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File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [86v] (183/586)
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.
26
Denial.
6. The Amir ’Abdullah lias denied the statement in the Karmal as .to
what he said eoneernine; Palestine.
Lisan al Arab No. 13, July 8.
The High Commissioner’s Communique.
1. The comm,unique has come just at the right time when ill-disposed
persons were remarking on the silence of H.E. with regard to Mr. Churchill’s
speech. It has cut short this talk. We understand from it the following
principles.
(1) Great Britain recognizes the assistance of the Arabs during the
war and their share in gaining the victory.
(2) Great Britain is satisfied with the choice of the Amir Faisal as
King of ‘Iraq.
(3) But would not be satisfied with a Republic.
(4) And refuses the candidature of a Turkish prince.
Although like all political declarations this one contains phrases which
are somewhat veiled, yet it may almost be called a new promise, to be added
to what the Arabs already have from England. Winter then dwells on the
share taken by the Arabs in the war. As for the second point it is a natur?.!
result of the first since Faisal was the first to call the Arabs to arms and the
Iraq has shown more than once its inclination to the house of Hashimi. If
that inclination had not been so clear England would not have expressed her
satisfaction, while promising to leave the people free to choose. But the
most important point is the unwillingness of Gretvt Britain to see a Republic
to ^ 111 . lll( l w iln 1 would not accord with (lie spirit or economic conditions
VA nter enlarges on unsuitability of a republic. And a,s for a Turkish prince
‘ngland could not agree to one nor yet could the people of ‘Iraq, because the
Arabs who fought as heroes to liberate their country from the Turks would
never agree to their return. ■■
we wi y T { e ] 0RC ;f‘ d } th( - fact that the ‘Iraq nation do not wish to hear
ui V'. 6 W - ruler for the y want the dear word “king.” The ‘Iraq
will not be given over to confusion if the British troops withdraw after Faisal
w?ll £ d ° th l Th . e work d England, the friend and ally of
Iraq, will be only that of adviser m the true sense.
Turks fli^ d +l'° r r^ an i ks t]l S f 1Iies ! , or their intervention between the
posaSSthe luS and 1,01,68 that th6 -H yield to toe pro-
He 1 tl.e vTctoi! P “ i “ C * E ' a “ al b - v ’ ibdul Banna. 11 is enfitled :
Lisan al Arab No. 14, July 9.
The Referendum.
sovereign has-been f'^e purpose cf electing the
people.* We have receivpd^ W1 ff 1 ' ama, ^ c,n dl wise and impartial
leading men of law -md X 1lian y fdters, encouraging us to continue from
us to write more.' We demand they b ^ in g
of opinion concernino tln’o prised to find this view among the leaders
towards^r^im^^d^buXwlmt^TX 11 ‘ ^ rom ^ spring the first step
this subject. One of the ieodim.- nS 1S + tllat Ht' 11 ? 1 * PaP e ^ Eave neglected
referendum is not only a modern cn«+ "'dw'oates writing ta us says that the
among the Romans Persic ns ph 11 ^ V€Ty ancleTlt - T f wasknosm
order to secure the wisb of He^ The Arajs were careful to follow it in
khalifs were installed in H h ‘V' ,n ' ^ost of the A bbasid and 'TTmaivad
nation wislmd £ follow m ^ DeT ' He ^ that if*tke
other way but a Referendum Hnlisf H™* pT ' 1 ot ’ ect . ber freedom there is no
the nation, he says l.e fails d U whn 1 wisih to quench the voice of
pendence, and constitutional lihertvXvIBll i'P < lle I )ai \ cm ™ n . <Ie ^and inle-
through an intermediary Thi« L+ v ^ cann ,°$ cWqsc its king except
unable to express its own wishes Th!^ la? 7 Wi ° uld s]lo } v that the nation i?
all whom we. meet share it sud dnr»l n V1 ? er t’-'cees with this opinion and
us. Who will grantee Hat This unf ^ ^ the chance offered
til* ^ of Bv'f 1 ' e,,i0y f " 1 ^
wid* liberty,and we have.a rare opportunity before *" ” 0W eu)oylllg '
„ BC8 the Phe* rf ‘—universe., ;„ ffraK e, „„i; mo „ ns „„ /a=Beferona „ m .
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
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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