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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
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
GEOGRAPHV
•No. 92
thousands, and are of no political importance in the
country.
The total number of Europeans resident in the
country before the war was perhaps about 200; they
were missionaries (French, British, and American),
representatives of commercial enterprises and engi
neers (chiefly British and German), consuls, and
archaeologists. The missionaries were principally in
upper Mesopotamia, the Europeans engaged in busi
ness or engineering work were mostly in Irak and in
Arabistan over the Persian boundary. The principal
European business communities were at Baghdad,
Basra, and Muhammera. Except among the mission
aries, there were few Europeans who could be regarded
as permanently settled in the country.
The distribution of languages in Mesopotamia
follows the distribution of races. Arabic naturally
predominates, but Persian is of considerable impor
tance for commerce, and Kurdish dialects are
commonly spoken in certain districts. The Arme
nians have their own language. Syriac is spoken by
the Christians of the Central Kurdish highlands.
Various dialects of Turkish are spoken by Turks and
Turkomans.
As regards European languages, the commercial
and social predominance of French in other parts of
the Turkish Empire has its influence on Mesopotamia.
A certain acquaintance with French is to be found
among members of the wealthy business class in the
chief trade-centres, and the higher Turkish officials
usually had some, though often a very imperfect,
knowledge of the language.
Some knowledge of English is possessed by persons
—chiefly Christians of northern Mesopotamia—who
have visited America or have been educated in
American Mission Schools. A few men of business
are acquainted with English, but it seems to be much
less widely known than French, even where, as at
Baghdad, British commercial influence has been
predominant.
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' [11v] (22/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x000017> [accessed 8 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