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Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [288r] (580/982)
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.
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (Iraq).
*
1
■
I
1
V. z .
287:
CONFIDENTIAL.
i
1935
[E 2296/278/93]
No. 1.
April 8, 1935.
Section 2.
Sir A. Clark Kerr to Sir John Simon.—(Received April 8 )
< No - 174 ->
&ir > „ ^ / Bagdad, March 28, 1935.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 171 of the 28th March, I have the
honour to inform you that during the past week some forty chiefs, representing;
the principal Kurdish tribes of the Kirkuk liwa, and some of those in the Arbil
and Sulaimani liwas, visited Bagdad with the object of representing grievances
and asking for reforms. &
2. Prior to their visit, the leading members of the deputation had met
together and had prepared a petition for submission to the Prime Minister, a
translation of which is enclosed herein. Subsequently, many other tribal aghas
put their signatures to it. The requests put forward appear to be moderate, and,
had the Administration been efficient, most of them would have been satisfied long
since.
3. The deputation have not yet formally presented their petition, and I
understand, that Rashid Ali Beg hopes to dissuade them from doing so by giving
them general oral assurances of redress. It is said, with what truth I do not
know, that the aghas concerned have sworn on oath to continue to press their
demands until they receive satisfaction.
4. The Kurds have no doubt taken advantage of the existing situation in
the hope of finding the Government more ready than hitherto to listen to their
grievances.
5. The officially inspired notices which have appeared in the press betray
the Government’s idea that there is something to be gained by winning the
support of the north as a counterweight to Shiah agitation in the south. The
aghas are represented as having come to the capital solely to pledge their support
of and full confidence in the Cabinet. There is no mention of demands or
grievances, and the newspaper readers are left with the impression that the
purpose of the deputation is to demonstrate the readiness of the Sunni Kurds to
stand with the Government against the Shiah uprising on the Euphrates. That
this deliberate misrepresentation of the facts may lead by way of reaction to a
closing of the Shiah ranks is a possibility which the Cabinet have apparently
ignored.
I have, &c.
ARCHIBALD CLARK KERR.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Kurdish Petition.
IMPROVEMENT of the administration of the northern areas and
abolishment of the Regulations for Selection of Administrative Officials as
regards the north. 1 .
2. Enforcement of the Local Languages Law and its amendmen as lecom
mended by Amin Zaki Beg. , , ^ £ ,
3. Unification of education in Kurdish areas and the grant of greater
authority to the Mudir education in the north and a share of the education budget
in proportion to the population. , . . n A , i • i
4. Opening of a secondary school, teachers training co ege an
school in the northern area. . . ^
5. Granting a fair share of educational missions to e ? r s - ^ , •
6. Allotment of a share of night schools, as m the capital, to Kurds
proportion to their numbers.
[381 h—2]
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
- 288r:288v
- Author
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