'Mesopotamia' [‎60r] (119/152)

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'Mesopotamia'

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Ref: IOR/L/PS/20/C190

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. .

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Mesopotamia! FOREIGN TRADE 109
Year. Exports.
Import*.
Excess
Exports.
Excess
Imports.
£
1907 1,970,315
1908 1,783,972
1909 1,504,004
1910 1,668,714
1911 i 2,525,847
1912 3,240,560
1913 1,939,259
£
1,879,565
2,411,568
2,360,102
2,634,596
2,855,677
2,653,984
3,899,273
f
90,750
592,576
£
627,596
856,098
965,882
329,830
1,960,014
These figures, however, do not represent the volume
of the foreign trade of Mesopotamia, tor they do not
take into account (a) the import and expoit trade 01
northern Mesopotamia with Europe, which normally
enters or leaves Mesopotamia by Aleppo, Diarbekr or
Samsoun, and the trade with Egypt and Arabia in li\o
stock across the Syrian Desert. No returns of this
trade which would be of anv value as a guide are ob
tainable; (b) the considerable trade between Mesopo
tamia and Persia via Khanikin and Kermanshah, some
particulars of which are given on p. 94, under the trade
of Baghdad. It is not claimed that the figures are
either accurate or reliable; for instance, the method ot
arriving at the value of the import of cotton goods was
altered in 1908, and from that date onwards these
goods are priced 30 per cent, higher. As cotton goods
normally form over 40 per cent, of the imports, the
alteration has an important bearing on the retuins, but
owing to the inefliciency of the 1 urkish ( ustoms House
system at Rasra, it was impossible to obtain accurate
returns there of the volume of trade, and the figuies
given were to a large extent obtained tiom piivate
sources. Furthermore, any examination of the con
ditions of foreign trade in Mesopotamia, and the
important Persian transit trade, is rendered difficult
by the absolute lack of official information. 1 urkish
customs statistics are too inaccurate to be of much
value, and the information given in the British
Consular Reports for Basra, is meagre. Com-

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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

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'Mesopotamia' [‎60r] (119/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/mirador/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x000078> [accessed 27 July 2026]

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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

'Mesopotamia' [‎60r] (119/152)

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