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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.
Mesopotamia]
ROADS, &c
49
roads can therefore most conveniently be grouped round
Baghdad and Mosul, the most important trading
centres of the interior.
The chief roads round Baghdad are as follows:—
(1) Baghdad and Khanikin. —This is the main
route for trade to Kermanshah in Persia from
the west and south, and is also largely used by
pilgrims visiting the shrines of Mesopotamia.
The size and importance of the pilgrim traffic
on this route may be judged from the fact that
in 1905 no less than 95,000 pilgrims paid sani
tary taxes to come into Mesopotamia at Khani
kin, bringing with them some 8,000 corpses for
burial, some 60,000 beasts of burden, and up
wards of 10,000 packages of merchandise. All
these pilgrims have to return carrying with
them merchandise from Baghdad and the holy
places. The distance from Baghdad to Khani
kin is about 94 miles, and to Kermanshah
about 222 miles. The complete journey to
Kermanshah takes about twenty days for camels
and about fourteen days for horses or mules. In
dtr weather the road is suitable for wheeled
traffic right into Persia ; in wet weather the sur
face becomes in places impossible for wheeled
traffic. A motor service was running between
Baghdad and Bakuba (about 31 miles) in 1913.
(2) Baghdad and Mosvl. —Here there are two
routes:—
{a) Along the line of the Jebel Hamrin via
Kifri, Altun Keupri, and Erbil (293 miles).
Though the longer, this is the better and
more frequented route, as it is less subject
to floods than the lower route along the
Tigris Valley, and passes through a well-
watered and populous district. The cross
ings of the rivers which flow down to the
Tigris present difficulties, but this route is
generally suitable for wheeled traffic, and the
[285—66] ' E
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' [30r] (59/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x00003c> [accessed 24 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