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File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)' [386r] (782/946)
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.
The country where you propose to put us is good, and if we were to live
there under British protection, we would ask no better, but we wish
to say that to send us there, without keeping us under a measure of
British protection, is not putting us under ^a benevolent government ,, ,
and seems to us contrary to the pledges given by the Prime minister of
Great Britain concerning all Christians who were under the Turk of old.
The Persians in Urmi massacred, after the end of the war, every
Assyrian who remained in Unai, - to the number of 7000,- after the
migration of the balk of our people.
It is notorious that the Turkish government, since the armistice,
has continued to massacre the Armenians who were in its power.
Kurds have shown themselves, — thanks to Turkish intrigue! s,— so
disorderly that an expedition has had to be sent against them, and the
contingent raised from our nation bore an honourable part in this
fighting.
Yet, it is now proposed to send our people, a recognised ally of
Great Britain, which has just Been fishting in her cause against the
Kurds of that district, to live as i* they can, under Persian, Kurd,
and Turk.
The only protection to he given us is, - a few rifles, and a promise
which it is hoped the Kurdish chiefs will give.
Meantime at this moment Simco Agha, the chief who murdered our Patri-
-arch, has been stirred up by the Turks, and is supreme on the border
of the very district to which you wish to send us, and has just defeat
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)' [386r] (782/946), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/774, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100184391544.0x0000a3> [accessed 12 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
- 188r:188v, 333r:333v, 350r:352v, 398r:398v, 390r:390v, 384r:388v, 365r:365v, 243r:243v
- Author
- Wigram, William Ainger
- Usage terms
- The copyright status is unknown. Please contact [email protected] with any information you have regarding this item.
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/774
- Title
- File 5655/1918 Pt 2 'Mesopotamia: Refugee Camp at Baqubah (1920 – papers)'
- Pages
- 385r:388v, 366r:366v, 311r:311v, 283r:283v, 232r:233v, 198r:198v, 193r:193v, 184r:184v
- Author
- d'Beth Mar Shimun, Lady Surma Khanim
- Copyright
- ©Mar Shimun Memorial Foundation (marshimun.com)
- Usage terms
- Creative Commons Non-Commercial Licence