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'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎126r] (251/1386)

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The record is made up of 1 file (687 folios). It was created in 1915-1918. 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. .

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Tel dy/5/10/1
9
Tel.
dy/ 7/10/14
Tel,dated
7th Oct
(5)
/
jin reply to the Secretary of State’s telegram of the 3rd Oct
the Viceroyfwho had not then received Ho 1158 of the 5th)
suggested that a landing at Abadan might be considered a
violation of Persian neutrality which would be unfavourably
It also
regarded by Indian Muhammedansonoiadi mighty lead to reprisals
by Turkey and f orm a pretext for declaring war which was
to be avoided. H.E.deprecated any action which could be
regarded as a direct provocation by Turkey and suggested that
Bassidu, which is in British territory, might be the best
place to land the troops, Abadan being defended by a warship.
The Viceroy,after consulting the Commander in Chief and in
response to the Secretary of State’s request of the 5th Oct,
gave his opinion on the Abadan project. His Excellency ^
stated that it seemed clear that the Germans desired to
create an impression among Muhamedans that Turkey was the
object of agression by Christian Powers and that although
questionsjof neutrality were too technical to be understood
by the masses all would appreciate the meaning of such
provocative actions as the landing of troops in Turkish
waters. For these reasons the Vicerpy thdm&htthat in order
to avoid disturbing Mussalraan opinion in India, where we
were weaker in a military sense than usual, it would be well
to land the troops either at Bassidu or Bahrein ,preferably
the latter from the point of view of influencing Ibn Baud
and the Sheikh Katr. His Excellency said also that he pro
posed to send Sir P.Cox as Political Officer with any exped-
tion to the Gulf.
Various reports were received that the Vali of Basra,acting
under instructions from his Government, had strongly protes
ted against the presence of British ships of war in the
Shatt-el-Arab and had demanded their remov.il within 24 hours.

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Content

This file contains working drafts of confidential prints, correspondence and telegrams from the room of Sir Edmund Barrow, Military Secretary in 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. , collected for the Mesopotamian Commission which was convened to examine the causes of the besieging and surrender of the Indian Expeditionary Force in Kut-el-Amara [Al Kūt].

The papers cover a range of topics and include the following: General Townshend's assessment of the situation after the Battle of Kut-el-Amara; a précis of correspondence relating to the origins and development of the Mesopotamia expedition; and a collection (ff 396-399) of private telegrams between the Secretary of State for India and the Viceroy, prior to the outbreak of war with Turkey.

The file also includes some tables showing the strength of General Townshend's force at Ctesiphon (folio 111) as well as the Indian Expeditionary Force 'D' (In Mesopotamia) Troops of the 6th Poona Division (folio 114).

Correspondents include: General Sir John Nixon; Major-General Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend; the Viceroy of India; officials of the Admiralty; officials of the War Office.

Extent and format
1 file (687 folios)
Arrangement

The entries are recorded in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 686; 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. Multiple additional mixed foliation/pagination sequences are present in parallel; these numbers are written in crayon and pencil; where they are written in pencil and circled, they are crossed through.

The file has one foliation anomaly, f 374A.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎126r] (251/1386), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/768, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100116195929.0x000036> [accessed 13 March 2025]

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