Skip to item: of 455
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File 23/15, 19 I (D 89) Mesopotamia - General' [‎51r] (117/455)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (219 folios). It was created in 18 Oct 1918-9 May 1933. It was written in English and Arabic. 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.

Apply page layout

3
3 The Amadivah District, being difficult and, at certain seasons, almost
impossible of access from the north, cannot be effect.vcly controlled from that
side.
4 In the event of hostilities breakins: out as a result of tribal disturbances,
Amadivah could be virtually isolated by forces operating from Dohuk and
Aqra and, with the additional possibility of an Assyrian rising, the furkish
position in that district would speedily be rendered untenable.
5 Our only motive in proposing a rectification of the Treaty Frontier is
our desire to establish a strong and settled frontier based on natural features
and on the existing facts of the local situation, which shall give promise of per
manence; to the mutual advantage alike of the Ottoman and 'Iraq Govern
ments.
6. As an earnest of our sincerity, we are prepared, if the above consider
ations demand it, to surrender territory allotted to 'Iraq by the i reaty o
CI
V.—PROPOSALS FOR RECTIFICATION OF FRONTIER.
(1) I am alive to the fact that the nature of our proposals must depend
largely on the ciroumstances in which negotiations with the Ottoman Govern
ment are conducted and that, in order to secure the inclusion of the Amadiyah
and Assyrian tribal districts within the 'Iraq boundary, it may be necessary tc
surrender territory in exchange. I have therefore endeavoured to provide for
all eventualities by submitting four proposals of which, it is hoped, one will
prove appropriate. These proposals are given in the order of their desirability;
the first representing what would be from our point of view the best possible
frontier, and the fourth representing the furthest concessions which I am pre
pared to recommend in order to secure the inclusion in ' Iraq of the
Amadiyah district. The frontier lines represented by each of the four pro
posals are indicated on the map enclosed with this despatch. I would
emphasise he fact that owing to the fluid character of tribal boundaries and to
the unreliability of the maps available, it is impossible at this stage to lay down
a detailed frontier. The frontier lines therefore, as described in this despatch
and as marked on the accompanying map, should be taken only as the most
general indications of the boundary subsequently to be defined in detail by a
Boundary Commission (as provided for in Article 29 of the Treaty).
(2) The frontier lines proposed in each case may be defined roughly as
follows:—
First Proposal. —The boundary as now administered with the addition of
an area bounded approximately on the North by lat.
shewn on map thus - - _ 37° 30' and on the east and west by long. 44° and
* 43°, respectively. [Detailed descriptions of:— (i) the
boundary as now administered and (ii) the boundary of the area which it is pro
posed to include, will be found in Appendices I and II enclosed with this des
patch.]
Second Proposal. —The boundary as now administered, with the addition
of the area described above under first proposal, from
shewn on map thus + + + the Tigris to long. 44° 5' thence a line running in a
S.E. direction, crossing the Sukuchuk Su N. of Kolitha
and continuing: S.E. to the western end of the watershed S. of Rudbar-i Barasgir;
thence along the watershed eastwards to the Persian Frontier.
Third Proposal. —The boundary as described above under second proposal
except between longs. 43° 40' and 44° w r here the bound-
shewn on map thus .... ary line would follow the summits-of the Gurajar Dagh
and Shirindari Dagh.
Fourth Proposal. —The boundary as at present administered. This pro
posal may also be extended, if necessary, to include—
shewn on map by green line — [i) The surrender of the area which it is proposed to
surrender under the second proposal.
{ii) The surrender of the area which it is proposed to surrender under
the third proposal.
VI.—COMMENTS ON PROPOSALS.
First Proposal. —Taking as a basis the boundary as defined on the map
attached to the Treaty, this proposal involves the following alterations:—
(1) The surrender of a fertile strip of territory, bounded by rivers Tigris,
Khabur and Hazil and by the Treaty boundary on the west, south, east and
north, respectively; and the inclusion of an area between the rivers Hazil and
Khabur and to the north of the Treaty boundary {see map).

About this item

Content

All the contents of this file relate to Irak [Iraq] between 1918 and 1933.

The file includes:

  • A report of the killing of Mr J.H Bill (Indian Civil Service) and Captain K.R Scott (31st Punjabis, Indian Army) by a Kurdish tribal force near Aqrah in 1919 (f 7).
  • A copy of a telegram sent to King Hussein of Mecca requesting one of his sons to be sent to occupy the throne of Iraq (f 27b).
  • A letter from P.Z Cox, the British High Commissioner for Iraq to Winston Churchill, Secretary of State for the Colonies regarding the borders of Iraq (ff 50-52).
  • A rough sketch map of the Nerva and Raikan districts of Iraq (f 54)
  • A map of the Turco-Persian frontier (f 55)
  • A cutting from al awqaat al iraqiyya (The Times of Mesopotamia) containing full text (in English) of the Anglo-Iraq Treaty 1922 (f 64).
  • A detailed report concerning the practicalities of travelling from Baghdad to London via Aleppo and Beirut (ff 79-83)
  • A copy of the Anglo-Iraq Treaty of 1926 (f 104)

Other matters discussed in the file include a proposed visit to Kuwait by King Faisal of Iraq, an idea for Iraqis to be sent for training to British consulates in the region and reports concerning the activities of 'anti-British' Persian clerics ( mujathids ) in Iraq.

Extent and format
1 volume (219 folios)
Arrangement

File is arranged in chronological order, from earliest at beginning of the file to most recent at end.

Physical characteristics

A bound correspondence volume. The foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled and can be found in the top right of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A second foliation sequence which is also written in pencil, but not circled, runs between ff 5-207. In addition to this, a very short sequence runs between ff 2D-4. Circled index numbers written in red crayon are also present in the volume.

Foliation anomalies: 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D; 27A and 27B; 88A and 88B; 159A, 159B and 159C; 163A and 163B

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'File 23/15, 19 I (D 89) Mesopotamia - General' [‎51r] (117/455), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/382, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023833398.0x000076> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023833398.0x000076">'File 23/15, 19 I (D 89) Mesopotamia - General' [&lrm;51r] (117/455)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023833398.0x000076">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000163/IOR_R_15_1_382_0117.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000163/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image