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'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. II. 1917' [447] (458/542)
The record is made up of 1 volume (269 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
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
CONTROL OF TIGRIS WATER 447
Fourthly, if the floods were caused merely by the destruction of
banks and breaching of hunds, they could not be detrimental to the
navigation of the river down-stream: they would only be obstacles
to movement by land. Such floods would make no difference to the
navigation of the Tigris in low supply, and would make navigation
in flood-time somewhat easier. In order to prevent navigation
down-stream of the diversion it would be necessary to dam the
river.
Fifthly, no preventive measures against a flooding of the country
by an enemy could be taken by a force on the Tigris down-stream of
the enemy position, and not within striking distance of the point where
they chose to divert the water. All that could be done would be to pro
tect limited areas by means of hunds, and under certain circumstances
to provide escapes for at least part of the water into areas where it
would cause less inconvenience. The only way to make sure against
such flooding would be to hold the head of the Tigris delta, and also
to hold the Euphrates up to Hit.
Sixthly, with regard to damming the river: (1) it would not be
impossible, but under the present war conditions would be exceed
ingly difficult. It would need much preparation and labour. The
news that it was being attempted would spread like wildfire among
the natives, for the down-stream Arabs would be ruined by such
a work. Early intelligence of it would, therefore, almost certainly
be received. It would probably be difficult to get Arab labour for
the purpose.
(2) The most favourable time for the building of a dam on one of
the Mesopotamian rivers would be in the months when the water is
falling. The reason, of course, is that as the dam progresses and the
channel available for the water decreases, it is of great advantage that
the quantity of water in the channel should also decrease. (This
holds good both for a stone dam and for one of earth and brushwood.)
(3) No hard material (stone) is readily available below Baghdad, and
the method of construction would probably be the one usually adopted
in Mesopotamia, namely, with earth and brushwood ; a method well
known to the Arabs. A dam of this kind is carried out from one
or both banks, and its crest must be continually kept above water
level.
(4) It would probably be best to begin such a dam at the time
when the river is beginning to subside (say, early June). Provided
that sufficient preparations had been made in the previous months,
a dam then begun could be closed in low-water season (say, October).
(5) The difficulty of damming would, in the present circumstances,
be great even in the favourable season, June-October. The difficulty
About this item
- Content
This volume is A Handbook of Mesopotamia, Volume II, Irak, The Lower Kārūn, and Luristan (Admiralty War Staff Intelligence Division, May, 1917), covering the regions of the Shatt el-‘Arab [Shaṭṭ al-‘Arab], Kārūn, Luristan, and the Tigris and Euphrates up to Baghdad and Fellūjeh [Fallūjah]. 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.
The volume includes a note on confidentiality, a title page, 'Note', 'Abbreviations'. There is a 'Contents' which include the following sections:
- Introduction;
- River Routes (Shatt el-‘Arab, The Kārūn, The Tigris, The Euphrates, The Shatt el-Hai);
- Land Routes (The Region of the Shatt el-‘Arab, The Tigris Valley, The Region of the Lower Kārūn River of Luristan, The Euphrates Valley, Connexions between the Tigris and Euphrates Valley, The Arabian Desert);
- Railways;
- Gazetteer of Towns;
- Bibliographical Note and List of Maps;
- Transliteration of Names;
- Glossary;
- Appendices (A: Notes on Weather on the Tigris, B: The Control of the Tigris Water, C: The Control of the Euphrates Water, D: Oil-Fields of the Mesopotamia and Persian Frontier, E: Note on Mules);
- Index;
- Plates;
- Maps.
The volume includes eight plates that illustrate the volume. There are also three maps:
- 'Baghdad';
- 'City Map of Baghdad';
- 'Mesopotamia: Outline Map Showing Routes'.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (269 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged accourding to numbered routes. There is a table of contents at the front of the volume and an alphabetical index at the back. There is also a list of plates and two maps are house in a pocket and one is a foldout.
- 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'. side of the folio.
Pagination: The volume also contains 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/17/15/41/3
- Title
- 'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. II. 1917'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1:374, 374a:374b, 375:530, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence