![File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [‎441r] (892/946)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00029c/IOR_L_PS_10_774_0892.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [‎441r] (892/946)")
File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [441r] (892/946)
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.
2
• 3
In the spring of 1915 the Russians had advanced South and West into Kurdistan accompanied
by Armenian and Assyrian Troops.
For some eighteen months after this the Moslems and Christians lived in comparative peace on
the Urumieh and Salmas plains. But when the break up of the Russian Army occurred, trouble
recommenced. ,
I Early in November 1917 the Russians having decided to withdraw their forces from North
Western Persia, the serious question arose, as to what the Assyrian Nation was to do. It was
eventually decided that they would remain, and along with the Armenians in the North endeavour
to hold the Persian frontier against the Turks. They accepted Arms and Ammunition from the
Russians to do this, and some Russian Officers along with one French Officer stayed on as their
instructors. This arming of the Christians was very much resented by the Persians and eventually
led to many disturbances.
In January 1918 a British Officer arrived at Urumieh and promised to support the Assyrians in
their war against the Turks. Shortly after, a French Military Mission was sent, but on account of
hostilities on the part of the Persians, withdrew.
Events followed rapidly. The Persians having ordered the Assyrians to disarm, and this not
being obeyed, forcibly tried to so. This led to disturbances in Khoi, Salmas and Urumieh. In the
latter town on the 22nd February the Christians inflicted a heavy defeat on the Moslems. Peace
was prevented through the interference of outside Persians. Simko Agha, a Kurdish Chief of Kotir
invited Mar Shim'un, the Patriarch, head of the Assyrian nation, to a peace conference on the
conclusion of which Mar Shim'un and his followers were treacherously murdered. When the news
reached the town of Urumieh, tho Kurds were promptly massacred by the Christians.
An Assyrian force was immediately organised and despatched to punish Simku iu his fortress
at Chara. After 36 hours fighting Simku was defeated and many of his people killed : but he
himself with some 500 followers escaped to Khoi. About the middle of April a Turkish force was
reported to be advancing from the direction of Sujbulak and Ushnu. The Assyrians advanced to
meet this force, defeated the Turks, and captured some guns near Ushnu. But the opposition of
the Persian democrats increased against the Assyrians, and some 4,000 of them living in Khoi were
ruthlessly massacred, only a few women and children being left.
From this time on, until the end of July the Christians were hard put to it defending themselves
against the combined forces of Turks, Kurds and Persians.
Threatened by overwhelming numbers, and without ammunition, the Christians were finally
forced to leave their homes in the Urumieh plains, and to start off on their long Southernly march
through hostile country to seek shelter behind the British, whom they had long expected to come
to their succour.
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [441r] (892/946), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/774, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100184391543.0x000055> [accessed 11 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100184391543.0x000055
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100184391543.0x000055">File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [‎441r] (892/946)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100184391543.0x000055"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00029c/IOR_L_PS_10_774_0892.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00029c/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
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