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'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. III. 1917' [14] (23/432)
The record is made up of 1 volume (214 folios). It was created in 1917. 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
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14
INTEODUCTION
are fairly well populated : the inhabitants (Yezidis) are said to have
been raiding the Deir—Mosul route since the outbreak of the war.
The direct lines across the desert from Tel es-Sawwar or Shedadi on
the Khabtir to Deir ez-Zor seem to be poorly supplied with water,
and it might therefore be preferable to make a detour to the S.,
descending the Khabur to its junction with the Euphrates, and
thence ascending the Euphrates Valley.
(6) Communication between the Tigris —
— MosulRoute. —North of the partially cultivated area that liesbetween
the Tigris and the Lower Diyaleh, there stretches between the Tigris
and the hills an open plain of clay and gravel traversed successively
by the 'Adheim, the Hamrln Hills, the Lesser Zab, and the
Great Zab.
As far as the Lesser Zab this plain is apparently inhabited only
by a very sparse nomadic population, who may practise a little
desultory cultivation here and there on the banks of the rivers or
where there are rain-water wells and springs. There is grazing in
this region in spring, but in summer both water and grass are
probably very scarce. The road between Salahiyeh (Kufri) and
Kirkuk might perhaps be reached by following the Adheim towards
the point where it emerges from the hills and then striking NW.
or W. across the Jebel Hamrln : but there is no evidence as to this
as a possible route. For a slight account of a route from Tekrit to
Kirkuk, see Boute 26.
Probably the easiest line would be along the course of the Lesser
Zab from the neighbourhood of Qal'ah Sherghat to Altun Koprtl. Here
water could always be obtained from the river and the country on
both banks appears to be open and easy. There is a down-stream
raft traffic on the Lower Zab, but whether steamers could ascend the
river to Altun Koprtl even in fairly high water seems very doubtful.
(See Moute III F.)
North of the Lesser Zab the population, though at first semi-
nomadic, seems to become more numerous. Thus in 1903 Sykes
saw numerous villages on the plain between Qalah Sherghat and
Makhmur, though these were then (temporarily ?) deserted owing
to drought and locusts. For the route from Qal'ah Sherghat to
Altun Koprtl via Makhmur, see Bout 27.
The plain S. and SW. of Erbil appears to be fairly well cultivated
(grain is exported thence to Baghdad) and between the Great Zab and
Mosul there are numerous villages, Moslem, Christian, and Yezidi.
Here over the open country are numerous tracks, and communica
tion between the Tigris and the Erbil—Mosul road should be easy.
About this item
- Content
This volume is A Handbook of Mesopotamia, Volume III, Central Mesopotamia with Sourthern Kurdistan and the Syrian Desert (Admiralty War Staff Intelligence Division, January, 1917), covering the Tigris and Euphrates from Baghdad and Fellūjeh [Fallujah] to Mosul and Meskeneh [Maskanah], the Lesser Zāb, the country east of the Tigris towards the Persian frontier, and the routes running westward from the Euphrates valley across the Syrian Desert. The volume was prepared on behalf of the Admiralty and War Office, and appears to be based on official and unofficial publications and maps which are cited in a bibliographical section in the volume. This volume was supplemented with corrections and additions in June 1918 (see IOR/L/MIL/17/15/41/5).
The volume includes a note on confidentiality, a title page, 'Note', 'Abbreviations'. There is a page of 'Contents' which includes the following sections:
- Introduction;
- River Routes (The Tigris and the Lesser Zāb, The Euphrates);
- Land Routes (The Tigris Valley with Region to East, The Euphrates Valley, Connexions between Tigris and Euphrates Valleys, The Syrian Desert);
- Gazetteer of Towns;
- Bibliographical Note;
- Transliteration of Names;
- Glossary;
- Appendix;
- Index;
- 'Sketch Map of Routes', which includes 'City Map of Baghdad' (f. 212) and 'Mesopotamia: Outline Map Showing Routes, Volume III' contained in a pocket.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (214 folios)
- Arrangement
This volume is arranged according to numbered routes. There is a page of contents and an alphabetical index. There are two maps housed in a pocket.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover and terminates at the inside back cover; 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 (except for the front cover, where the folio number is located on the verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. ).
Pagination: The volume also has an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/41/4
- Title
- 'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. III. 1917'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1:422, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence