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File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [14v] (39/586)
The record is made up of 1 volume (289 folios). It was created in 15 Nov 1920-31 Oct 1921. 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.
22
Lisan al ‘Arab No. 32, August 4.
1. The British Consul in Damascus has sent information about the remaining Iraqi families
in Damascus. It has been referred to the Ministry of Defence and we hope the families will soon
be helped to return.
2. Our paper was not issued yesterday ! for reasons connected with the printing press. Our
readers must forgive us-
3. The
Wazir
Minister.
of the Bolshevists protests against not being allowed to participate in the
Congress of Disarmament.
Lisan al ‘Arab No. 33, August 5.
1. The Editor has written a book on the History of Iraq which will shortly be published
in Cairo. He proposes to publish extracts in his paper. He then gives a long passage about the
efforts of the ‘Arabs to gain independence in Turkish times.
2. The Turkish Question ; quoted from French papers. Possibility of a Kamalist attack
on Constantinople.
3. Mandate ; quoted from Echo-de-pans, Lord Curzon stated that America has the right
to be consulted. Final decision will be delayed.
4. What is happening in Syria ?
The following from the Intelligence Dept. :—
The presence of gangs is reported in Jarablus etc. They are being pursued. Details about
the gangs are given.
Taxation in Lebanon. People who go to.spend the summer are taxed 2% on their expenses,
Lisan al ‘Arab No. 34, August 6.
Why this Imputation ?
1. Our colleague, Dijlah, brought charges against the great patriot Naji Beg al Suwaidi
turning away from general controversy to a private dispute. We do not know what made Dijlah
reflect on the designation by which Naji Beg signed himself on the message which we and
Al /mg published. It was malice on his part.
Dijlah said that he is not aware of Naji Beg Suwaidi’s being WaU of Aleppo and therefore
we have to acquamt the Edrtor of Dijlah with the fact that before the Arab occupation of Aleppo
Be * r o, C T ! nspe f or h glad ® : he relinquished this office a few days before the Arab
wcto y When the Arabs entered Aleppo he was requested to re-establish the administration of
fee Amb Press oisyria e,lt “' e Sat,Sf:1Cti ° n aS " Wa " 38 WaS sh ° W " the ° f
Whim H. H. the Amir arrived at Aleppo city, it was decided that Naji should accommnv
H. H. o Europe to participate in defending the Arab Cause at the Peace Conference B^ ceS
events happened and caused the return of Naji to Damascus in compliance with the Request of the
Governor-General, Ridha
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
al Rikabi and also Yasin
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
al p ® lequest XT the
remained m Damascus until the incident of the Armenians Then la’far
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
a I NaJ '
appointed Military Governor of Aleppo instead of Slmkri
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
al ‘Avuhi and th v S ^ n ^
appointed in place of Ridha
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
the ex-Wali of AleDpo wflh tl ^ Hf d h f
Governor and remained in that office until the office of it r- 1 6 tjt e , of Asst - Mllltar y
Rashid Beg Tali succeeded as Wali and somedme before fhe^f 00 ^” 0 /^ ^ een CanCelled ’
Rashid Beg resigned The notables of Alennn wiffi qi t 6 en ^ rance the French troops
Naji to carry on L duty of WaU L th^erfdeaf ho” He”' aSSembled ai ' d »
accepted and defended Aleppo against all aggressions. ’ therefore, seeing.no other way
H. H. King Faisal issued a yote of thanks to Naii Be? for thic j
in the protection of his compatriots. When the French Armv t f ^ S eavours °f Naji Beg
foremost in claiming independence and also the hr J i Army entered Aleppo Naji was the
official entcr(aiiimcijtwhich P w^ n given < ^ to jn the
Knows that the life of Naji Beg was an example of sagacity, high beh^our
ft ,s hoped that D,,lah will be satisfied with this clear unvarnished fact.
Candidatures.
