File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [267r] (544/586)
The record is made up of 1 volume (289 folios). It was created in 15 Nov 1920-31 Oct 1921. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
to ask them what ’s impossible for them to do'. We hope that General Ja £ far
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
“Askari will favour us with full information, as he was the Commander
of the Northern army in Syria
The same issue states that the British Government has issued orders
urging surveillance to be maintained on the Indian frontiers adjoining
Afghanistan. 'At the same time the Government of India have prohibited
leave to men and officers, as a preparation against such new developments as
may take place. It transpires that a Boshevik mission has arrived at Kabul
with valuable gifts and large sums of money and that it is directed to com
municate to the Amir that the Bolshevik Government is prepared to assist-him.
In an article on American politics the
writer
The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping.
describes the rejection of
President AVilson’s Fourteen Points by Lloyd George at file Conference.
The President left Paris in disgust and the American people smarting under
defeat determined to substitute for his high principles that of America
“ uber alles ”. The election of Harding confirms the failure of the Allie^
in America. But when she has created a strong fleet she will once again
take a hand in European affairs and bitter disagreements between Europe,
Asia and the United States may lead to another world war.
The Istiqlal (No. 15, dated 24th November, 1920), publishes certain
remarks on the High Commissioner ’s proclamation. It complains that the
proclamation was very brief and one could construe its main points in anjr
manner one pleased. It says that the new Cabinet appears to be an advisor ,
body, its resolutions being subject to the High Commissioner s guidance.
“ It works like the c advisory council of notables ’ which the Government
desired to form before. There is one point, however, which requires atten
tion and interpretation, viz., that “ the provisional cabinet will be responsible
for its actions ”. If their resolutions are to be subject to the High Com
missioner’s guidance, before whom will they be responsible and what respon
sibility will be on them? It is understood that a programme sent to them
from the High Commissioner’s Office, has defined their duties and powers
The nation does not care for the definition of the duties of the provisional
Ministry as it does not feel satisfied with such institutions as has been stated
several times; but we are sure that the nation of ‘Iraq absolutely refuses (t
agree) that the conditions and limitations made for the provisional Govern
ment should be the basis of permanent legal Government. It appears that
the matter of foreign representation is one of those which cannot be discusse
at present and will have to be settled between the General Assembly and th •
Government in occupation. But the Department of Posts and Telegraphs n*
one of those which must be controlled by the permanent national Govern
ment and no discussion or disputation is possible on this point. Seeing that
the duty of the Minister of Defence is confined to assisting the Government
in occupation in restoring order, we can call the Minister of Defence, Inspec oi
General of Police. We are unable to consider the proclamation any furtner
as we do not know the contents of the programme We beg of the high
Commissioner, therefore, to issue a proclamation m winch he should set fort '
the policy which his Government desires to pursue m this country, tor the
day of dissimilation has passed. The nation of Ira ^ 18 j^red of the state
ment of the principal British politicials viz that the final policy of 11 s
Majesty’s Government has not yet been decided. If this iS f the case, the
‘Iraqis" have already decided upon their final policy which is ^r the
‘Iraqis ” and that ‘Iraq is an independent Government m the le^al an.
political sense of the word .
It publishes a letter from Ja‘far
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
‘Askari in reply to the letter
published by the same paper previously. Ja far
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
states that his f
thought on leaving the zone occupied by the Trench ^ 'Gul wLb
ct : oflRpp-ra be returned and that this was one of the subjects dealt v it
K He teKoT^mshesenthi Lord Curzon and Lord Allenby, and discussed by
General nS;
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
Sa‘id in London.. He adds that he menboned the matter
to SB Perev Cox the High Commissioner, when he saw H E. at fort baid
and he is confident that communication is m progress about them; and fur
ther thiat he has prepared a list of the names of these officers and would
transmit it to the paper for the information of their relatives.
