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File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎278v] (569/586)

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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. .

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8
also put in a claim for tlie land under dispute. On October 9th, the High
Commissioner directed Salim by letter to withdraw his claim to Ghubaibah
for the present, but promised that at a favourable opportunity the matter
should receive further investigation. Salim did not however recall his tribes
men and when Sikar, with official permission, gave them five days’ notice
to quit, Salim replied by sending up eight additional war-flags. Thereupon
Sikar attacked Ghubaibah and drove out the Bani Asad. Salim protested
that he would be unable to control the indignation of the Bani Asad, who
would probably attack the Basrah-Nasiriyah Railway. On October 30th,
the P.O., Nasiriyah, Avas instructed to repeat the instructions contained in
the High Commissioner’s letter of October 9th, bidding Salim refrain from
aggressive action against Sikar. Any representations which he may wish
to make may be forwarded to the High Commissioner through the Political
Officer.
36. The following extract is taken from a C.I.D. report of October 30th.
“The position in £ Amarah seems extraordinarily satisfactory and but Tittle
interest is shown in the Nationalist pretentions on the Euphrates and at
Baghdad. Saiyid Talib Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. was not given a warm reception when he
halted there on his way up river.”
KUT DIVISION.
37. ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammed al Yasin, Shaikh of the Maiyah (Bani
Rabi £ ah) who recently murdered his brother ‘Abdul Muhsin, and turned for
support to the hostile elements on the Gharraf, has written to the High Com
missioner offering to come into Baghdad. In reply he has been told that the
High Commissioner could not deal with him direct and he was referred to the
P.O. Hut: (Oct: 8th).
His presence in the Tisain lands, with Shallal at Haji Saqban, causes
some uneasiness in Hai town and among the Maiyah tribe. Balasim, who has
been recognized as Shaikh of the Maiyah in place of ‘Abdullah, is young and
Avill require judicious backing. He is doing his utmost to keep the tribe
together and in hand.
38. At Badrah the arrest of Amin Beg and Muhammad Taufiq on October
3rd put an end to local unrest. Both are notables of the town. Amin Beg
was employed as an agent for the P. 0. Kut before a British A.P.O. was
posted at Badrah, while Muhammad Taufiq is a bankrupt landowner. The
following information is furnished by the C.I.D. and considered to be reliable.
agent reports that when Amin Bey and Muhammad Taufiq were
captured by Levies at Badrah and brought to Ivut, he obtained an interview
AAith the latter. Muhammad Taufiq stated that three days before his arrest
111 ^he Jabal with Shaikh Bashshar at the Saifi near Imam Hasan.
Ihis place, he stated, is the headquarters of the Bolshevik and Turkish
nationalist propaganda in Pusht-i-Knh. Here took place a conference held
>y our envoys from Khalil Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and ‘Anwar Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , and the Bolsheviks:
Iaao were 1 inks and two Russians. They had considerable means at their dis
posal and were empowered to appoint certain agents for local propaganda.
A G e Tbr fl L C0 ^ de ^ le 8’ a themig, including Saiyid Muhammad ‘Ai Bahr
A f i‘ ' ,'’ t,ier Ahms and Ibn Abbas, Shaikh of Tursaq. They advised
tW Wot bit * PUr? f e l he against the British Government for the
would he Vvnilih] 0 p U ’ a L''^ . w'eelis wlien they hoped that reinforcements
Zdxmted a™ wT'r Pers it- After conference Muhammad Taufiq
proceeded to MniidoH sor “c fifty mounted men to Jaizani, whence they
sultarion wfithATlt T ° , h -a t eturn t0 BadraI b Muhammad Taufiq, in con-
STTuXa Sai^ +h„r eg ’b de t C l ed 1° take ‘‘ hadh u bakhth ” from Government
them To ^siY T, 'PAflY 1 '! ^eatemng attitude of the Levies forced
them to r’PQpQ-f- rnn p ' x autituat; ui me juevies lorcea
BaS TaSi near Rn/ P tead Y “««*»>« Shaikh ‘Abdul Hamid of
Diyalah Thev were ah' 1 laikb . Hamid of Ambuqiyah outlie
■ they uere also busy preparing plans and sketches of the country.”
DIYALAH DIVISION.
28 th, there was a furthe^submisfimi 1 °f Tamim Shaikhs, on October
and other small tribes on October 31 st°at Balad^Rnz. Zukhairyah ’ Bani Wais ’
attacked on NovembeVitlf robher^h P roper ^ P f a at Tehran, was
Eleven of the ears got throLh and Q izil Robat -
the body of one of the Englishmen of tL^rW baCk ’ and i five ’ to ^ etller with
a column sent out from Shahraban 1 P a rty, were subsequently found by
A.p.o: rSawS? w^TSSiS TiP hai ^ of the ‘ A ^.f
Jubur, etcTwill refuTe to’o^’hdorf di * tri ^ Albu Yf ? yaz?^Ambnqiyth,'
would be preferable. y h “ orders - An English A.P.O., it is added,
*
*7

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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
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File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎278v] (569/586), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/962, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100111165836.0x0000aa> [accessed 5 June 2026]

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