Coll 17/16(1) 'Iraq. The Assyrian Crisis' [40r] (90/1036)
The record is made up of 1 volume (514 folios). It was created in 17 Jun 1933-31 Aug 1933. 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.
M2872] 21196/1973
1,350m 1/32 700
G & S 115 210
(REGIMINT)
Code 5-34-0
The Frontier Episode.
“On yet another occasion,
however, the followers of Mar
Shamoon tried to disturb the peace.
They assembled, fully armed, near
the mountain of Basrilan. When
they found that the Government
had not been caught unawares, and
that the Government’s forces were
sufficiently powerful to crush any
unlawful movement, the party of
Assyrians crossed the frontier into
Svria. They numbered 1,350 armed
men.
“In view of the fact that their
action was unlawful, and that it
had been carried out without the
Government’s knowledge or sanc
tion, the Government decided these
men should not be allowed to
return to Iraq unless they first
surrendered their arms. The
Government’s view was that the
disarming of these men would safe
guard the peace, and would be an
example to others who might be
contemplating unlawful action.
Iraqi Frontier Force.
“In order to enforce its decision
the Government despatched a
sufficient force, military and police,
to various points along the Syrian
frontier. When some of the
Assyrians tried to re-enter Iraq in
the neighbourhood of Faish Khabur
they were disarmed by detachments
of the Iraq Army. Others tried to
cross the frontier into Iraq and
retain their arms. They were
warned that they must surrender
their weapons but refused to do so
and offered some armed resistance
to the Iraq Army, which was ob
liged to retaliate. The Assyrians
were then compelled to withdraw.
“Happy Ending ”
“The Iraq Government then
communicated with the French
Charge d’Affaires in Baghdad, ask
ing him to approach his Govern
ment with a request that they
should carry out the provisions of
the Treaty of Bon Yoisinage be
tween Iraq and Syria. According
to the provisions of this treaty it
was the duty of the Syrian author
ities to disarm the Assyrians
and insist on their withdrawing
from the frontier. The French
authorises in Syria acted in accord
ance with the request made by the
Iraq Government.”
The communique concludes:
‘ This happy ending was reached
only with the help of God and the
co-operation of the Iraqi nation.
The Government is still ready to
meet all exigencies, and is prepared
to take firm steps, in the interests
of the whole country, against any
section of the community which
may be contemplating an attempt
to disturb the peace.”
\cnce.
JfO
(4© 1
[OVER.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains papers regarding the Assyrian Crisis in Iraq during 1933. It primarily consists of correspondence between HM Ambassador to Iraq (Sir Francis Humphrys), HM Chargé d’Affaires to Iraq (George Ogilvie-Forbes), and the Foreign Office.
The papers document the negotiations between Mar Shimun XXIII Eshai – the Patriarch of the Church of the East – and the Government of Iraq, regarding: the spiritual and temporal authority claimed by the Mar Shimun; the Assyrian Settlement Scheme; areas designated for settlement; and clashes between Assyrians, Iraqis and Kurds.
Ogilvie-Forbes and Humphrys reported on the movement of Assyrians into Syria, requests to the Syrian and French authorities that they be allowed to remain, proposals to disarm the group, and clashes with Iraqi troops when numbers of Assyrians returned to Iraq. The papers also document the proposed arrest or exile of the Mar Shimun by the Government of Iraq, and the volume also contains copies of letters exchanged by the Mar Shimun, the Iraqi Interior Ministry, and King Faisal.
The papers document the worsening crisis, including reports of looting and village burning at Dohuk [Dahūk], the murder of Assyrian prisoners by Iraqi armed forces led by Bakr Sidqi, and the Simele Massacre of August 1933. These papers include reports submitted by the Head of the British Military Mission in Iraq (Major General Rowan Robinson), the Administrative Inspector at Mosul (Colonel R S Stafford), and Major D B Thomson of the Assyrian Settlement Office. The file concludes with reports on the Simele Massacre, arrangements for the arrival of Mar Shimun and his family in Cyprus, the work of the Refugee Relief Commission in Mosul and Dohuk, and the establishment by the League of Nations of a Small Minorities Commission to investigate the crisis.
The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 1).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (514 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 510; 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. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 1-510; 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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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2872
- Title
- Coll 17/16(1) 'Iraq. The Assyrian Crisis'
- Pages
- 39r:40v
- Author
- Iraq Times xx The Times of Iraq
- Usage terms
- Public Domain