208
E. Iwasaki
3 Wells in Rashda Until the Beginning
of the Twentieth Century
In arid areas, the history of a village is closely linked with water. In the case of
Rashda, one of the villages in Dakhla Oasis, its village history started in the latter
half of the nineteenth century when some people of Qalamun village, which was one
of the powerful villages in Dakhla Oasis, migrated to Rashda (Kato and Iwasaki 2016:
Chapter 5). Before the formation of Rashda village, there were several wells in the
direct area of Rashda village, and the agricultural lands were irrigated by Qalamun
villagers using the water extracted from these wells. It is said that the people moved
from Qalamun village to the hilltop area, which is the actual old residential area of
Rashda village, to live closer to their land and wells.
The villagers’ lives that depended upon the groundwater would not have been a
stable one. The wells at that time were shallow artesian wells dug in the traditional
manner. The wells had depths less than 120 m and were supposed to last for 30 to
40 years. However, the wells often dried up due to the lower water table, changes
in the water streams and groundwater table, and degradation of the well such as the
collapse of the well wall. Afterwards, the villagers dug another well to replace the
well that had dried up.
A document dated 1937 in the name of the ‘umda (village chief) shows that the
water flows were a major concern of the villages at the beginning of the twentieth
century (Kato and Iwasaki 2016: 124–126). This document compared the water
withdrawal amount of the wells in Rashda village in 1883, 1907, and 1937. This
document was probably elaborated by the ‘umda to issue licenses for drilling a new
well.
According to this document, there were 16 wells in 1883 with a total water
discharge of 146 qirat per day.
3 In 1907, however, the water discharge amount
decreased to 85 qirat, and in 1937, the water discharge amount decreased to 62
qirat and five wells dried up. There were 13 ‘ain that existed in 1883 in Rashda:
Ain al-Rahma, Ain al-Shishlana, Ain al-Musid, Ain al-Jumaiza, Ain al-Balad, Ain
al-Duma, Ain Sahsah, Ain al-Rashda, Ain Shandum, Bir al-Majnun, Bir Hamam
wa Mahmud, Bir Qara Birqas, and Bir al-Qadim. In 1937, five (Ain al-Balad, Ain
al-Duma, Ain Sahsah, Ain al-Rashda, and Ain Shandum) of the springs already had
no water flow (Kato and Iwasaki 2016: 124–126).
Interestingly, this document discusses that the demography, i.e., the population,
in contrast to the decreased water discharge, increased from 900 in 1883 to 1500 in
1907. This document reveals that the ‘umda perceived the water discharge level to
be insufficient relative to the population size in the village. The document also shows
that the solution of water deficiency was perceived to be the digging of a new well
when a well dried up to supply water for survival.
Beadnell described the water and population of Dakhla Oasis at the beginning of
the nineteenth century, and his observation also applies to Rashda village:
3 A qirat is the local unit of water quantity. One qirat in the present time is 100 m 3 . According to
the villagers, one qirat in the beginning of the twentieth century was 200 m 3 .
E. Iwasaki
3 Wells in Rashda Until the Beginning
of the Twentieth Century
In arid areas, the history of a village is closely linked with water. In the case of
Rashda, one of the villages in Dakhla Oasis, its village history started in the latter
half of the nineteenth century when some people of Qalamun village, which was one
of the powerful villages in Dakhla Oasis, migrated to Rashda (Kato and Iwasaki 2016:
Chapter 5). Before the formation of Rashda village, there were several wells in the
direct area of Rashda village, and the agricultural lands were irrigated by Qalamun
villagers using the water extracted from these wells. It is said that the people moved
from Qalamun village to the hilltop area, which is the actual old residential area of
Rashda village, to live closer to their land and wells.
The villagers’ lives that depended upon the groundwater would not have been a
stable one. The wells at that time were shallow artesian wells dug in the traditional
manner. The wells had depths less than 120 m and were supposed to last for 30 to
40 years. However, the wells often dried up due to the lower water table, changes
in the water streams and groundwater table, and degradation of the well such as the
collapse of the well wall. Afterwards, the villagers dug another well to replace the
well that had dried up.
A document dated 1937 in the name of the ‘umda (village chief) shows that the
water flows were a major concern of the villages at the beginning of the twentieth
century (Kato and Iwasaki 2016: 124–126). This document compared the water
withdrawal amount of the wells in Rashda village in 1883, 1907, and 1937. This
document was probably elaborated by the ‘umda to issue licenses for drilling a new
well.
According to this document, there were 16 wells in 1883 with a total water
discharge of 146 qirat per day.
3 In 1907, however, the water discharge amount
decreased to 85 qirat, and in 1937, the water discharge amount decreased to 62
qirat and five wells dried up. There were 13 ‘ain that existed in 1883 in Rashda:
Ain al-Rahma, Ain al-Shishlana, Ain al-Musid, Ain al-Jumaiza, Ain al-Balad, Ain
al-Duma, Ain Sahsah, Ain al-Rashda, Ain Shandum, Bir al-Majnun, Bir Hamam
wa Mahmud, Bir Qara Birqas, and Bir al-Qadim. In 1937, five (Ain al-Balad, Ain
al-Duma, Ain Sahsah, Ain al-Rashda, and Ain Shandum) of the springs already had
no water flow (Kato and Iwasaki 2016: 124–126).
Interestingly, this document discusses that the demography, i.e., the population,
in contrast to the decreased water discharge, increased from 900 in 1883 to 1500 in
1907. This document reveals that the ‘umda perceived the water discharge level to
be insufficient relative to the population size in the village. The document also shows
that the solution of water deficiency was perceived to be the digging of a new well
when a well dried up to supply water for survival.
Beadnell described the water and population of Dakhla Oasis at the beginning of
the nineteenth century, and his observation also applies to Rashda village:
3 A qirat is the local unit of water quantity. One qirat in the present time is 100 m 3 . According to
the villagers, one qirat in the beginning of the twentieth century was 200 m 3 .