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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [‎134r] (278/995)

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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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- 2 -
Tliey undoubtedly sent messengers to the Khushnao
chiefs the most important of whom are related to Haj.ii
Hashid Agha and Ahmed Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , pointing out that the Govern
ment had no troops in Arhil and was tottering to its iall.^
' After the arrests the conspirators dispersed and the situa
-tion in the town greatly improved.
i left Arhil on the 18th and proceeded to Koi which
I had not visited since the death of Hama Agha. My stay
there was very brieft and I hurried up to Batas which I
reached on August 31st. I foupd that Qadir Beg despite
his promises had not yet done anything and that Saiyid All
had collQctQd in addition to his own men who numbered sixt,
alDOut a hundred gurchi from the Desht-i-tfarir who could or-
no account trusted* On August 22nd Qadir 3eg arrived
at Batas with 400 men and interviewed me with the other
leading Khushnao eheifs. he informed me that he had had
the greatest difficulty in collecting the men, and that
he had to imprison several Mullas who were telling the
men that it was wrong to fight on the Id and wrong for
Muharamedans to kill Muhammedans. He said he was willing
to cross the river hut that he knew his men would not
fight. I had already realised the fact that owing to the
delay the proximity of the •Id would prevent operations,
and I ordered the gathering to disperse. I realised that
some of the Khushnao chiefs must have been working against
the Government hut then felt sure that Qadir Beg could he
trusted. He promised me that if any of the surchi from
the Aqr& district crossed the Zab, or if any of the
villages on the left hank joined them he would adequately
punish them.
On the 23rd I left for Arhil having learnt that Nuri
and Hamda shin f s son were on our side of the river and
had got Bawil Agha’s family out of Bawanduz. I sent
Saiyid Ali to chase them, tut they succeeding in escaping
and on the 24th with a party of Surchi fired on the
Gendarme

About this item

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' [‎134r] (278/995), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/761, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137804986.0x00004f> [accessed 12 June 2026]

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