![File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎18r] (46/586)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00035a/IOR_L_PS_10_962_0046.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎18r] (46/586)")
File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [18r] (46/586)
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.
She used me as a Catspaw.’’
Suwaldi in^the^acter^oHIie^uest^tiouse* 100 ^^alleties^hat 3 wT ar "“h de£enCe ° f Naji Eff '
but we are above that. We write what is known to all Our desire istolhowS P ersollal feeU , n 8 s '
editm- published'h^is^ crk^is^orf^he merf l^e ondses (skrl^^Thf^^^N^j^Eff^wh^i^the
editor of Limn al Arab praises or insults for wellkuow™ reasons ’ ^ ^ bU ‘ the
Dijlah, No. 39, August 8.
Free Press in a Democratic Government.
1. An exaggerated description of the value of the press.
Turkish News.
2. The fall of Ismid taken from the Tauhid Afkar. The Greeks have escaped by ship.
N.B .—6 weeks old news.
Bolshevist conspiracy in Constantinople.
Arrest of 100 Bolshevists by the British authorities.
State of the Moslems in Smyrna.—Shocking treatment by the Greeks.
War between Russia and Japan from the Tauhid Afkar.
In Jabal ‘Alawi, i.e. the Jabal Nosairi in Syria.
Salih al ‘Ali but he was beaten back.
A Fiench colonel has been sent against
shaikh
Dijlah, No. 14, August 9.
We and the Congress.
1. We asked that the Congress should be assembled before we asked for a king and before
the government was organized. The Government of Occupation accepted but the nation is still
waiting. The electoral law was drafted. I asked one of my friends who was member of the
committee how long it would take, but he could give no reply. He was quite right Sixteen
months have passed and no election has taken place. We see lightning but no rain. But as long
as we trust in ourselves and independence is our principle we pay no attention to the obstacles
placed in our way and we shall hold to our claims.
(Signed) ‘Iraqi Amin.
2. Constantinople is in terror of the advance of Mustafa Kamal. The Turkish force is
near Smyrna.
Differences between Arabs and Zionists.
3. A Moslem saved a Zionist girl from drowning ; on the other hand, the Zionists threw
petroleum on a Moslem girl and burnt her.
4. Editor says that the Sha ‘shu’ case is going to be taken to the Court of Appeal and the
verdict will very probably be reversed. Saiyid Salih Effendi of the Court of First Instance opposed
the sentence. He is sui prised that the Lisatt al Avab did not mention the great applause with
which the Jews in the court greeted the verdict.
Auqaf and Finance.
5. Against the taking of the Auqaf budget into the State budget. As a free Moslem he
protests. It will ruin all religious houses and auqaf.
Dijlah, No. 41, August 10.
Hopes of the Nation.
1. It is hoped that the Amir as soon as he is crowned will call the Congress so that we may
get into a democratic basis.
Turkish news.
2. Greek troops pillaged Jewish and Moslem quarters before evacuating Ismid. Moslem
quarters were burnt. A French captain protected 600 Turks. Mr. Lloyd George admits their
crimes. Defeat of the Greeks. A wire received from the field says that the Turks defeated the
Greeks at Tabtaria (sic) and are still pursuing them. The Kamalists maintain security. The
officers of the Allies at Ismid admitted that the Kamalist officers maintained order.
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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [18r] (46/586), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/962, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100111165834.0x00002f> [accessed 21 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100111165834.0x00002f
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_100111165834.0x00002f">File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎18r] (46/586)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100111165834.0x00002f"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00035a/IOR_L_PS_10_962_0046.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
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_100000000419.0x00035a/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/962
- Title
- File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS'
- Pages
- 98r:99r, 81r:83v, 67v:69r, 52r:53r, 17v:18v
- Author
- Al Dijlah
- Usage terms
- Public Domain