'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎219v] (437/501)

\
1 : 250,000 War Office map, which they managed to capture during the war, and of
which they subsequently made identical copies in Turkish character for the use of their
staff.
When compiling the 1 : 250,000 map it was suggested to me that the Turkish
administrative divisions might be put on it, but with only Huber’s small scale map and
Cuinet to guide me, and moreover, from my own experience of Turkish boundaries on
the spot % I found it impossible to cany this out with any tolerable accuracy, so I left
them out. Similarly, when the 1 :2,000,000 R.G.S. map of Eastern Turkey in Asia,
Syria and West Persia was published, the same suggestion was made by the R.G.S.,
but I concluded that it would be better to omit the administrative boundaries for the
reasons given above.
Then as regards the 1 : 1,000,000 world map, with special reference to the sheets
representing Eastern Turkey in Asia, it may be noticed that these give the vilayet
boundaries there. I had nothing to do with the production of this map ; doubtless
Sir Charles Close evolved this information from some sources open to his somewhat
bureaucratic mind, but as one who had seen things on the spot 1 could not subscribe
to them.
The southern and south-western boundaries of the Vilayet of Van, with those of
Mosul and Bitlis respectively, have always remained particularly indefinite because the
Governments of these vilayets found great difficulty in controlling the Kurdish tribes
(many of them nomad) of Hakkiari and the Boh tan districts, and had, after several
unsuccessful attempts at control, left them semi-independent, mulcting them of taxes
or tribute whenever a favourable opportunity offered.
in is represented the state of things before the war, when the situation was fairly
normal and the Armenian and Assyrian questions more or less quiescent, but I scarcely
thmk it has altered much at the present day when the Armenians and Assyrians have
been obliterated or driven from their proper homes, and the control of the Angora
ov eminent over the Hakkiari and Bohtan has certainly become much weaker than
that of the former Imperial Government.
At a previous period I believe the Vilayet of Van had included in it the Amadia
xvaza, as happens at present, but it was subsequently given up to Mosul as it was
found piactically impossible to maintain communication between Van and Amadia in
t . rac ^ s d own ^e Great Zab Valley being mostly closed then and found
difficult even in summer; while the routes between Amadia and Mosul through Dohul
and the Bahdinan are alw T ays open at all seasons.
It seems to me an anachronism that Amadia should be in any way under Van.
Before the war it might possibly have been useful to Van as a centre from which
I tan and the lower Assyrian districts on the Great Zab might have been controlled
but as these latter are now largely derelict I cannot see how Amadia can be any use at
all to the Government of Van, except as a centre from which to disseminate propaganda
hostile to our interests m the Mosul Vilayet, an advantage which is no doubt fully
appreciated and taken advantage of. ^
Basilkala is the headquarters of the Sanjak of Hakkiari in the Vilayet of Van and
from this point was before the war, and probably is now, directed as far as possible the
government of the very intricate mountain districts to the south along the Persian
frontier and south-west along the gorges of the Great Zab. Bashkala itself stands in
the upland plain of Albak, some 8,000 feet above sea level, with a severe winter climate
and is then difficult of access, the only route then being the lofty Chukh pass which’
however, remained passable except in actual blizzards.
In summer, however Bashkala is comparatively easy of access and commands also
an easy route across the Persian frontier to Uruinia.
^ ie northern boundary of the Hakkiari Sanjak was clearlv marked by the Chukh
Dagh and its continuations south-west to the Kokobulend Peak, after which definition
became very vague. As the Albak plain terminates a few miles below Bashkala the
Great Zab abruptly plunged into a series of deep rocky gorges from which it does not
emerge for many miles, sweeping round by the Amadia Kaza and passing through the
Assyrian districts. ° ®
In these mountains the Turks maintained only one kaimakam at Julamerk who
did Ins best from the old castle of the Kurdish “mirs” of Hakkiari to administer 'the
wild mountains around him. e
He contented himself with collecting an annual tribute from each of the Assyrian
valleys which lay south of him, along tributaries of the Great Zab, such as Diz W
VValto, lian, balebekkan, and so on as shown on the 1:250,000 map there b ' ’
fixed sum paid by the “ malik,” or headman of each tributary ’valley He also tried 8 1*

'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎219v] (437/501)

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'Mosul Question, Lausanne 1922-1923 and after - Papers, despatches, speeches - Hotel de la Mer at Lausanne - Correspondence about oil' [‎219v] (437/501)

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