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'A handbook of Syria (including Palestine). London: Naval Staff Intelligence Department, June 1919' [59v] (123/738)
The record is made up of 1 volume (365 folios). It was created in 1919. 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.
MILITARY HISTORY
than Arab. Of the local conditions which affect the military
history of Syria attention may be drawn to the importance
of the command of the sea for the defence and capture of
the coast towns, to the numerous cases where lack of water
for men and horses decided the issue of a battle, and to the
frequency with which religious and racial divisions bred
‘ traitors ’ who betrayed otherwise impregnable towns into
the hands of the besiegers.
In all study of ancient history the question of historical
numbers is of fundamental importance. Even in modern
works of repute quite fabulous figures for ancient populations
and armies and battles are frequently given. It is not yet
generally recognized that otherwise excellent sources of
historical information may not supply reliable figures.
Numbers in ancient history rarely rest on actual enumeration.
Some writers choose their numbers on artistic principles.
Such writers are generally remote from the events they
describe, but they may also be contemporaries. The estimates
of eye-witnesses are often affected by their state of mind.
Modern experience shows that estimates of enemy forces,
especially when these are victorious, are of little value. The
impression of a great event, a great conquest, or a great battle,
i. e. one having important consequences, seems to demand for
its adequate expression, in popular currency, a great number,
and certainly predisposes men to the acceptance of great
numbers as part of the story. So much is this the case that
grave suspicion must always attach to the allegation of large
numbers in explanation of a great victory or conquest. Con
quests, in fact, seem to have been accomplished with surprising
frequency by very small numbers. Fortunately tradition
hands down real as well as unreal numbers, so that definite
proof of the unreal numbers may frequently be given, and
a standard of comparison for other cases is supplied. The
way in which numbers that pass from mouth to mouth, or
from
writer
The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping.
to
writer
The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping.
, increase, is well known. Numerical
data, which occur in writers remote from the events they
describe are, therefore, of no value to a modern historian.
About this item
- Content
Admiralty handbook regarding Syria (including Palestine) 'to as far north as the River Orontes and a line Antioch-Aleppo-Meskeneh. For details of the part of Syria beyond this line reference must be made to the Handbook of Asia Minor , Vol. iv, Part 2 (C.B. 847 C).'
'Contents. Chapters:
- I. Boundaries and Physical Survey, p 9 (folio 7)
- II. Climate, p 24 (folio 14v)
- III. Minerals, Flora and Fauna, p 93 (folio 50)
- IV. Military History, p 109 (folio 58)
- V. Inhabitants, p 175 (folio 91)
- VI. Turkish Administration, p 236 (folio 121v)
- VII. Agriculture, p 252 (folio 129v)
- VIII. Industry and Trade, p 276 (folio 141v)
- IX. Currency, Weights and Measures, p 318 (folio 162v)
- X. Jebel Ansarīyeh, p 325 (folio 166)
- XI. Country East of Jebel Ansarīyeh, p 344 (folio 175v)
- XII. Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon, and Damascus Plain, p 357 (folio 182)
- XIII. River Systems of Northern Syria, p 395 (folio 201)
- XIV. Judea and the Southern Desert, p 427 (folio 217)
- XV. Samaria (including Carmel), p 472 (folio 239v)
- XVI. Galilee, p 515 (folio 261)
- XVII. Haurān and Jaulān, p 556 (folio 281v)
- XVIII. 'Ajlūn and Northern Belqa, p 580 (folio 293v)
- XIX. Southern Belqa and Ardh el-Kerak, p 612 (folio 309v)
- XX. El-Jibāl and Esh-Shera, p 636 (folio 321v)
- XXI. The Ghōr (Jordan and the Dead Sea); and Wādi 'Arabah, p 645 (folio 326)
- Appendix: Conventional Spellings, p 668 (folio 337v)
- Index, p 669 (folio 338)
- Plates, p 725' [missing]
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (365 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume contains a contents page (folio 6) and an index (folios 338-365).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 367; 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. Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence. The volume originally contained fourteen plates showing maps, bound into the back of the volume. These are now missing; details of the plates can be found at folio 5v.
- 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/17/16/15
- Title
- 'A handbook of Syria (including Palestine). London: Naval Staff Intelligence Department, June 1919'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:366v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence