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File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [108r] (226/586)
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.
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INTELLIGENCE REPORT.
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SUMMARY OF REPORT NO. 14.
A proclamation of general amnesty to political offenders was published on May 30.
1.
On the same date a communique appeared referring to the subiect of the constituent
bS b a e „«U) liShed “ a Tei7 early date a ” d tha
fnr +L sul i m l ssion t0 the Council by the Ministry of Defence of a scheme for recruiting
for the National Aimy gave occasion for expressions of distrust of an Arab Army in general
and of Iraqi officers who had served m Syria in particular. After an explanatory 7 letter from
the High Commissioner had been received by the Council, a Provisional Law for voluntary
service m the Iraq Army was approved by that body (paras. 4 to 7).
3. Efforts made by Sharifians in Baghdad to persuade the notables of Mosul to join in
sending letters to the Sharif asking for one of his sons as King of £ Iraq have not met with
success. A. preference for the continuance of the present system, i.e., a High Commissioner in
Council, for a term of years is present even among Moslems, while the large Christian population
strongly objects to Arab Government (paras. 12 and 13).
4. Two of the leading notables of Basrah have addressed a petition to the High Commis
sioner praying for the continuance of direct British control in the Liwah (para. 14).
5. The tribes of Suq continue their refusal to pay revenue in the belief that the Arab
Government cannot force them to do so (para. 19) but on the Gharraf prompt action against
breakers of the peace has been productive of successful results (para. 21).
6. A Desert Police Force has been organized in Dulaim and has gone to ‘Anah to
strengthen the hand of the newly-installed civil government (para. 24). Beyond our frontier,
the French are preparing to take active measures to assure peace and order at Dair (para. 48).
7. A Majlis Idarah has been constituted in Mosul Liwah, more or less on former Turkish
lines (para. 26).
8. A vote has been taken in the Assyrian refugee camp with the following results:—
(а) 1543 families of Urmians wish to make their way to Persia on their own responsibility;
66 families elect to take lands in Mosul Liwah.
(б) One-third of the Mountaineers agree to settle in Barwar where 300 Barwari
Assyrians have recently been repatriated; two-thirds will leave the qamp under
their own arrangements, against the advice of the High Commissioner.
The camp will be closed at the earliest possible date and the grant allowed by His Majesty’s
Government will be so distributed as to provide an additional inducement to settlement (paras.
30 to 34).
9. A Hamawand tribal council has been constituted in Sulaimani (para. 35).
10. The High Commissioner’s communique touching further administrative arrangements
in the Kurdish areas has been laid before the people concerned. Dohuk and Zakho agree to
inclusion in the ‘Iraq state under the conditions offered. ‘Aqrah would prefer the continuance
of the existing regime but wdll bow to the decision of the High Commissioner in accordance with
the wishes of the majority. Arbil accepts the terms of the proclamation. On the other hand, a
plebescdte taken in Sulaimani resulted after very full discussion in a considerable majority in
favour of non-inclusion in the ‘Iraq. The people showed appreciation of the steps which have
been taken to ascertain their opinion and the moral effect has been particularly gratifying in
Sulaimani and will be felt across the borders (paras 39 to 47).
11. The fall of Saiyid Zia al Din in Persia and the fact that in Angora the extremists have
got the upper hand are not events of good omen for ‘Iraq (para. 54).
12. Information received from an ‘Iraqi officer who has served for 2 years as A.D.C. to
Hachim ibn Muhaid and has returned to Baghdad via Diyarbakr, is to the effect that the Kemal-
ists intend to impose Burban al Din Effendi as King of the ‘Iraq and to appoint Ahmad al
Sanusi as his deputy till he arrives (para. 55).
13. A letter from Saiyid Taha throw's light on the situation in Turkish and Persian
Kurdistan. Simko seems to have been encouraged by the Turkish Nationalists to attack Persia
as long as Russo-Persian alliance was in the balance; now that it has been concluded Simko has
been dropped in favour of a rapproachment between Angora and the Persian Government
(para. 56).
1. The following proclamation of amnesty was published on May, 30:-—
With the authority of His Majesty’s Government, His Excellency the High Commissioner
is pleased to announce with effect from May 30th a General Amnesty to Political offenders on. the
following basis:—
(Para. 1). Pardon is extended to all those*vdio were concerned in the rising of 1920, in
respect of offences committed as against the State in the furtherance thereof. Those who are
detained or imprisoned will be set free, those wdio are fugitive are permitted to return without
fear of prosecution with the following exceptions:
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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File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [108r] (226/586), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/962, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100111165835.0x00001b> [accessed 12 July 2026]
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- 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