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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.
Meaopotamiaj
RAILWAYS
33
the Baghdad Railway Company should participate
therein to an extent not less than any non-Turkish
element; the possibility of British predominance in this
section of the line was thus eliminated. In 1912, after
prolonged negotiations, His Majesty's Government in
timated to the Ottoman Government that they were
prepared to withdraw their request for British partici
pation in the Gulf sections of the Baghdad Railway,
and would agree to an increase in the Turkish Customs
if certain specific points at issue could be satisfac
torily settled. An arrangement was concluded with
the Ottoman Government in 1913, which stipulated,
inter alia, that—
{a) There should be no differential treatment on any
railway in Asiatic Turkey.
{h) Two British representatives, approved by His
Majesty's Government, should be admitted to
the Board of the Baghdad Railway Company.
(c) The terminus of the Baghdad Railway should be
at Basra.
{d) No railway should be constructed from Basra to
the Gulf without the sanction of His Majesty's
Government.
Both Great Britain and Germany pledged themselves
to endeavour to secure that these provisions should be
carried into effect, and further arranged that the con
struction and exploitation of ports at Basra and
Baghdad, authorised by the Convention of 1903, should
he carried out by a separate Ottoman Ports Company.
The German Government agreed not to oppose the ac
quisition by British interests of 40 per cent, of the
share capital of this Ports Company. In return, the
Baghdad Railway Company were granted a certain
participation in the new Ottoman Company for River
Navigation. The Anglo-German Agreement was
initialled in London on June 15, 1914, but its ratifica
tion depended upon the conclusion of the negotiations
between Germany and Turkey, which had not been
effected on the outbreak of the European war.
[285—66] D
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' [22r] (43/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x00002c> [accessed 9 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