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Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [465r] (934/982)
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).
November 18, 1932.
CONFIDENTIAL.
*•
Section 1.
[E 6230/9/93] No _ \ s .
Sir l. Humphrys to Sir John Simon.—(Received November 18.)
(No. 1093. Confidential.)
(j • '
, ieference to paragraph 5 of my despatch No. 1076, Confidential, of
tne 10m November iast, reporting the presentation of my letter of credence to
Iving leisal on the 9th November, I have the honour to submit the following
account of the private talk wdiich I had with His Majesty on the same evening :—
2. The King received me at his country house at Harthiyah, and the
interview lasted for nearly three hours.
/ 3. ^ He began by renewing, in the most lavish terms, his thanks to His Majesty
King George and to His Majesty s Government for their unfailing help and'
guidance during the past years, which alone, he said, had enabled Iraq to obtain
her independence through admission to the League of Nations. After thanking
His Majesty for his generous appreciation of my country’s help and referring to
his own notable contribution to the work which had led to Iraq’s successful
apotheosis at Geneva, I observed that the emancipation of Iraq from mandatory
control had naturally attracted wide attention. There were many who still
thought that this had been done prematurely, and events in Iraq would now be
watched very closely to see whether the confidence of His Majesty’s Government
in the fitness of the Iraqi nation for self-government was in fact well founded.
I also pointed out that the future of Syria, in which I knew His Majesty was
deeply interested, would depend in a large measure on events in Iraq. If all
went well and Iraq justified the trust which had been placed in her, it would be
much easier for Syria to make rapid progress along the road already traversed
by Iraq. On the other hand, if the misgivings of the pessimists were realised and
the termination of the mandate over Iraq were followed by disorders or serious
deterioration in the administration of the country, then world opinion would
certainly harden against an early termination of the mandate in Syria.
4. The King said that he fully realised the very heavy responsibilities which
had devolved on Iraq, and he was determined that they should be creditably
discharged. His Majesty’s Government need not fear that the confidence which
they had shown in Iraq would prove to have been misplaced. He and his Govern
ment would spare no effort to show the world that Iraq was worthy of the place
which she had been given in the comity of nations. He also fully appreciated the
influence which events in Iraq would have on the fate of Syria, and this fact
would prove an additional incentive to the Iraqi people to safeguard the good
name of their country and to prove the fitness of the Arabs to govern themselves
in modern conditions. A
5. I then referred briefly to the Assyrian question and warned His Majesty
that as the reply of the League to the Assyrian petition of last June would
probably not be considered as satisfactory by most of the Assyrian leaders, it was
likely that the Patriarch would return from Geneva in a very disgruntled frame
of mind. I did not, I said, wish to alarm His Majesty, but I thought it necessary
to warn him that there might be a recrudescence of Assyrian difficulties later in
the year. He assured me that the Iraqi Government were fully alive to the
necessity for adopting the most sympathetic policy in regard to the Assyrians, and
were willing to do all in their power to make them contented citizens of the
country. In this as in all other important matters he would always seek my
advice. Generous treatment of the minorities was, he added, an essential feature
of his policy.
6. His Majesty then reminded me that, as he had informed me before I left
Iraq in the summer, it was his hope that now that Iraq had entered the League
of Nations, and the question of her relations with Great Britain had been finally
settled, the Government would concentrate on internal affairs and particularly on
Sir,
Bagdad, November 17, 1932
[627 s—1]
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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Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [465r] (934/982), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2860, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100049057339.0x000087> [accessed 25 March 2025]
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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