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'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918' [69] (78/568)
The record is made up of 1 volume (282 folios). It was created in 1918. It was written in English, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish and Syriac. 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.
CHAPTER VI
HISTOKY
mspij
attidi
aiteds
To 1914 a.d.
The kingdoms of ancient Mesopotamia—Mesopotamia under foreign rule
• I •
The history of Mesopotamia falls into two clear divisions: first,
leM ^e period when it contained great independent states ; secondly, the
i-jllfk period of its subjection to one after another of the great military
i>; Powers—Persian, Greek, Parthian, Sassanian, Arab, and Turk—
which in succession have held the Near or Middle East in dominion.
. jjg The first period dates from before the dawn of history till 539 b c ., when
imlkl Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon ; the second has continued from
that date to the present time.
The early history of Mesopotamia is that of Babylonia and Assyria.
The strength of Assyria lay in the plains east of the middle Tigris
in the neighbourhood of the Great and Lesser Zab the root of
Babylonian civilization was firmly planted in Irak—at first in its
lower half, but from about 2100 b.c . onwards permanently in its
upper portion, where for the past 4,000 years the cities of Babylon,
Seleucia, Ctesiphon, and Baghdad (all lying within a circle of 30 miles
radius at the point where the Tigris and Euphrates approach each
other) have, one after another, been the capital cities of Mesopo
tamia and the chief commercial centres and emporia of the Near
East. Babylonia was incomparably the more important ; Assyria
was only an episode in comparison. Babylonia had a widespread
civilizing influence on the peoples of Nearer Asia. All the surround
ing nations looked up to and were attracted towards the seat of this
ancient civilization, whether they were under its supremacy or
whether they imposed their own rule on it. Indeed during one
period cuneiform writing and the Babylonian language were the
medium of diplomatic and commercial international correspon
dence throughout the countries from Egypt to Asia Minor, from
the Mediterranean to the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
. Babylonian religion, Baby-
lypostii
The Kingdoms of Ancient Mesopotamia
About this item
- Content
This volume is A Handbook of Mesopotamia, Volume I, General (Naval Staff, Intelligence Department: November 1918). This is an updated and expanded edition of A Handbook of Mesopotamia, Volume I, General (Admiralty War Staff, Intelligence Department: August 1916) (IOR/L/MIL17/15/41/1). This is an introductory volume containing matter of a general nature giving an account of conditions in Mesopotamia, for the most part as they were before the First World War.
The volume includes a note on official use, a title page and 'Note'. There is a page of 'Contents' that includes the following chapters and sections:
- Chapter 1: Boundaries and Physical Features;
- Chapter 2: Climate;
- Chapter 3: Minerals;
- Chapter 4: Fauna and Flora;
- Chapter 5: Hygiene;
- Chapter 6: History;
- Chapter 7: Inhabitants;
- Chapter 8: Religions;
- Chapter 9: Administration;
- Chapter 10: Irrigation of Irak [Iraq];
- Chapter 11: Agriculture and Land Tenure;
- Chapter 12: Commerce and Industry;
- Chapter 13: Currency, Weights, and Measures;
- Chapter 14: Communications and Transport;
- Vocabularies;
- Index.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (282 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged in numbered chapters. There is a contents page and an alphabetically arranged index.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the last folio; 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'. of the folio.
Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish and Syriac in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/41/2
- Title
- 'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1:556, 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