![File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎74r] (158/586)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00035a/IOR_L_PS_10_962_0158.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎74r] (158/586)")
File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [74r] (158/586)
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.
G
INTELLIGENCE REPORT
SUMMARY OF REPORT No. 17.
1. On July 11, the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the President,
passed a unanimous resolution declaring Faisal King of the ‘Iraq (para. 6).
2. Public opinion was already turning in the direction of an election by
reieiendum, without waiting for the Congress (para 8) : after an attempt on
the part of his more ardent supporters to secure signatures to a declaration
composed by themselves (para. 11) the matter was placed officially in the hands
of the Ministry of the Interior (para. 12).
3. Numerous deputations from the provinces are coming to Baghdad to
see the Amir. Their presence gives rise to the semblance of a united
Mesopotamia which may prepare the way for a more real union (para. 13).
4. There is a healthy mistrust of the extremists which may lead to the
formation of a moderate and solid Sharifian party (para. 14).
5. Turkish propaganda on behalf of the Sanusi though active is little
regarded (paras. 18 and 19.)
6. On the other hand Arab insurgents who have been with the Turks are
coming back or requesting to be allowed to come back to ‘Iraq (para.
7. Salim al Khaiyun is sacrificing his duties towards Government in order
to improve his position among his own tribes. His dilemma is typical of that
in which tribal shaikhs find themselves when they accept administrative or other
high official positions (para. 26).
8. The murderers of the Albu Khalifah shaikhs are in course of being
finally dealt with (para. 27).
9. A clash has occurred in Hillah between some of the Levies and the
Police (para. 28).
10. The insurgents at Rawanduz are in communication with the Sub-
Mutasarrif of Arbil and have announced their inteition to come in (para. 38). 3 3
11. A local Majlis has been formed in the Qadlia of Halabja (para. d&f. J 1+-
12. A French column has arrived at Sabkhah, above Dair (paras. «34 &ST
and J - )
13. It is feared that extensive massacres of Christians are taking place in
the Tur ‘Abdin by order of the Kamalists (para. 3#^. 3S >
FORTNIGHTLY REPORT No. 17.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS.
1. At the meeting on July 4 a memorandum on Irrigation projects from
the Ministry of Works was laid before the Council and agreed to. It included
necessary repairs of the Hindiyah barrage demanding the sum of 111
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
, the completion of the head works of the Butairah clfmal above ‘Amarah
(21
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
of
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
) and the completion of the Saqlawiyah canal scheme
(4
lakhs
One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
) which will put 1,600 fidans under cultivation and of material advan
tage in the settlement of the Dulaim tribe.
2. At the same meeting a somewhat heated discussion took place over the
case of ‘Abdul Razzaq Munir which had been referred by the High Commissioner
to the Council. The individual in question, who followed ‘Ajaimi’s fortunes
during the war and since the armistice has been in constant communication with
‘ Ajaimi and the Kamalists, had written to the High Commissioner from near
Tikrit asking whether he might return under the amnesty. He had also written
to Shaikh Salim al Khaiyun who strongly upheld his cause before the Council.
4 Izzat
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
countered by urging that the man was both a rogue and an
Ittihadi Both qualifications are accurate, but Shaikh Salim responded angrily
and rudely, and ended by casting up against ‘Izzat
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
that he was a
Kiirkukli. * The
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
, thereupon resigned, but the sense of the meeting was
against Salim whose breach of manners in the conduct of the argument was
severely condemned. ‘Izzat
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
was begged to withdraw his resignation and
agreed to do so. j -j ^
At the meeting of July 14 the subject was again debated and it was decided
to allow Abdul Razzaq Munir to live in Baghdad under a security of Rs. 5,000.
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' [74r] (158/586), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/962, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100111165834.0x00009f> [accessed 19 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100111165834.0x00009f
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_100111165834.0x00009f">File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎74r] (158/586)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100111165834.0x00009f"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00035a/IOR_L_PS_10_962_0158.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
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:ii-v, 1r:11r, 12v:13r, 20r:26v, 32v:34v, 35v:49v, 53v:57v, 59r:61r, 70v:74r, 75r:79r, 88r:94v, 99v:103v, 105r:112r, 113v:125v, 127v:128v, 129v:150v, 154v, 155v:171v, 178v:181v, 183v:190v, 192v:219v, 222v:246v, 249v:260r, 261r:264v, 265v, 267v, 267ar:267av, 268r:284v, iii-r:iv-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence