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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.
Mesopotamial
RAILWAYS
65
a total of 281,000,000 francs, involving an annual sum
for interest of over 11,000,000 francs. It is argued
that the kilometric guarantee undertaken by the
Turkish Government when the Anatolian Railway was
constructed was higher than that undertaken in this
case, and that nevertheless that line has proved a source
of profit to the Turkish Government. If the develop
ment of agriculture in the districts to be tapped by the
Baghdad Railway is equally rapid, the burden which
the Turkish Government has undertaken may not prove
more than the country can carry, but the large amount
of bonds issuable in respect of the guarantee must of
necessity prove a hindrance to financial operations
required for other purposes.
It is impossible to do more than generalise as to the
economici prospects of the line. Tt will tap a large area,
which possesses enormous agricultural possibilities,
and its branch lines to the Persian frontier and else
where will put it into immediate touch with the places
where traffic is most capable of expansion ; the flow of
pilgrims to Baghdad, Nejef, and Kerbela is also
expected to provide an abundant source of revenue.
There is a provision of economic importance under
which the concessionnaires may work any mines dis
covered within a zone of 20 kilometres on each side of
the line; but this right does not give them any privilege
or monopoly.
The Company paid dividends up to 5 per cent,
regularly down to 1912, and at the end of that year's
working had a reserve of over 6,000,000 francs. The
war has naturally had disastrous effects, and at the
meeting of the Company held in February 1918 the
chairman stated that the receipts for 1916 had been
nearly 15,000,000 francs less than those for 1915, and
was silent a.s to the result of the year 1917. He stated,
however, that the contract with the construction com
pany had been denounced, and that the railway
company was in urgent need of financial help.
Other Railways in Mesopotamia completed or under
construction are all the work of the British army of
[285—66] F
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' [38r] (75/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x00004c> [accessed 31 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