![File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎260v] (531/586)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00035a/IOR_L_PS_10_962_0531.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎260v] (531/586)")
File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [260v] (531/586)
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.
fn f. Orn
i ;i j
lb '
"" 1 li t j i!i
If *•
13. 'The following* notice was posted on a wall in New Street on Novein
her 27th : —
NOTICE.
Reply to the manifesto of Kokus which appeared in Al ‘Iraq on November
15th: *—*
If it is the intention of the British to become Mandatory Power /over
‘Iraq, against the wishes of the ‘Iraqis who have written with their pure blood
“ That they do not want any Mandate over them ”, then we shall be forced to
ask help from those Foreign Governments who are willing to deliver us from
the ambitious and iniquitous British.
We have already received letters from the Bolshevik Government inform
ing us of their readiness to deliver us. '
(Sd.) HAQQI,
President of Haqq (Bight) Society.
Note:— Words in italics were in red.
14.
Extracts, from Mesopotamian Police' Abstracts of Intelligence, dateE
November 6th, November 13th and November 2,0th.
Haji ‘Abdul Rahman al Shaikhli informed a reliable Agent that he had
been invited by Saiyid Salman son of Shaikh Ahmad al Shaikh Baud and
Muhiuddin ibn Salim (the e^-Turkish Gendarmerie Officer arrested at Tiknt
and released on Saiyid Talib’s bond) to join a secret National Society formed
by them,
A very reliable agent reports that a secret attempt is being made to resusci
tate the old National School Party. The advocates of this scheme are using
Al Istiqlal as their organ and are in communication with the old self-elected
Deputies. Their object is to oppose the present Arab Ministry and prove gene
rally obstructive.
The account of the deliberations which have passed at the meetings of the
State Council have certainly been well received this week and the programme as
drawn up by the Higli Commissioner defining the duties of Adviser and
Minister has generally been accepted as reasonable and just. The prompt
action of ‘Abdul Rahman Al Naqib in opposing any attempt to dominate the
Council has been noted.
Feeling against the newspaper Al Istiqlal runs high amongst the moderates
and distinctly pro-British. They fear that it may create mischief when there
is hope of a peaceful settlement.
a 1 Qaimaqji, one of the C.U.P. leaders, informed an Agent
that he had been invited by Jamil al Zahawi to attend a gathering at the house
o Murad Bey, brother of the late Shaukat
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
. Jamil al Zahawi said that
| 1he * y a ^embled there every night to discuss Turkish National affairs. It
appears that they aim at supporting a Kamalite Turkish Society.
On the 19th November, 1920, the Law School Students held a farewell
ceremony at the Royal Cinema m honour of Ahmad Hilmi Bey, Personal Assist-
P 1 1C1 a & ^ re i tar 7 return t0 The organisers were
F and ,^ as 1 hat al ^. awi -. Speeches were made by Sulaimaoj
a - ° 1 ®, u aim an Effendi al Sinawi, ‘Abbas al ‘Azzawi and Ata
reach ' J ,e lanei ‘eaded his speech with the following: “ When you
tell them that v f'Vi / because it has obtained its legal rights,
^h Mood ” 7 Rafidam the land of two rivers-troubled and flowing
Karbala 1 are t S f7 a . ni ^.^f llas stated that the people of
eomnlain ofB/^^^ 1 • ei i’7 ellVerance from revolution. They
ino . reyenoe for tbp ' iri Kammunah, who, they declare, is exact-
SlriiMi AhiliQi'n a | rM S | 3. 1 ! u exceeding the excesses of their late oppressor.
“ “proper (te“- ^ >le the^ppoiol-
allfl ^ p r. ted tha * tt 6 Slla!kl > al Shari 1 ah is rapidly declining
“ L h v inl mi 3 5 ? f! thm lf He 1S ex P e c»«<l to die any day. He is criticised
peace with Governme™ 0 PP» rtm “‘y of concluding a more honourable
.,,,,1 FMM'r a ™ no , w be g inni ng to engross the attention of both Moderates
iM7n aliS h rhe l! : Mc r are end ea™uring to increase the number of
Baghdad Deputies so as to decrease Saiyid Talib’s Basrah supporters.
- 7 rr ‘
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [260v] (531/586), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/962, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100111165836.0x000084> [accessed 11 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100111165836.0x000084
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100111165836.0x000084">File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS' [‎260v] (531/586)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100111165836.0x000084"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00035a/IOR_L_PS_10_962_0531.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00035a/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/962
- Title
- File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS'
- Pages
- 260v
- Author
- Haqq Society
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.