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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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ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
[No. 93
entire journey has been accomplished in a
motor-car.
(b) Following the right bank of the ligris, vid
Samarra, Tekrit, and Kalaat Sherghat (230
miles). North of Samarra the route was
before the war a mere track, not suitable for
wheeled traffic. According to a German map
recently captured, it is now fit for wheeled
traffic for its whole length.
(3) Baghdad and Aleppo, via Feluja, Hit, Abu
Kemal. Deir ez-Zor, and Meskene. This is a
regular route for caravans, which make the
journey in from twenty to twenty-five days; a
carriage can cover the distance in about fifteen
days, and the section between Ana and Aleppo
has been traversed by motor-car in 31 hours.
The route follows the Euphrates from Feluja
to Meskene, at which point it leaves the river
and goes west across the plain to Aleppo.
(4) Baghdad and Damascus or Horns, following
route (3) to Deir ez-Zor and thence proceeding
south-west to Tadmur (Palmyra). This is a
regular caravan route, both goods and passenger
traffic being fairly regular Caravans cross
each way every forty or sixty days.
The three chief routes round Mosul are as follows
(1) ]\IosvJ and Baghdad {see above).
(2) Mosul to Rania rid Erbil and Keui Sa.njak,
and thence into Persia. This route is suitable
for wheeled traffic only as far as Ilania, from
which point the route into Persia degenerates
into a track.
(3) Mosul and Diarhekr, rid Nisibin and Mardin,
whence there are good roads leading north to
Erzerum and south-west to Aleppo and
Alexandretta. Before the war this was the
chief route from the Mediterranean to
Mesopotamia,
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' [30v] (60/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x00003d> [accessed 29 July 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