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File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [‎402r] (814/946)

The record is made up of 1 volume (464 folios). It was created in 27 Dec 1919-30 Dec 1920. 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. .

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4
^ ' Jm
Q.H, £ Y , Q -E . .T E L E A M.
Prom Civil Commissioner, Baghda-d.
Dated 30th March, 1920.
(Received 6th, 10 a.rn.)
9 B 1 4
3
rOA
&
N,
^v-
5C
V /
No.3690. Our telegram of 25th Uarch, Refugees. In
view of developments since proposals were put forward last
it is now proposed to abandon idea of repatriating
mountaineer Assyrians to area A and B. It is intended in
cooperation with Saiyid Taha to repatriate mountaineers and
Ururniyah Assyrians together into area east of Gaw^a^ Ar as far
as Usfnnu. Ho British armed forces will be required, but
. — — —-
(? political officers) drawn from those at present attached
to Assyrian camps will be sent.
General direction of movement (is however ?) dictated once
they are beyond the limits of Mesopotamia by Agha Kirts who
will guarantee safety of political officers concerned.
Assyrians will be furnished with arms for self protection
to approximately same extent as they possessed when they took
refuge within our limits. They will be provided witn pack
animals and receive grain and with necessary supplies uo cp^TTyf 1 ^
•few*.till autumn. $0 they are within ^
British limits the Assyrian Urumiyah battalions will remain
under British officers^but this will not be case after they have
left our limits.
A camp will be formed at Mosul before the hot weather con
sisting approximately of 1,000 to 5,000 people of firsu families
who will be required to move up in autumn.
Routes selected will be via Akra and (? Rowanduz).
Above scheme promises in my opinion better cnance of
success than any other that has yeu been put forward|nid
provided that no change takes place in the political situation
during next three or four months it should enable us to dispose
of bulk of Assyrian refugees now on pur hands. An immense
savins win remit thereby^to^novernment*

About this item

Content

This volume contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, telegrams and minutes. It mainly covers conversations between British and French officials regarding the Christian (mostly Assyrian and Armenian) refugees in the refugee camp at Baqubah [also written Ba’qubah, Ba’quba and Baquba] in Mesopotamia [approximately corresponding to present-day Iraq], and their possible repatriation.

Related matters of discussion include the following: the health of the refugees; background; labour capacity; expenses and payments of the refugee camp; administration of the camp and its economic challenges; transportation for repatriation. Included in the correspondence are letters from Surma Khanin D’Mar Shimun describing the situation of the camp and asking for changes to the camp, and for the return of the Assyrians and Armenians. In addition, there are some inquiries received by British officials from Christian Assyrians. Also mentioned are the following: the ‘Christian Army of Revenge’, French propaganda among the Assyrians, Assyrio-Chaldean [Assyro-Chaldeans] refugees in Russia, and the American Mission.

In addition, the volume includes the following:

  • Details of the numbers of Armenian refugees in the camp at Baqubah on 7 December 1919 (f 462)
  • Memoranda on the Armenian refugees present in the camp 1919 (ff 436-459)
  • Notes on the Assyrian refugees in the camp, dated July 1920 (ff 199-210)
  • List of the number of Armenians in the camp (ff 104-105)
  • A memorandum on the Assyrian and Armenian refugees in Mesopotamia (ff 95-97)
  • A map showing a ‘Proposed Nestorian Enclave’ (f 466).

The principal correspondents are: Civil Commissioner, Baghdad; British High Commission, Constantinople [Istanbul]; British Embassy in Washington; British Consulate, Tabriz; War Office; Lord Curzon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, British Delegation, Paris; officials at the refugee camp at Baqubah; French Embassy, London; Board of Foreign Mission of the Presbyterian Church in the United States; the Mar Shimun family.

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 (464 folios)
Arrangement

The volume’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 5655 (Mesopotamia) consists of 3 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/773-775. The volumes are divided into 4 parts, with part 1 comprising the first volume, part 2 comprising the second volume, and parts 3-4 comprising the third volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 468; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 197-462; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [‎402r] (814/946), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/774, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100184391543.0x000077> [accessed 11 June 2026]

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