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File 4722/1918 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration of policy and situation' [71r] (150/687)
The record is made up of 1 volume (326 folios). It was created in 23 Oct 1918-2 Nov 1919. It was written in English, French and Arabic. 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.
BAGHDAD.
, ,^ I n accordance with rhp
leading- notables of Baghdad to express their *3 ^ G °™^ ment to th «
the future of ‘Iraq, and with the declaration m-i A ? m3 ^ ns re 8’ard to
of Great Britain and hrance in tlip Q < e by the two Governments
1918, we state that our wishes £e t dated Novembe"
the PeLhn Gu“r d “ natiT6 Arat> Go ™ ra “»®t from the north of Mosul to
running its adminirtraHonliS’dirllting its Iff,', 1 ;"''' 1 of , help and 8' u '' d ance in
and security and the attainment of progressIlnd mnH 6 a f U t\ nCe justice
British Government is indispensable. ° 1 pros P erit y 5 the aid of the
duct her affairs andldvan^ heTloncCTiis^or Tlert - tlllS < d 0 T ernmeIlt . ‘-On-
en?L eV™! riJht/belwSn ^ 0 ^° T aTplTed"^
be complete liberty in internal and financial'alaira. ° bserTed - and ihat
this is what we find agreeable for the future of ‘Iraq.
[Signal by eight of the most prominent Sunnis in Baghdad.]
€
Great Britain and FraniTlnTlmEoX^ri'th* pf ob b ot oi t,le Gowernments of
constitution of local Goleramenb all ls % liberation of the people and the
basis, according to the wishes of tbp iift 1 ^ lst , ratl0ns funded on a practical
Arab nation and representing the* MnsulmlnTof the Shrift 0 * t f e „ Ml, ™ Iman
munities inhabiting Baghdad aud t s 0± t ^ a h and Sunni corn-
tending from northern Mosul as.far as thp^Pr? 801 ^ tlle countr y ex-
headed by a Muhammadan King, one of the sons oJGmr^h Slate
by a local Legislative Council s^a^Ba^ b °- d
[Signed by about 45 persons.]
countrv from Fan to Mn * 1 C °^ nt 1 ry of 1 Ira( l’ . we Propose that the whole
Government • and 1 Sl \ 01 r ld )6 Under Britls b rule and under no other
Government.’ d f ^ Cann0t be ’ WG request to be tb e subjects of the British
[Signed by 11 Musulmans 'of Baghdad—most of them merchants.]
nf tbpMSii We b ^r 6 unde 1 rsi 8 n ed, heads of tribes, notables and inhabitants
Gpp fJr n J °L Iraq i w bose < seals are inserted in this document, which is
and tb ? VI d ° Ub aad sus P lcl0I b used to hear of the renown of the justice
and the righteousness of the Government of Great Britain, her non-interference
religions and her endeavours to improve her towns and colonies, though we
weie then in the clutches of the oppression of the Turks, experiencing their
eglect and inability to deal with the matters connected with the prosperity
yronf 6 !- t0W ^ S ‘ i W , e , struggled with horrible anguish, but were unable to give
° a single utterance save to beseech God to remove our misfortunes and
tHose of our beloved country. At last the fires of war were kindled and that
happened which happened m the last four years, which resulted in the victory
of our Great Government. May God preserve her from all decline! We
have observed how she has made efforts to liberate the people of ‘Iraq, striving
a\i i men and with money, have noticed how the Government, after the occu-
pation ot our towns and our deliverance from the slavery of the Turks, in
spi e o ler emg engaged in the gigantic war, has brought about tranquillity,
spread education hastened towards the digging of the canals, assisted the
armers, constructed and treated holy places with esteem and facilitated the
passage of pilgrims to an_extent unequalled and totally unheard of throughout
ur Life under the lurkish regime. At the termination of the war and on
tbe declaration of the general peace the Government of Great Britain has
proposed to us the election of an Amir. Is it possible for us that after
a aming what we had yearned for and after realising the excellent deeds
accomplished by this just Government, whose statements are always genuine,
we s ould forsake her even at her own choice? God forbid! Consequently
we beg of the generous Government of Great Britain to be herself our ruler.
Iraq should be one territory from Mosul down to Basrah, and we solicit that
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, telegrams and minutes regarding the administration of, and situation in, Mesopotamia [Iraq] following the Asia Minor Agreement of 1916, more commonly known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, between the French and British governments, and the Anglo-French Declaration of November 1918. The volume also concerns the subject of self-determination in Persia [Iran].
The papers notably cover:
- Discussion of advance interpretations of the 1916 Agreement
- The Anglo-French Declaration of November 1918, which publicised their intentions and policy in the former Ottoman territories of Syria and Iraq
- Presentation of the 1918 Declaration to the President of the United States of America by the French Ambassador to the US, Jean Adrien Antoine Jules Jusserand
- Disagreement between the British and French visions of the future administration of Mesopotamia
- The situation in southern Kurdistan
- The 1919 Paris Peace Conference
- Apprehensions of the Baghdad Jewish community about the tenor of the Anglo-French Declaration, including a petition to the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, requesting to be made subjects of the British Crown
- Reaction to the Declaration from the across the Arab world
- Disagreement among the British over the form that Britain’s control in Mesopotamia should take
- The views of the principal sheikhs [shaikhs] of Mesopotamia on the 1918 Agreement
- Discussion among British officials of the benefits of control over Mesopotamia and the view of the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, Arnold Talbot Wilson, on the situation in Mesopotamia
- Discussion of the potential candidates for the head of the new state of Iraq
- Reports on consultations with political and religious leaders and inhabitants from across Iraq on the future Government of Iraq
- The views of Sir Percy Cox and Arnold Wilson on the situation in Mesopotamia
- The question of the future political status of Mesopotamia, including the views of British officers serving in Syria and the Hejaz
- Discussion of the question of Iraqi self-determination.
Notable documents in this volume include:
- Text by Sir Percy Cox regarding ‘The Future of Mesopotamia’ (ff 308-310 and ff 270-272)
- Extracts from The Times , 26 November 1819, including a series of articles under the title ‘The Arab Campaign’ (ff 230-232)
- The statutes for the independence of Iraq (ff 127-130)
- A memorandum by Major W H Young regarding the future of Mesopotamia (ff 99-112)
- Copies of ‘Self-determination in Iraq’ in Arabic (ff 75-97) and English (ff 57-73).
The principal correspondents are: 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. , Political Department; the Governor-General of India; the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad; the Military Governor and Political Officer, Baghdad; Government of India, Military Department, the French Ambassador to the United States; and the British Embassy, Paris.
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 (326 folios)
- Arrangement
The contents of the volume are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
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 334; 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 mixed foliation/pagination 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 two anomalies: f 181a and f 181b.
- Written in
- English, French and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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File 4722/1918 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration of policy and situation' [71r] (150/687), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/755, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100188328447.0x00002b> [accessed 8 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/755
- Title
- File 4722/1918 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration of policy and situation'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:127v, 128ar, 128r:175v, 176ar, 176r:181v, 181ar:181av, 181cr, 181br:181bv, 182r:182v, 186r:229v, 232v:325v, 327r:334v, 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