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The record is made up of 1 volume (76 folios). It was created in Feb 1919. 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
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Mesopotamia]
I. GEOGRAPHY PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL
(1) Position and Frontiers
The geographical limits ol' Mesopotamia cannot be
precisely defined, except on the east, where the delimi
tation of the boundary between Turkey and Persia was
completed by a Turko-Persian Commission in 1914.
The frontier then determined, which is shown on the
accompanying map, lies along the mountains forming
the western rim of the Persian plateau, and reaches
the Shatt el-Arab 10 miles above Muhammera. The
remaining boundaries of the'area dealt with in this
account are roughly as follows: to the south the Persian
Gulf; to the south-west the desert of northern Arabia;
to the west the Syrian desert; and to the north the
mountains of Armenia and Asia Minor. The area
is approximately 180,000 square miles.
(2) Surface, Coast, and River System
Surface
Mesopotamia as a whole consists of a great depres
sion running south-east from the north-western corner
of Syria and the mountains of Armenia down to the
head of the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
. Under the high mountains
which enclose Mesopotamia on the north-east is a belt
of lower hill country, varying in breadth from 40 to
100 miles, and below this again are the Mesopotamian
plains which form the floor of the depression. Not
far to the north of Baghdad the upper plains end in a
[285—66] B
About this item
- Content
This volume is a confidential handbook on Mesopotamia prepared under the direction of the Historical Section of the Foreign Office, dated February 1919. There is a table of contents which includes the following chapters:
- I: 'Geography Physical and Political', including 'Position and Frontiers', 'Surface, Coast and River Systems', 'Climate', 'Sanitary Conditions', 'Race and Language' and 'Population';
- II: 'Political History', including 'Chronological Summary', 'Introduction', 'Early period of Turkish Occupation, 1638-1834', 'Later period of Turkish Occupation, 1834-1914', and 'Commercial Developments';
- III: 'Social and Political Conditions', including 'Religious', 'Political', 'Public Education' and 'General Observations';
- IV: 'Economic Conditions', including 'Means of Communication', 'Industry', 'Commerce', 'Finance' and 'General Remarks'.
There is also an appendix which includes tables of 'Exports to Principal Countries from Baghdad', 'Imports from Principal Countries to Baghdad', 'Principal Exports from Basra' and 'Principal Imports to Basra'. This is followed by a section entitled 'Authorities' which is a bibliography of references used for the preparation of the volume. This section is divided into 'Historical' (including 'Confidential Sources'), 'Economic' ('Official' and 'General') and 'Maps'. There is a pocket at the back of the volume to house maps, but there are no maps present.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (76 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Pagination: The volume contains an original printed pagination sequence.
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; 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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Mesopotamia' [6r] (11/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x00000c> [accessed 3 August 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/20/C190
- Title
- 'Mesopotamia'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:75v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence