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Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [280r] (564/982)
The record is made up of 1 volume (487 folios). It was created in 4 Nov 1932-14 Jan 1937. 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.
T HIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY O F HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Iraq).
CONFIDENTIAL.
Section 3.
[E 2563/278/93}
Sir A. Clark Kerr to Sir John Simon. — {Received April 23)
(No. 200.)
Sir ’ tt^tt ^ j T -_ T Bagdad, April 11, 1935.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 178 of the 2nd April, I have the honour
to report the loilowmg developments in the political situation in Iraq.
2. Abdul Wahid is still in Bagdad with a large number of supporters and
is actively engaged in intrigues and negotiations. Several large gatherings have
been arranged which have been attended by sheikhs from many different parts
of the country. At these gatherings, speeches have been made calling for the
defence of national unity and condemning all those who seek to put sectarian
interests before the integrity of the kingdom. Both Abdul Wahid and the
Kurdish delegations have also issued, through the press, a joint pronouncement
of their abhorrence of all that tends to create dissensions among the people and
of their determination to stand for national solidarity under King Ghazi.
3. Negotiations with the Government continue, but with no definite results
and no agreed form of demands has yet been presented either by Abdul Wahid or
the Ulema. Meanwhile, the sheikhs are beginning to fall out amongst themselves
and Shalan-al-Atiyah has for the moment broken with Abdul Wahid because the
latter will not support his demand for a grant of 25,000 acres of land which he
claims was the promised price of his support against Ali Jaudat.
4. On the 8th April small skirmishes took place at Rumaitha and
Shinafiyah between armed tribesmen and police patrols. A few men were
wounded on both sides, but the police seem to have kept the upper hand. In the
Nasiriyah liwa tribal unrest is still evident and now shows a tendency to develop
into agrarian agitation against the big landlords. The Government have removed
the mutessarif and have replaced him by Majid Beg, a Kurd who has done
remarkably well in the north. He is, however, a stranger to the tribes of the
Muntafiq confederation.
5. The Mutessarif of Diwaniyah is being transferred to Kut, and his place
will be taken by Saiyid Hashim, the present Assistant Director-General of Police.
6. Parliament w r as dissolved on the 10th April before the expiry of the
adjournment of one month, which began on the 12th March. Ali Jaudat and
Jamil-al-Madfai endeavoured unsuccessfully to dissuade the King from taking
this course. If His Majesty had not dissolved Parliament, Yasin
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
would
presumably have resigned, and, as Ali Jaudat and his party could certainly
not have formed a Cabinet, the King had no choice but to allow Yasin
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
to carry on the government of the country on his own terms.
7. I am sending a copy of this despatch to His Majesty s Minister at
Tehran.
I have, &c.
ARCHIBALD CLARK KERR.
[381
3
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence and memoranda regarding relations between HM Government ( HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. ) and Iraq following independence, and private arrangements for the supply of information to HM Ambassador in Baghdad from British advisers to the Iraqi Government. The records also document the reaction of the 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. and Foreign Office to political developments within Iraq, and their concerns over the possible impact on British and Indian commercial interests in Iraq.
The following events are documented in the file:
- 1932. Opening of the Iraqi parliament, formation (and change) of cabinets, arrangements for conservancy of the Shatt al-Arab.
- 1933. The death of King Faisal [Fayṣal bin 'Alī al-Hāshimī], the accession and policy of King Ghazi [Ghāzī bin Fayṣal al-Hāshimī], cabinet crises, and protests against the continued relationship between HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. and the Government of Iraq.
- 1934. Political appointments and commercial development.
- 1935. Opposition group activities in Iraq, tribal revolts in the Middle Euphrates area, cabinet crises, Yezidi disturbances in Mosul, and discussion of the Assyrian question.
- 1936. The controversy surrounding the marriage of Princess Asa [Azza] to a Christian porter in Athens, and the proposals of the Iraqi cabinet that she be murdered, or the marriage annulled; suppression of tribal activity in the Rumaitha district; the coup d'état, and instigation of a new cabinet under Hikmat Suleiman.
The bulk of the volume consists of correspondence between the Foreign Secretary and HM Minister in Baghdad. A number of communications and official statements from the Government and King of Iraq are also present. The volume also contains the following items of particular interest:
- Record of a conversation between Sir Francis Humphrys and Yasin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Al Hashimi, ff 426-427.
- English translation of a letter of condolence from Amir Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan, to King Ghazi, ff 403-406.
- Notes on the economic benefits accruing to Britain in Iraq, ff 357-359, 367-369.
- Memorandum regarding the commercial interests of the British India in Iraq, with a list of commercial enterprises, ff 346-351.
- Letter from Humphrys to King Ghazi regarding the continuation of private arrangements to ensure the transfer of information between the Government of Iraq and HMG Her or His Majesty’s Government in London. , f 312; with corresponding letter from King Ghazi to Humphrys, f 298.
- Communication sent by Archibald Clark Kerr to the Foreign Secretary (Viscount Eden), on the coup and its aftermath, ff 26-30.
The volume includes dividers which give lists of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. These are placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 4-5).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (487 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 489; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-486; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2860
- Title
- Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:10r, 12r:17r, 19r:27r, 29r:34v, 36r:82v, 84r:100v, 103r:147v, 149r:208v, 210r:225v, 227r:249v, 251r:274v, 276r:287v, 289r:297v, 299r:306v, 308r:317v, 319r:331v, 333r:363r, 365r:379v, 381r:381v, 383r:387v, 389r:402v, 407r:421v, 423r:427v, 430r:462v, 464r:470v, 472r:482v, 487r:488v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence