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File 36/1919 Pt 3 ‘KURDISTAN POLICY & SITUATION’ [264r] (546/608)
The record is made up of 1 volume (295 folios). It was created in 23 Dec 1919-4 Dec 1922. It was written in English and French. 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.
' ).
I
rp jp -r t~! n-n a t ,t
From Civil Commvsioner,
Dated 4th February, 1920.'
(Re c eiv e d 11 th, 11 a. m.)
jhy C\
^{1,
i Ik.
1555. Your letter of December 20th, 7701 to Foreign Office.
I am rnosu reluctant again to press my views as to the
aii.^niaent of th.e northern frontier" of Mesopotamia and as to the
amatus of maose portions of lie sopot ami a inhabited by non- ^rabs.
I am induced to ^o so only by the great importance of the
kciojeut, o\f vie strong mu ot my own convictions and, in view of
sue fact, as 'mentioned in paragraph 5, I may be called unon
to sumit furtaer observations.
I
Firstly. As between His Majesty’s Government and Peace
Conterence. I submit, if we accept mandate for Mesopotamia
at ail, we should commit ourselves to no special regime for
-articular areas such as Arbi! or Sul4imaniyah divisions. The
orm of Goyernment to be set-up in those areas is one of (?
state) policy for con si deration of the r an da to ry Power, in
light oi experience, without reference to outside world.
Secondly. As between ourselves and Turkey or Peace
Conference^ I submit frontier proposed r*n my telegram 6666
of June 13th, as modified by my" telegram 645‘ of January 1
is as good as can be found.
- ^ h
This line^would leave road to north west Persia over
Keleshin Pass in our hands and would place within our limits
Rowanduz, Akra, Dohuk and Zs.kho.
These places, if in other lands, will be perpetual meanace
to us.
Fact they are within our limits does not compel us in the
mature, any more than at present, to retain troops there. I am
confident that before long we should be able to dispense with
troops at Akrw; we have never had troops at Rowan dab, but we
are collecting revenue and maintaining order there by indigen
ous
agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
. ” * (
There will be no need for us to '^minister or to accept
further responsibility in Noman’s land north of Rowanduz, which
would otherwise be in" the hands of tribes under some other
Government.
Political Officer, Mosul, and Pol 1tical Officer, Arbil,
concur in considering it far preferable to have our frontier
of the line which we ace actually administering.
somewhat nor-"
Frontier described was accepted from military point of
blew by Sir George hacmunn and I vn desired to say it bps the
support of the present General Officer Commanding in Chief,
Thirdly. As regards Suladninniyah. Proposed Council of
notables assisted by, but not subject to British -dvisers,
would be devoid of authority o^pactical ability to goveh and
I would urge it is far safer to 1 eave^Sulaimaniyah constituted
as at present a division of Mesopohmia, and to allow the Chief
Civil
'
About this item
- Content
This volume contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, newspaper clippings, parliamentary notes, telegrams and minutes. It mainly covers conversations between British officials regarding the political situation in Kurdistan, but also contains correspondence from Kurdish representatives and various British organisations.
The volume covers and includes the following:
- A description of the political situation in Kurdistan by Philippe Berthelot of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs
- Opinions expressed by British officials as to whether Turkish authorities should be excluded form Kurdistan, whether Kurdistan should be portioned, and whether its frontier should follow that of the ethnological frontier between Kurds and Arabs
- Opinions expressed by British officials on the growth of political and social movements related to Kurdish nationalism
- Descriptions of the political movement towards the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish state
- The views of Hamdi Bey Baban [Ḥamdī Beg Bābān] regarding the Kurdistan situation
- Minutes of monthly conferences on Middle Eastern affairs throughout 1920, giving views on Kurdistan from British and French officers and covering different subjects regarding the political situation in Kurdistan and Mesopotamia
- Aspects of the future administration of Sulaimaniyah [As Sulaymaniyah]
- Plans from British officers regarding the political situation in Mesopotamia and its possible future government
- Mentions of interest in Mesopotamia in ‘bolshevism’
- Reports on 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. recommendations regarding Kurdistan
- A memorandum on Kurdistan, with the following headings: ‘Kurdish political activity', ‘Aims of the Kurds’, ‘Turkish Scheme’, ‘Kurdish Objections’, ‘The immediate situation’, and ‘Suggested solution’ (ff 267-270)
- Opinions expressed by Kurdish people on Kurdistan and its politics
- Conflict in Mesopotamia and Kurdistan regarding: British refusal to allow visits to the tomb of Shaikh Kaka Ahmad [Ḥājjī Kākā Aḥmad al-Shaykh], including the imposition of heavy fines and prison sentences; arrests and deportations to Baghdad of unnamed ‘notables’; and the execution at Sakis [Saqqez] of Rusten Khan [Rustam Khān] by order of the Governor of Sineh [Sanandaj]
- Correspondence relating to Kurdistan, including: repatriation of Assyrian Christians; securing of borders; Kurdish districts in Persia [Iran;] Kurdish nationalism
- A letter from the Travellers Club regarding the situation in the Kurdistan.
The principal correspondents are: Civil Commissioner, Baghdad; High Commissioner, Constantinople [Istanbul]; Winston Churchill, Secretary of State for the Colonies; Political Officer at Sulaimaniyah; Hamdi Bey Baban.
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 back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (295 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
The subject 36 (Kurdistan) consists of 2 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/781-782. The volumes are divided into three parts, with parts 1-2 comprising the first volume and part 3 comprising the second volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the inside last folio with 293; 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 volume has four foliation anomalies: f 106a, f 111a, f 172a and f 203a.
A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 36/1919 Pt 3 ‘KURDISTAN POLICY & SITUATION’ [264r] (546/608), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/782, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100136722017.0x000093> [accessed 31 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/782
- Title
- File 36/1919 Pt 3 ‘KURDISTAN POLICY & SITUATION’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:66v, 68r:106v, 106ar:106av, 107r:107v, 109r:111v, 111ar:111av, 112r:125v, 128r:129v, 131r:133v, 136r:138v, 142r:147v, 152r:168v, 168ar:168av, 169r:172v, 172ar:172av, 173r:176v, 178r:203v, 203ar:203av, 204r:285v, 289r:293v, ii-r:ii-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence