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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [152r] (314/995)
The record is made up of 1 volume (491 folios). It was created in 28 Jun 1920-11 Feb 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.
was a dead loss to him and therefore bitterly resented quite apart from other
considerations. Again the position of the Muntafiq who were allowed to main
tain their arms stuck in the throats of tribes in the Diwaniyah Division.
It seems to me therefore a matter for further consideration whether it
would not pay Government in the long run to give some sort of reward for
every rifle and round of ammunition brought in out of those remaining m
possession of the tribes (if any) after rifle and ammunition fines in connection
with the disturbances have been fully collected. The best form of reward
would be revenue remission and it is quite probable that a large number of
the arms remaining might be handed over by the cultivator or sheep-grazer in
a bad season or at any other time when funds in his pocket are short,, valuable
as the rifle is to him. At any rate the grant of so much revenue remission per
rifle would at least have the effect of giving him some consolation for the loss
of perhaps, his best friend apart from his horse and cattle.
4. This head needs' no comment beyond the statement that herein lies
one more instance of the evil that may be accomplished by an interpreter
(especially a Jew or a Christian) and an unscrupulous Rais Baladiyah, who
together attempted to, and. in some measure succeeded in, coming between
A.P.O. and tribsmen—circumstances which the Arab, who desires above all
direct intercourse with the “ Hakim ” untramelled by the intrigues of inter
mediaries, finds unutterably odious.
5. The abolition of shaikhs’ allowances though, of course, inevitable,
was another fertile cause of discontent. Discontent on this head was natur
ally confined to shaikhs. Nevertheless it had the effect, at least, of taking
away some of the inducement to a shaikh to rally his tribe on the side of Gov
ernment (where he was capable of doing this) when once the outbreak had
occurred. From personal observation the abolition of allowances here appeals
to be a far sorer point than in other districts. The fact that the Arabs of the
Diwaniyah Division are tc *ahi tama‘ ” is denied by none.
Here again the position was aggravated by that of the Muntafiq, ceitain
shaikhs of which confederation I understand oontiiiued to draw a monthly
salary.
This, however, has undoubtedly contributed to the causes which have kept
the Muntafiq so far on our side and in any case the abolition of allowances
sooner or later was inevitable.
It is clear, then, that if an outbreak of this nature is to be prevented in
the future, it will not only be incumbent upon us to take such punitive and
purely military measures as are considered sufficient with this object m
but it will also be necessary carefully to bear in mind the points discussed above..
These points indicate the evils at the root of the trouble and unless we nov
wipe them out once and for all no amount of military action will produce the
object desired by the better intentioned of the inhabitants and not least of all
by cmrselves - (Sd.) G. H. SHELSWELL, Captain,
* Assistant Political Officer.
Sam aw ah, Euph.,
Dated 9th August, 1920.
Bombay, August 19th, 1920.
q i € —Civil Commissioner, Baghdad.
I beg to submit the following report for the Rumaithah District during
tfie six months previous to the recent outbreak. Firstly, the Dliawalim com
pleted their revenue payments amounting to Rs. 4< ,000 as soon-as deman las
issued. Secondly, the A.P.O. of the district was out all April and Mar. on-
crop assessment and there was no trouble. On the other hand, the Shaikhs
expressed great satisfaction at having all their crops inspected and measured
bv the A P O On the 22nd of June, there was a serious outbieak of hit
the bazaar this was quelled and the people showed their approval m the form
t +p po-rams to the P 0 . and asked to be allowed to put details of the occui-
nee fn tZ prLs Thirdly, tor six months the jail had been practically
empty Kumaithah was full of prosperity and there were no financial n
• A.i+urnl reasons for trouble. The disposition of the districts m the divi-
sSi ire shown on map and it appears to me that the trouble started with the
mA'A section of the Bani Huchaim and gradually spread north. Haehim
Sultan who wa,s the cause of considerable trouble on crop assessment 'olini-
teired the information that he had not seen a white man for two years. After
beinw bombed, Hachim Sultan volunteered m writing become in to me if his
section could be returned to Rumaithah district, this was forwaided to the P. •
Events in Samawah from the time Haehmi was bombed and the prison raided
bed disastrous effect on the Rumaithah district. I reported to the I .0. about
i 9 r-.f l, ||,c. t a i on o> outstanding agricujural loan owed by Sha Ian Abu
hr TOawa im somb800
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
, had to he collected and I received orders
MwX&nT^h! I returned and sent for Sha‘lan and explained to
About this item
- Content
The volume consists of correspondence, memoranda, drafts, and departmental notes relating to rebellion against British mandatory rule in Mesopotamia [approximately corresponding to present-day Iraq], later known as the Iraqi Revolt of 1920.
The volume covers the period from the start of unrest in May 1920 to British imposition of control in October of the same year. The majority of the volume comprises reports from political officers across Mesopotamia on the situation in their respective divisions and districts.
Other matters discussed within the volume include:
- The suspected causes of the uprising, including fears of ‘Bolshevik’ and pro-Turkish influence
- Settlement of the border between Syria and Mesopotamia
- Military strategy and operations, including the need for reinforcements
- The severing of British lines of communication, particularly rail
- The efficacy and principles of the use of armoured cars and air raids as means of control following numerous cases of misidentification and disproportionate force that resulted in the deaths and injuries of innocent people
- Political and civil policy in the region
- Identification and arrest of some of the leaders of the rebellion
- The prominence of events in Mesopotamia in the British press
- The question of disarming the tribes following the suppression of the rebellion.
Principal correspondents include officials at: the 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. ; the Office of the Civil Commissioner in Mesopotamia (from November 1920, the High Commissioner); the War Office; General Headquarters of the military in Mesopotamia; and the Government of India, Foreign and Political and Army departments.
The volume contains cuttings from several publications, including: The Times , The Statesman , The Observer , The Daily Herald , The Daily Mail , The Baghdad Times , and The Near East .
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. A second divider is included, for File 4722/1918 Part 7, entitled ‘Mesopotamia: Sir A. Wilson’s invitation to Syrian Baghdadis’. This was transferred to File 5268/20 Parts 1 and 2 (see IOR/L/PS/10/913).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (491 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged in approximate chronological order, from the rear to the front.
The subject 4722 (Mesopotamia) consists of ten volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/755-764. The volumes are divided into twelve parts, with parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 comprising one volume each. Part 10 is missing. Part 7, entitled ‘Mesopotamia: Sir A. Wilson’s invitation to Syrian Baghdadis’, was transferred to File 5268/20 Parts 1 and 2 (see IOR/L/PS/10/913).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 489; 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. Multiple intermittent additional foliation sequences are also present. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. The sequence contains one foliation anomaly, f 89a.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [152r] (314/995), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/761, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137804986.0x000073> [accessed 11 June 2026]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/761
- Title
- File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:89v, 89ar:89av, 90r:113r, 114v, 118v:120r, 121v, 127v:169v, 173r:192v, 194r:211v, 213r:223v, 225r:227r, 229r:261v, 262v:263v, 266r:279v, 280ar, 280r:293v, 294v, 295v:317v, 318ar, 318r:333v, 334v:341v, 342v:359v, 360v:400v, 404r:424v, 425ar, 425r:489v, 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