エジプト社会経済史研究と地理情報解析

「死んだ川」をめぐって

抄録

The rural society of modern Egypt was drastically transformed in the background of the transfer of irrigation system from the basin irrigation to the perennial irrigation. The paper aims to examine its impact of the transfer of irrigation system on the rural society of modern Egypt, focusing an interesting geographical feature, that is “dead river” (baḥr mayyit), which signifies a huge stagnant water in the shape of river. The “dead river,” with which the paper is concerned, is the ancient Baghur Canal. It flowed from a head (fam) of the Damietta branch near to Bir al-Shamus Village in Menufiya Governorate, and go to the Buhayra Governorate through the central Delta region between the two branches of the Nile. In the middle of 19th century, it was cut by Menuf Canal, which was constructed as one of the main canal (rayyāḥ) for the perennial irrigation. The cutting of the ancient Baghur Canal by Menuf Canal made a part of the ancient Baghur Canal “dead river” on one hand, and caused the lack of water for irrigation of the lands on the west side of the Nile on the other. It was because the new and present Baghur Canal, which started from the head on the west shore of Menuf Canal in Kafr al-Ghonameya Village, was newly constructed instead of the ancient Baghur Canal.