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'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918' [121] (130/568)
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.
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Js CHAPTER VIII
EELIGIONS
Islam—Christian sects—Yezidis—Sabians—Jews—Qizilbash and Sliabbaks.
Islam
The preponderance of Islam in Mesopotamia rests not only on
the great numerical superiority of Moslems over non-Moslems, but also
on the historic part played by Irak in the development of the Moham
medan power and faith. It was here that the events occurred which
gave birth to the Shiah schism, here too was the seat of the Baghdad
Caliphate, and here—at Kerbela, Kazimain, Nejef, and Kufeh—are
shrines venerated at least equally with Mecca and Medina in Shiah
Moslem estimation.
Tenets
The tenets of Islam, which claims to be a divinely revealed religion,
given to the world by Mohammed as the last of a succession of inspired
messengers, may be briefly summarized under (a) (h)
(a) The doctrine and practices are to be found in (i) the Book of God —
the Koran—which was sent down from the highest heaven to Gabriel
in the lowest, who revealed it in turn by sections to Mohammed ;
(ii) the collections of tradition {hadith) containing the sayings and
manners of life {sunna) of the Prophet; (iii) the use of analogy
as applied to (i) and (ii) ; (iv) the universal consent (ijma) of the
believers. Orthodox Islam recognizes the Koran as the work not
of Mohammed, but of God; but Moslem theologians recognized
some revelations as inconsistent with others, and so developed the
doctrine of nasikh and mansukh (abrogation), whereby it is taught that
in certain definite cases a later revelation supersedes an earlier.
Upon the nature of God Islam is very explicit. God is one and uni
versal from the beginning. His unity being emphasized as against
the Christian Trinity. The cosmology of Mohammedanism is too
elaborate to be here reproduced, but some reference to its ethics is
essential. These latter are based on belief {iman), good works,
complete surrender to God's will as the necessary condition
of religious life, and fear of His judgement. The eschatology of the
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