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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [420r] (852/995)
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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
P 4481!)
. 1 R -.
aeroplane
From: Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, ilk June 1020.
(Received 5th, 10 45 ,a.m.) irus-amg
0(i4.3 My telegram of 2nd June. 6584. 1 visited Hillah and WmnVby
” ,. p lv h} ^ J,me - and conferred with leading Sheikhs at both places false
met l oht'ClH Othceie at Kerbela and Najaf. Efforts have been made hy son of C e
Mujtah.d at Kerbe a to work up popular feeling against mandate, but hitherto rdth
ntle success. Letters have been issued urging tribes and people of NajafTo fo ow
the example of Baghdad and rise against the British. These efforts have me w
• rema 1 , ' kably reS P° nse Na .i af "P to date. There are indications that the to v is
people resent intervention of priesthood in politics of Allied countries (? and) are at
present disinclined to ake any action whatever. A political meeting was he d a
Najaf to select a deputation to visit me and to put forward demands. Those elected
flatly refused to proceed, and no one else could be found. The Committee ended i n
by deeding that they were satisfied with present form of government and w sh Z
no change. Attitude of tribes (? satisfactory), but Chiefs warned me earnes ly tl at
iriovements such as thase now current in Baghdad, unless checked, were bound to
spread, and insisted that best course for us to take was to deal drifticallv w ti e
ringleaders while we could, and to make it absolutely clear that we had lot he
mandate and were going to act up to our responsibilities. I propose,to act accordingly
smtabie opportunity offers Independent reports eountcrbahmiAt that on v
Baghdad and Mosul show any inclination to object t , nr'M f te fiZfTw,, • V
leaders of opposition in Baghdad are former ZmWs o^mn,^ 1 of n a,^
I regress, who have been objecting for past 15 or 20 years to anv ami even orm o
government and whilst this does not make their position any the less inconvenient it
■ 11 : t0 f lllbcount ) Bs value. It is agreed on all sides that they have absolutely’no
constructive policy, and tins is borne out by the fact that they have invariably refused
to explain to me the nature of the government they would setup in this country if
sf ia their own way, except by declaring that they would follow the example of
Zor is mainfggfrSje. ^ a "' 0,1 S,UUl "- V - from Dair-ez-
Attempt le- (ef^rnipt group) Sniini-Shiah demonstration at Kadhimain passed off
very quietly last night, and police reports indicate that my publie4l-omarks to local
delegation iide my telegram of 2nd June, have sobered public opinion and o-iven all
something to think about. ®
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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [420r] (852/995), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/761, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137804989.0x000035> [accessed 17 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/761
- Title
- File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:89v, 89ar:89av, 90r:113r, 114v, 118v:120r, 121v, 127v:169v, 173r:192v, 194r:211v, 213r:223v, 225r:227r, 229r:261v, 262v:263v, 266r:279v, 280ar, 280r:293v, 294v, 295v:317v, 318ar, 318r:333v, 334v:341v, 342v:359v, 360v:400v, 404r:424v, 425ar, 425r:489v, ii-r:ii-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence