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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.
2b
HIS TOR V"
[No. 96
18^4, however, attempts were made to centralise the
administration of the Empire, and to substitute direct
control by the Porte for the semi-independent rule ot
the Pashas. The latter were no longer to be selected
from local families, but were despatched to the pro
vince from Constantinople. The efforts of these
governors to fill the public purse by a stricter collection
of the revenues aroused dissatisfaction among the
Arabs; and rebellions were of frequent occurrence.
Midhat
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
, who had reorganized the civil
administration of the Empire in 1867, was sent
Baghdad in 1869 to introduce the vilayet system ot
government. He caused considerable concern to the
British authorities by his efforts to extend Turkisl
sovereignty along the coast of the Persian Gull. Lne
policy of centralisation in Mesopotamia was continued
by the Sultan Abdul Hamid, during whose reign the
Turkish administration became, on the whole, more
effective The Turkish Revolution of 1908 was wel
comed by the majority of the population; but the
chauvinist policy of the Young Turks disappointed the
hopes that had been entertained. The state of anarchy
on the Persian frontier exercised a disturbing in
fluence; disaffection among the Arabs was prevalent;
and down to 1914 there was general disorder and
insecurity throughout Mesopotamia.
(4) Commercial Development
Many enterprises, apparently exclusively co 1 ™ 61 *'
cial, have subsequently proved to be of the highest
political importance. This is pre-eminently true m
Mesopotamia, whether such enterprise has been under
taken for the advancement of purely commercial in
terests without ulterior motive, as exemplified by the
history of British navigation of Mesopotamian waters,
or whether, as in the case of the Baghdad Railway,
strategic and political aims have been (leliberateiy dis
guised as commercial projects.
n {a) Navigation—British intercourse with Mesopo
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' [19v] (38/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x000027> [accessed 17 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