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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.
112
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
[No. 92
Tt will be seen that both in the export and import
trade Germany made great strides during the period.
The export trade consisted very largely of grain, seeds,
and dates. Imports were sugar, iron and steel, cheap
glassware, soap, provisions, matches, and German
imitations of Manchester goods. In 1912 and 1013
the imports included material for the Baghdad Rail-
wav. The value for 1913 was probably not less than
£900,000.
Russian trade also increased, but to a less extent, the
exports being chiefly dates, skins, carpets, silkware, and
ghee, and the imports oil, glass, wood, provisions, and
furniture. The imports from the United States con
sist almost entirely of oil, for which no figures are
available. The exports were dates, millet, liquorice,
seeds, and carpets.
Other countries which have made progress in trade
with Mesopotamia are Belgium, Austria, Italy, and
Japan. Belgian imports came almost entirely in Ger
man bottoms, and trade was nearly all confined to
sugar, and iron and steel. Austria made steady pro
gress in wool, linen, and silk goods, hardware, hosiery,
&c. Japan was sending silk and cotton goods, tea and
cheap fancy goods. Since war broke out she has largely
increased her trade in the country in every direction,
and will prove an important competitor in the future.
The trade of France in Mesopotamia has decreased
considerably, her large import of sugar having been
replaced by Belgian sugar.
The bulk of the trade of Mesopotamia is still in the
hands of Great Britain and India, but British trade
has tended more and more to confine itself to special
lines, and Germany has taken full advantage of the
failure of traders to study and supply the expanding
demands of a country advancing towards civilisation.
The staple trade from Great Britain was in Man
chester goods, but this was being persistently and suc
cessfully attacked by Germany; only in machinery was
Great Britain making really good progress against all
competitors. India takes large quantities of Mesopo-
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' [61v] (122/152), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C190, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514036.0x00007b> [accessed 10 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