Al Istiqlal, No. 16, November 28th.
t i o^+ltlprl “ The Victories of the Bolsheviks ” the w r riter
points’ out thaLhe military policy of the Russians L to on the enemy
and subsequently overwhelm him. Ihis wes done ytn P publish-
shevik -Russia in supplies and mkiey in
, news ,df. the , , ik return to the charge and possess themseh is
great quantities, the HolsneyiJ. Allies Koltchak and Denikin have
of all the war materials by. the AUies^ ^tc^ ^ ^
fallen victims yet Wranffe . the Bolshevists. It will be a matter
and granted the b «ot> ot ins arn > ^ armv i s sent against them ; they
of indifference to thc BolshevnsL ^ war Thoughtful men agree that
rPorfcafind ttins “be Bolshevists, because the troops of the Power-
About this item
- Content
This volume contains the Intelligence Reports of Sir Percy Cox, High Commissioner for Mesopotamia [also written as Iraq in this volume], based in Baghdad, covering the period 15 November 1920 to 15 September 1921. They largely relate to: the political situation in Mesopotamia and the surrounding region; the formation and proceedings of the provisional government; the events leading up to the creation of Mandatory Iraq [also known as the Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration] and the election and appointment of Faisal [Fayṣal bin Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] as the first King of Iraq [Fayṣal I].
The Intelligence Reports are numbered and appear to have been issued at two-week intervals. This volume contains the reports numbered 1-3, 9-19 and 21. There is no explanation in the volume regarding the reason for the absent reports. The format of the reports is a mixture of printed and copy typescript. Each report is preceded by a covering circular issued by the office of the High Commissioner indicating the British Government departments and the officers and departments in the Middle East to which the report was copied.
Report Nos. 1-3 are preceded by an assessment of the political situation described in the Intelligence Report, written by Major R Marrs.
The reports generally comprise the following sections:
- A summary of the report (from report No. 14 onwards only)
- An account of the proceedings of the Council of Ministers
- Analysis of current public opinion and allegiances, (notably an analysis of public opinion on the Amir [Emir] Faisal and his arrival in Mesopotamia, including a reference to his 'personal magnetism', f 88), in report Nos 16-19
- Notes on provincial affairs
- Notes on the situation at the frontiers
- Extracts of 'Iraq Police Abstracts of Intelligence' (reports No. 9-14 only).
Other subjects notably covered in various reports include:
- Assyrian, Armenian and Urumiyan [Urmian] refugees (report Nos. 2 and 19)
- Perceived foreign influences in Iraq (report Nos. 2 and 3)
- The withdrawal of Saiyid [Sayyid] Talib Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. [Sayyid Ṭālib bin Rajab al-Naqīb] from the Government and Baghdad (report No. 12)
- Kurdistan (report Nos. 12-14)
- Turkish and Kurdish Frontiers (report No. 12)
- Dair al Zor [Deir ez-Zor] (report Nos. 1 and 12)
- Notes on 'Internal Affairs' (Nos. 18 and 19)
- Analysis of the referendum result which confirmed the election of Faisal as Iraq's first monarch (report No. 19)
- The formation of King Faisal's first cabinet (report No. 21).
Appendices are included with some reports, usually comprising copies of the High Commissioner's proclamations or communications 'to the people of Iraq' or documents relevant to the particular report (notably 'Provisional scheme for the re-organisation of the law courts' and 'Report of the committee constituted for studying the irrigation problem in Mesopotamia' in report No. 9).
Each report is concluded with a Supplement or Press Bureau Report, comprising extensive summaries and extracts of newspaper articles published in the local and 'foreign' (local region mainly) press. Notable publications cited are: Al 'Iraq , Al Fallah Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. , Al Dijlah , and (Syrian publication) Lissan al 'Arab.
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (front of the volume).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (289 folios)
- Arrangement
The reports are arranged mostly in numerical/chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. Report No. 18 is followed by Report No. 21 and then Report No. 19 which is the last report in the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 284; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the two leading and two ending flyleaves. The sequence contains one foliation anomaly: f 267a.
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/962
- Title
- File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS'
- Pages
- 266r:267r, 247r:249r
- Author
- Al-Istiqlal
- Usage terms
- Public Domain
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