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'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎38r] (80/312)

The record is made up of 1 volume (152 folios). It was created in 1890. 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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57
ge.
the foot
'al woofe
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liillsattfe
the heal
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lipal trees,
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rings Iok.
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The H
i plain h®
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e and wh«
,f theKei'
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s gradual
Rul-i-Sullan Defile. —At 3 miles a narrow Y-shaped ravine called the
Kul-i-Sultan Pass (3,015') is traversed, the track winding among large boulders
with a steep gradient.
Tang-i-Gulam .—At 5 miles is another narrow defile, 200 yards long, and
barely 20 feet wide, and bordered with cliffs 200 feet high, called the Tang-i-
CJolam.
The track follows the bed of a small stream among boulders, and during the
floods in spring the road is quite impassable.
The line of cliffs through which this forms the only opening extends all
along the hillside for 4 to 5 miles on either hand.
Below the slopes become easier, and the lower spurs of the range are more
rounded. We follow the line of the small stream which flows at the bottom
of a deep gorge on the right.
A few stray patches of cultivation were seen on. the upper part of the
descent and the country is quite bare and deserted as we descend.
Gusdana Plain .—At 6| miles the lowest spur of the ridge is passed, and
we enter the plain of Gusdana (2,615''), crossing it in on a bearing of 177°
heading towards the Tang-i-Gnnjianchun.
This is the usual encampment of Hassan Ghuli Khan’s people for the win
ter months. The remains of old camps were seen ; there is plenty of grass in
winter and spring on the plain and the low hills adjoining, while everything is
now burnt up.
Some strata of gypsum were crossed containing patches of a flaky trans
parent substance whijh proved to be Selenite.
Tang-i-Gunjianchun .—At 19 miles the Tang-i-Gunjianchun (1,490') was
reached. A river of the same name emerges from the Kerrapi Kuh through a
deep rift called the Tang-i-Dakhursa, and follows the south-west side of^the
Gusdana Plain.
The Tang-i-Dakhursa bears 24° from here, and is 5 miles south-east of the
Kerrapi pass along the ridge. No road is said to lead through it.
The lower part of the plain near the Tang is called Bahnrowan.
The river runs in a deep bed, 200 to 3CO yards wide, bordered by earth cliffs
80 to 100 feet high. We descend a small ravine to the water level.
On either side of the pass are low ranges of a clay formation streaked with
gypsum, cut up by numerous small ravines. To the right the range is called
the Kuh-i-Kuluk, and runs and north-west in the direction of Tursakh, and
south-east is the Kuh-i-Kafirgah, which forms the extremity of a long spur
from the Kuh-i-xAnnoran, a high mountain range parallel to and south-west
of the Kebir Kuh.
The Kuh-i-Kafirgah increases in height from the Tang, and a few miles up
is covered with low trees and shrubs.
The water of the Gunjianchun and the other streams of this plain is sli o- ht-
ly brackish, but drinkable. They become salt only when they reach this line of
gypsiferous strata and are quite sweet before leaving the hills. The same thing
occurs with all the streams along the western slope of the Pusht-i-Kuh. These
gypsum strata extend all the way from Mosul to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. as an out
lier to the main ranges.
No vegetation was visible now except a few reeds and tamarisk bushes
along the river banks.
The road follows the river bed through the pass, fording twice. Conse
quently if the river is high in spring, this road would be impassable.
Another track leads over the Kuh-i-Kuluk, said to be very rough going,
crossing several small ravines.
VOL. I. T

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Content

Narrative report on surveys conducted in Mesopotamia [Iraq], North-West Persia [Iran] and Luristan [Lorestān]. The preface provides the following information:

'The object was to explore various tracts of little known country through which roads lead north from the head of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to the Waliat of Van and North-West Persia near Urmia. To accomplish this, two routes through Luristan from the Tigris valley were travelled. In southern Kurdistan the roads from Kifri to Sulaimaniah, from there to Rawanduz, and Rawanduz to Amadiyeh, were gone over in Turkey, and Suj-Bulak to Karmanshah through Sakiz and Sihna in Persia. The country south of lake Van to Mosul was traversed in the routes Amadiyeh to Mosul, Mosul to Jazirah, Jazirah to Bashkala, Bashkala to Urmia, and Urmia to Suj Bulak through Ushnu.'

The report contains the following illustrations:

  • Tak-i-Girra, looking east (f 42).
  • Sketch showing the Town of Rawanduz [Rāwāndūz], (f 63).
  • Sketch showing the bridge at Rawanduz. (f 66).
  • Sketch showing Amadiyeh [Al 'Amādīyah] from the north-east, (f 76).
  • Sketch showing the bridge of Mosul (f 85).

The report contains the following maps:

  • Pass of Tak-i-Girra, on the Baghdad-Kermanshah Route, December 1889 (f 41).
  • Country in vicinity of Rawanduz, May 1889 (f 64).
  • Plateau of Amadiyeh and surrounding country, June 1888 (f 74).
  • Plan of Mosul and surrounding country, corrected from Jones' survey, August 1889, (f 87).
  • Country between Feishkhabur [Fīsh Khābūr] and Zakho, June 1888, (f 101).
Extent and format
1 volume (152 folios)
Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 154; 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. Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎38r] (80/312), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/144, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100035451478.0x000051> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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