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File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [403r] (816/946)
The record is made up of 1 volume (464 folios). It was created in 27 Dec 1919-30 Dec 1920. It was written in English and French. 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.
ti L
tele
anc’
(P 2478) From Civil Commissioner, Boghclad, 2bth March 1920.
(Repeated to Government of India, and Teheran.)
(Received 26tli, 3 p.m.)
Clear the line.
(R.) 3746. Your telegram of 22nd March, Kurdistan
( 1 ) Please see my telegram of 13th February, No. 1975, as regards effect of
domnent of Jvuidish aieas upon extent ol our militarv comniitnients This
•am, as also my telegram of 3rd February, No. 1555, embodies the deliberate
. reasoned views of the military authorities in this country and the unanimous
opinio i ot all oilicers ol experience concerned.
( 2 ) It is my duty solemnly to express to Government my conviction that the
policy uhich they aie appaiently about to adopt is likely before dong to prove fatal to
retention ol Mesopotamia.
(3) The sole garrisons in divisions of Sulaimaniyah and Arbil at present moment
aie one regiment ol Indian infantry, two squadrons and two guns half way between
Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, and two companies in Arbil Division. I have a creed to the
withdrawal of last-named force whenever the military authorities find it convenient
(4) Law and order is maintained up to Persian frontier in both divisions'by
Kurdish levies under British and Kurdish officers.
(5) The evacuation of Snlaimaniyah and withdrawal of the British administration
will involve us m considerably larger commitments on Kurdistan-Mesopotamia frontier
than is represented by above troops.
.j?) The anticipation of His Majesty’s Government that grant to Southern
Kurdistan of a wider measure of autonomy than is granted to other parts of
Mesopotamia will cause trouble in latter area is, I think, most unlikely to be
realised m practice.
It is peifectly well lecognised that tribal areas are less advanced and require
separate treatment, and differences not less wide exist already in various parts of
Mesopotamia.
: (7) The Vilayets of Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra, as administered by the Turks
iorm a single and indivisible whole.
iV m i non under consideration by His Majesty’s Government break
up old lurkish system which had much in its favour, and entail creation of an
anarchic area between plains of Mesopotamia and Persian frontier, the existence of
which is bound to create a series of most difficult problems and to arouse a degree of
popular resentment against ns in the areas affected and in Mesopotamia which I am
not prepared to facilitate.
(9) Ko haid-and-last cut can be drawn between Kurdistan and Mesopotamia.
1 here are a series ol imperceptible gradations between the nomadic tribal Kurd,
fettled tribal Kurd, settled non-tribal Kurd, settled Turco tribes, settled tribes half
uico Aiab, nornadic Arab, and settled Arab. All these elements are gradually
settling down into their places, (? therefore) the policy which His Majesty’s
Government are about to adopt will disturb the gradual process of crystallisation
now in progress, and will encourage the formation of new and (two corrupt
groups). i
(10) No Kurd is competent to speak for the whole of Kurdistan, nor do I
know of any one man competent to speak for any area larger than a single
ia J%) or Hibe. Kurds as a whole have racial, but no national feeling.
Geographical and political conditions in Kurdistan have always prevented the
existence of larger political units.
( 11 ) Popular opinion as far as I and my officers can gauge it (and I think we
have.had exceptional opportunities for doing so) is in favour of continuation of the
existing regime to which they wish to abdicate local Kurd. (Several corrupt groups)
o be given as soon as possible in order to satisfy their national (corrupt groups) and
° v U ou ^ et ( C0rri| pt groups) of sympathies generally. This is being done.
IV i • u° ^° nn - 0p WOrC ^ s w ^ c k may be adopted to secure British economic or
political influence in Southern Kurdistan will have been of avail if peace with Turkey
18 0 signed for throwing these areas which we have redeemed at the cost of so
much blood and money from disorder into deeper anarchy than they have yet known
alter they have experienced better things.
i . | T ^ ^eg that Government will even at the last moment reconsider a policy
1 e - 11 ] 0 1 1J / llSt W ^kin a few years either be reversed at great expense and loss of life or
a o (corrupt group) incidents which very possibly involve the abandonment of
About this item
- Content
This volume contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, telegrams and minutes. It mainly covers conversations between British and French officials regarding the Christian (mostly Assyrian and Armenian) refugees in the refugee camp at Baqubah [also written Ba’qubah, Ba’quba and Baquba] in Mesopotamia [approximately corresponding to present-day Iraq], and their possible repatriation.
Related matters of discussion include the following: the health of the refugees; background; labour capacity; expenses and payments of the refugee camp; administration of the camp and its economic challenges; transportation for repatriation. Included in the correspondence are letters from Surma Khanin D’Mar Shimun describing the situation of the camp and asking for changes to the camp, and for the return of the Assyrians and Armenians. In addition, there are some inquiries received by British officials from Christian Assyrians. Also mentioned are the following: the ‘Christian Army of Revenge’, French propaganda among the Assyrians, Assyrio-Chaldean [Assyro-Chaldeans] refugees in Russia, and the American Mission.
In addition, the volume includes the following:
- Details of the numbers of Armenian refugees in the camp at Baqubah on 7 December 1919 (f 462)
- Memoranda on the Armenian refugees present in the camp 1919 (ff 436-459)
- Notes on the Assyrian refugees in the camp, dated July 1920 (ff 199-210)
- List of the number of Armenians in the camp (ff 104-105)
- A memorandum on the Assyrian and Armenian refugees in Mesopotamia (ff 95-97)
- A map showing a ‘Proposed Nestorian Enclave’ (f 466).
The principal correspondents are: Civil Commissioner, Baghdad; British High Commission, Constantinople [Istanbul]; British Embassy in Washington; British Consulate, Tabriz; War Office; Lord Curzon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, British Delegation, Paris; officials at the refugee camp at Baqubah; French Embassy, London; Board of Foreign Mission of the Presbyterian Church in the United States; the Mar Shimun family.
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.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (464 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
The subject 5655 (Mesopotamia) consists of 3 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/773-775. The volumes are divided into 4 parts, with part 1 comprising the first volume, part 2 comprising the second volume, and parts 3-4 comprising the third volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 468; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 197-462; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [403r] (816/946), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/774, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100184391542.0x00009f> [accessed 6 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/774
- Title
- File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:6v, 9r:19v, 24r:35v, 36ar, 36r:70v, 72r:78v, 80r:88v, 90r:122v, 123ar, 123r:133v, 136r:153v, 154ar, 155r:158v, 160r:177v, 181r:183v, 185r:187v, 192r:192v, 194r:197v, 199r:203v, 204ar, 204r:231v, 234r:242v, 244r:271v, 277r:278v, 279ar, 279r:282v, 284r:293v, 294ar, 294r:310v, 312r:332v, 334r:349v, 353r:364v, 367r:383v, 389r:389v, 391r:397v, 399r:408v, 418r:465v, 467r:467v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence