'Administration of Mesopotamia' [‎95r] (1/4)

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Administration of Mesopotamia.
(Baghdad Telegrams Kos. 7725, 8031, and 8075, dated loth, 25th and
27th September 1918 ; Viceroy's Telegram of tith Octoher 1918.)
^ote by Political Department, 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. .
1. 1 lie Secretary of State's telegram of the ^9th March 1917, which was fraiued
under the directions of a Committee of the War Cabinet shortly after the British
occupation of Baghdad, laid down in some detail the principles which His Majesty's
Government, as then advised, proposed to appl}'' to the future administration of the
occupied territory. The following clear differentiation was made between the status
of the Basra Vilayet and that of the Baghdad Vilayet : —
(1) Basra was " to remain permanently under Britisli administration," its western
and northern limits being specifically defined.
(2) Baghdad was to be " an Arab State with a local ruler cr Government under
British protectorate in everything but name." Behind its "Arab
facade" tho vilayet was to be "administered as an Arab province by
" indigenous agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and in accordance with existing laws and institutions
" as far as possible" ; and stress was laid on the importance of making
all administrative arrangements introduced into the vilayet conform
strictly from the very outset with the principles enunciated by His
Majesty's Government.
2. In other words, our original policy was (1) to annex Basra, and (2) to set up
in Baghdad an Arab State under British protection and supervision. The importance
of differentiating bat ween the two vilayets was again emphasised by the Secretary of
State on the 10th May 1917, when, in a telegram replying to the criticisms of Sir P.
Cox and the Government of India on the proposals of His Majesty's Government, he
laid it down that " nothing that can be avoided should be done during military
" occupation that would prejudice subsequent introduction of above-mentioned
" principles, and in particular estahlishment of separate administrative sustems for
"Basra and Baghdad." This policy held the field for a considerable time; and,
though it is understood that the annexation of Basra is no longer regarded as a
practicable measure, the principle of differentiation between the two vilayets has
never been formally abandoned.
3. It was originally proposed, at Sir P. Cox's suggestion, that a Commission from
England should visit Mesopotamia during the cold weather of 1917-18 to examine
the whole administrative problem on the spot, and submit detailed recommendations
for the approval of His Majesty's Government. Owing to circumstances connected
with the then military situation it was not found practicable to carry this project into
execution, and it has remained in abeyance ever since, until revived by Captain
Wilson in his telegram of the 27tli September 1918. In the early part of the present
year Sir P. Cox was summoned to England to discuss the whole question of the future
of Mesopotamia with His Majesty's Government. While in England Sir P. Cox
embodied his views and recommendations in a-memorandum which was submitted to
the Eastern Committee, and which, after personal discussion with the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , received
their full approval. This document, which has been forwarded to the Government of
India by formal despatch for the information and guidance of the political autho
rities at Baghdad, may presumably be regarded as the authorised statement of the
Mesopotamian policy of His Majesty's Government.
4. Sir P. Cox started with the assumption that " if at the end of the war we find
" ourselves in a suHiciently strong position, and in effective administrative control,
" we should still hope to annex the Basra Vilayet and exercise a veiled protectorate
" over the Baghdad Vilayet." In a subsequent paragraph he wrote: — .
"Alluding for the moment to the question of relative status as between the
Basra and Baghdad Vilayets respectively, it is my very definite opinion that
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