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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [‎12r] (32/995)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (491 folios). It was created in 28 Jun 1920-11 Feb 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. .

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1
making "tiie llasiriyah - Suwaij road Llamun•
The general Gharaff situation is satisfactory.
Khaiyun is at Shatrah where his authority in the town is
unquestioned. In the tribes he is followed by half of the
Abudah, by five sections of the Khafajah by the anti-
Sulaiman al Sheriff elements of the Bani Zaid and by the
leading section of the Albu Sa'ad besides smaller sections
of the Bani Richab, Gharaghul and Tegiyah tribes of qalat
Sikkar. Bowhere else in the Muntafiq is there a character
with so widespread and considerable an influence# It is
quite certain however that he could not take revenue
without British support : it is equally certain that he
would tolerate no other Arab Hakim. Further up the Gharaff
the Oalat Sikkar tribes present a more difficult problem.
Mohan el Khaiyrullah has neither the character nor the
influence of Khaiyun. His being set up there as Political
Officer would doubtless stiffen the backs of his already
numerous rivals while it would be a strange reward for his
recent anti-British activities. At the same time he is |lk
perhaps the most powerful Shaikh of the District and is
strong enough to be a thorn in the side of any imported
Arab Hakim. '
C
SUa-AL-SHtmiKH.
Following the evacuation of the Assistant
Political Officer, the telegraph line was cut, the flying
boat bridge was in part removed and the river became no
longer safe for navigation. Generally speaking there
were two distinct tribal groups, one passive, the Bani
£h&ig&n; the other actively hostile, the Mjurrah. Of the
latter the Hachch&m, Shaddud and Asachirah took the leading
part while their respective head Shaikhs Gasid al Hahi, Kaji
Faisal al Shaddud and Bukhi al Mis*ad loudly protested their
personal loyalty to Government. Haji Kaesan Hamdani had
been appointed Government representative at Suq in September
but his influence outside the town has throughout been only
nominal as is shown by the fact that during his occupancy of
office three of his gardens have passed into tribal hands.

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Content

The volume consists of correspondence, memoranda, drafts, and departmental notes relating to rebellion against British mandatory rule in Mesopotamia [approximately corresponding to present-day Iraq], later known as the Iraqi Revolt of 1920.

The volume covers the period from the start of unrest in May 1920 to British imposition of control in October of the same year. The majority of the volume comprises reports from political officers across Mesopotamia on the situation in their respective divisions and districts.

Other matters discussed within the volume include:

  • The suspected causes of the uprising, including fears of ‘Bolshevik’ and pro-Turkish influence
  • Settlement of the border between Syria and Mesopotamia
  • Military strategy and operations, including the need for reinforcements
  • The severing of British lines of communication, particularly rail
  • The efficacy and principles of the use of armoured cars and air raids as means of control following numerous cases of misidentification and disproportionate force that resulted in the deaths and injuries of innocent people
  • Political and civil policy in the region
  • Identification and arrest of some of the leaders of the rebellion
  • The prominence of events in Mesopotamia in the British press
  • The question of disarming the tribes following the suppression of the rebellion.

Principal correspondents include officials at: 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. ; the Office of the Civil Commissioner in Mesopotamia (from November 1920, the High Commissioner); the War Office; General Headquarters of the military in Mesopotamia; and the Government of India, Foreign and Political and Army departments.

The volume contains cuttings from several publications, including: The Times , The Statesman , The Observer , The Daily Herald , The Daily Mail , The Baghdad Times , and The Near East .

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 back of the correspondence. A second divider is included, for File 4722/1918 Part 7, entitled ‘Mesopotamia: Sir A. Wilson’s invitation to Syrian Baghdadis’. This was transferred to File 5268/20 Parts 1 and 2 (see IOR/L/PS/10/913).

Extent and format
1 volume (491 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged in approximate chronological order, from the rear to the front.

The subject 4722 (Mesopotamia) consists of ten volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/755-764. The volumes are divided into twelve parts, with parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 comprising one volume each. Part 10 is missing. Part 7, entitled ‘Mesopotamia: Sir A. Wilson’s invitation to Syrian Baghdadis’, was transferred to File 5268/20 Parts 1 and 2 (see IOR/L/PS/10/913).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 489; 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 intermittent additional foliation sequences are also present. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. The sequence contains one foliation anomaly, f 89a.

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English in Latin script
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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [‎12r] (32/995), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/761, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137804985.0x000021> [accessed 22 June 2026]

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