2. Blaming the way in which evertr rmYio . r
tion that the cabinet will fall directly after the coronation “ ‘ Y ''° b for , h t itnself ’ oa the expecta-
to call yourselves chiefs. Prove your canacitv Fwe™ H 11 18 e ' louKh fo '' ‘hat you pretend
the ulama subject to the ignorant and the instructed to Y V We ? ear ° f lies and treachery. Will
shall the illiterate rule and the age of law the ignorant”? “Erected? I„ the 20th century
(Signed), MUHAMMAD BAQ1R SHABIBJ
Cl-he last passage is probably directed against the pretensions of tribal shaikhs. ' 1
About this item
- Content
This volume contains the Intelligence Reports of Sir Percy Cox, High Commissioner for Mesopotamia [also written as Iraq in this volume], based in Baghdad, covering the period 15 November 1920 to 15 September 1921. They largely relate to: the political situation in Mesopotamia and the surrounding region; the formation and proceedings of the provisional government; the events leading up to the creation of Mandatory Iraq [also known as the Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration] and the election and appointment of Faisal [Fayṣal bin Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] as the first King of Iraq [Fayṣal I].
The Intelligence Reports are numbered and appear to have been issued at two-week intervals. This volume contains the reports numbered 1-3, 9-19 and 21. There is no explanation in the volume regarding the reason for the absent reports. The format of the reports is a mixture of printed and copy typescript. Each report is preceded by a covering circular issued by the office of the High Commissioner indicating the British Government departments and the officers and departments in the Middle East to which the report was copied.
Report Nos. 1-3 are preceded by an assessment of the political situation described in the Intelligence Report, written by Major R Marrs.
The reports generally comprise the following sections:
- A summary of the report (from report No. 14 onwards only)
- An account of the proceedings of the Council of Ministers
- Analysis of current public opinion and allegiances, (notably an analysis of public opinion on the Amir [Emir] Faisal and his arrival in Mesopotamia, including a reference to his 'personal magnetism', f 88), in report Nos 16-19
- Notes on provincial affairs
- Notes on the situation at the frontiers
- Extracts of 'Iraq Police Abstracts of Intelligence' (reports No. 9-14 only).
Other subjects notably covered in various reports include:
- Assyrian, Armenian and Urumiyan [Urmian] refugees (report Nos. 2 and 19)
- Perceived foreign influences in Iraq (report Nos. 2 and 3)
- The withdrawal of Saiyid [Sayyid] Talib Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. [Sayyid Ṭālib bin Rajab al-Naqīb] from the Government and Baghdad (report No. 12)
- Kurdistan (report Nos. 12-14)
- Turkish and Kurdish Frontiers (report No. 12)
- Dair al Zor [Deir ez-Zor] (report Nos. 1 and 12)
- Notes on 'Internal Affairs' (Nos. 18 and 19)
- Analysis of the referendum result which confirmed the election of Faisal as Iraq's first monarch (report No. 19)
- The formation of King Faisal's first cabinet (report No. 21).
Appendices are included with some reports, usually comprising copies of the High Commissioner's proclamations or communications 'to the people of Iraq' or documents relevant to the particular report (notably 'Provisional scheme for the re-organisation of the law courts' and 'Report of the committee constituted for studying the irrigation problem in Mesopotamia' in report No. 9).
Each report is concluded with a Supplement or Press Bureau Report, comprising extensive summaries and extracts of newspaper articles published in the local and 'foreign' (local region mainly) press. Notable publications cited are: Al 'Iraq , Al Fallah Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. , Al Dijlah , and (Syrian publication) Lissan al 'Arab.
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (front of the volume).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (289 folios)
- Arrangement
The reports are arranged mostly in numerical/chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. Report No. 18 is followed by Report No. 21 and then Report No. 19 which is the last report in the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 284; 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. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the two leading and two ending flyleaves. The sequence contains one foliation anomaly: f 267a.
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/962
- Title
- File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS'
- Pages
- 155r, 154r, 129r, 97v:98r, 85v:87v, 65r:67v, 50v:52r, 14r:16r
- Author
- Lissan Al-Arab xx Lissan al Arab xx Lisan al Arab
- Usage terms
- Public Domain