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File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [67r] (144/586)
The record is made up of 1 volume (289 folios). It was created in 15 Nov 1920-31 Oct 1921. 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.
Faisal at Kamadi.
2. ^ Speech at the afternoon majlis in the garden:
The confidence which the nation has shown in me encourages me to
ry o^realize its wish. This Liwah has made a deep impression on my
Peart. tie then insisted on union and amity and the improvement of the
country which he hoped would be green with crops. He spoke of the
relations of the nation and government and requested them to work and
persev ere. I he spirit of union will grow with sincere effort. The country
must attain the glory lost TOO years ago.
8. Deputation from Karbala.
4. Election of Faisal in Basrah.
, , ^with a graceful allusion to “ the benevolent nation which is our
helper. I his is omitted in the report.
Lisan al Arab No. 28, July 29.
Yestehbay’s Meeting.
Speech of the Mutasarrif: —
Once before you assembled here to arrange for the reception of the
Amir Faisul; to-day we meet for a higher purpose, the swearing of
allegiance and the coronation. It is a historical and sacred assembly and
a proof of union among the capital which is now that of Faisal. You are
the masters and leaders of Dar al Salam and you know r the high place which
this city holds in the eyes of ‘ Iraq. I know that you realise the serious
character of this assembly and its historical character. I feel sure that you
will unanimously decide on what has already been decided by most of the
cities of ‘Iraq. The inhabitants of Baghdad have shown in the madbatahs
submitted by them, love and sincerity to their great Amir, but this will
not prevent them from showing their allegiance officially by the referendum
thus completing legal conditions. Therefore the Council of Ministers
acclaimed Faisal King provided that his government will be constitutional,
representative, democratic and limited by law and also decided to carry
out a referendum in terms I wdll read to you. As you are the representa
tives of the nation you will take it to-morrow to the inhabitants of Baghdad
and carry out the referendum. I did not invite our brothers the Christians
and the Jews because they have already sw r orn allegiance. ,,
Over 800 people were present. After the Mutasarrif had read the
formula a discussion took place in which Shaikh Malidi al Basir, Saiyid
Baud al Witri and Shaikh Ahmad al Dhahir participated. The result was
to draw up the formula as follows: —
The inhabitants of Quarter assembled and unanimously
voted for the coronation of Amir Faisal as king of ‘Iraq with its natural
boundaries provided that he will be king of a constitutional, representative,
free democratic independent government, bound by no ties cut off from any
authority of others. His first duty will be to assemble the constituent
assembly in 3 months and it will draft the organic and other laws.
2. Shortage of water. Excuses of the Municipality.
3. Ministry of Auqaf advised to spend more money on the A’dhamiyah
college. Rs. 15 a month per student is not enough.
4. In Mosul committees are being appointed to register names in eacn
quarter for the recording of the plebiscite.
5. Maulud
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
has arrived at Baghdad.
Lisan-al ‘Arab No. 29, July 30,
Moderate Patriotism.
1 Under this heading he alludes to certain historical events which
befell Turkev etc. and resulted in bad consequences because the people
were governed by their sentiments insisted of letting reason and logic govern
their demands. „
He then alludes to what happened yesterday in the meeting of the
uotables etc. at the Royal Cinema as regards the text of the oath of allegiance
md the laving down of certain restrictions. Although these restrictions are
attractive and beautiful yet there is no reason whatever to lay them down; and
ilso thev have no meaning. The nation stands before an Amir who was UfehU
ini in the desert for four years in the cause of liberty and independence of
Arab territories. It is well-known that H.H. Amir Faisal dm not come to
hk countrv in order to enjoy mastery and wear the crown but he came to
ealize the‘hopes and desire of the nation. H.I.H. Husain I also did n*
About this item
- Content
This volume contains the Intelligence Reports of Sir Percy Cox, High Commissioner for Mesopotamia [also written as Iraq in this volume], based in Baghdad, covering the period 15 November 1920 to 15 September 1921. They largely relate to: the political situation in Mesopotamia and the surrounding region; the formation and proceedings of the provisional government; the events leading up to the creation of Mandatory Iraq [also known as the Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration] and the election and appointment of Faisal [Fayṣal bin Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] as the first King of Iraq [Fayṣal I].
The Intelligence Reports are numbered and appear to have been issued at two-week intervals. This volume contains the reports numbered 1-3, 9-19 and 21. There is no explanation in the volume regarding the reason for the absent reports. The format of the reports is a mixture of printed and copy typescript. Each report is preceded by a covering circular issued by the office of the High Commissioner indicating the British Government departments and the officers and departments in the Middle East to which the report was copied.
Report Nos. 1-3 are preceded by an assessment of the political situation described in the Intelligence Report, written by Major R Marrs.
The reports generally comprise the following sections:
- A summary of the report (from report No. 14 onwards only)
- An account of the proceedings of the Council of Ministers
- Analysis of current public opinion and allegiances, (notably an analysis of public opinion on the Amir [Emir] Faisal and his arrival in Mesopotamia, including a reference to his 'personal magnetism', f 88), in report Nos 16-19
- Notes on provincial affairs
- Notes on the situation at the frontiers
- Extracts of 'Iraq Police Abstracts of Intelligence' (reports No. 9-14 only).
Other subjects notably covered in various reports include:
- Assyrian, Armenian and Urumiyan [Urmian] refugees (report Nos. 2 and 19)
- Perceived foreign influences in Iraq (report Nos. 2 and 3)
- The withdrawal of Saiyid [Sayyid] Talib Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. [Sayyid Ṭālib bin Rajab al-Naqīb] from the Government and Baghdad (report No. 12)
- Kurdistan (report Nos. 12-14)
- Turkish and Kurdish Frontiers (report No. 12)
- Dair al Zor [Deir ez-Zor] (report Nos. 1 and 12)
- Notes on 'Internal Affairs' (Nos. 18 and 19)
- Analysis of the referendum result which confirmed the election of Faisal as Iraq's first monarch (report No. 19)
- The formation of King Faisal's first cabinet (report No. 21).
Appendices are included with some reports, usually comprising copies of the High Commissioner's proclamations or communications 'to the people of Iraq' or documents relevant to the particular report (notably 'Provisional scheme for the re-organisation of the law courts' and 'Report of the committee constituted for studying the irrigation problem in Mesopotamia' in report No. 9).
Each report is concluded with a Supplement or Press Bureau Report, comprising extensive summaries and extracts of newspaper articles published in the local and 'foreign' (local region mainly) press. Notable publications cited are: Al 'Iraq , Al Fallah Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour. , Al Dijlah , and (Syrian publication) Lissan al 'Arab.
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (front of the volume).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (289 folios)
- Arrangement
The reports are arranged mostly in numerical/chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. Report No. 18 is followed by Report No. 21 and then Report No. 19 which is the last report in 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 284; 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 two leading and two ending flyleaves. The sequence contains one foliation anomaly: f 267a.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/962
- Title
- File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS'
- Pages
- 155r, 154r, 129r, 97v:98r, 85v:87v, 65r:67v, 50v:52r, 14r:16r
- Author
- Lissan Al-Arab xx Lissan al Arab xx Lisan al Arab
- Usage terms
- Public Domain