Salman as a desert area; however, that did not prevent the sustainability of population stability and the various activities such as sport. Al - Salman region was part of and administratively linked to Diwaniyah city during the period 1921 - 1968.Of course, in proportion to the difficult conditions, the simple agricultural economic system exerted itself to Al - Salman region. The spread of agriculture was only meant to fulfill the local needs and if only by a small fraction of life. But this did not thwart the people from bringing goods and agricultural crops from nearby cities metropolitans such as Samawah and Diwaniyah, so that they meet the growing needs, and the exploration of metals found in the ground such as phosphates, oil or mercury and others. However, the development pace of those excavations was not up to the required level so the people and government can utilize to develop projects and provide public services at Al - Salman throughout the time covered by the study.Although Al - Salman area was formed primarily from tribal and human groups that were not homogenous in terms of tribal descent, it, nevertheless, molded a single human conglomerate throughout the ages. There existed tribes from al - Muntafiq, Samawah or Diwaniyah that combined together to confront the dangers that besetthem, known, at the same time, to have goodness and hospitality which is a clear -
