ABSTRACT
The hospitality offered is free and theoretically unlimited, but in practice any individual of low rank who overstayed his welcome would soon be made conscious of the fact. The effect of this upon the general economic organisation will be discussed presently. The procedure raises the interesting question as to whether or it is profitable to run a Guest House. From the Kurdish viewpoint the Guest House represents an enormous drain upon the Agha’s resources, but this attitude is to be expected since the more the Agha can persuade his neighbours that he is being made bankrupt by the lavishness of his hospitality the greater will be his reputation. Formerly the village communities were, within the limits of a somewhat meagre standard of living, virtually self supporting. Trade and currency circulation were both minimal. Though wheat has the largest acreage, rice would everywhere be the preferred crop if it could be extensively cultivated.
