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File 4722/1918 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration of policy and situation' [259r] (533/687)
The record is made up of 1 volume (326 folios). It was created in 23 Oct 1918-2 Nov 1919. It was written in English, French and Arabic. 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.
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1
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l^■
X TELEGRAM FROM POLITICAL, BAGIDAD.
DATED 4th DFCED^., 1918.
(ESCD. 5th, 2 p.m.)
hD-ic
:! , ^
'r‘
10628* (R). I visited Kifri, Sulaimaniyah, Kirkuk,rmd
Mosul by air December 1st and December 2nd.
At Sulaimaniyah I found awaiting my arrival about 60
principal chiefs of Southern Kurdistan including representat
ives /from Kurdish tribes domiciled in Persia ot Baneh Sakiz
and (corrupt group)* Major Noel though single-handed and
without clerical staff has controlled situation admirably
and Sheikh Mahmoud who has been appointed by me British
representative in Southern Kurdistan whilst" ostensibly direct
ing the course of events is in practice thoroughly uncler
Major Noel's control.
uffired
and
whilst § where was absolute unanimity among them as to their
intention to resist to the last any attempt on part of
European/ Powers to allow Turks to return, and a substantial
unanimity as to the need of British protection if they were
to prosper in future, there was some hesitation among chiefs
as/to wisdom of placing Southern Kurdistan under effective
^British administration, and some claimed that Kurdistan must-
be separ ated from Iraq ., and run direct from London, which in
!theireyes now replaces Constantinople. After much discuss
ion document was drawn up to following effect:-
H His Britannic ^aj esty’s Government having announced
that their intention in this war is,th° 1 ■?av. a-p
peoples from Turkish oppression and; g
"oo establish their independence, we^t
We people of Kurdistan ask TT is Br;*tannic Majesty’s Govern
ment to accept us also under Br JA * 1 " x A
us_ 'wO Iraq so that we may not
them
of
w,ia w as so ciauion;
i
v
we he:
^ be
attacl
and
in kesopotamia to send us a
assistants to enable Kurdistan*people unde
to progress peacefully on civilised line"
J
itisn protection and to
deprived of benefits of ’
eby request Civil Commissioner
epresentative with necessary
British auspices
s rf
ills Britannic Majesty’s
assistance and protection*to us we unde
Majesty
Government e:
:tend
iiis Bn warn 1 1 c
t
to
0.C!
the:
lent
orders and advice 1 .’
stating
those
any Kurdish tribes
in
:ed
In return I signed a document
from greater Zab to Diala (other than
territory) who of their own free will accept
SAieilui Mahmoud would be allowed to do so,
our moral support, in controlling the above
he
Persian
leadership
01
would, have
.0
and
that latter
^ _ _. q ¥ ^ ore a
on Dehalf of British Government whose orders
wo ooey. Tribes and towns people in Kifri and Kirkuk divis
ions are not willing to come under Sheikh Mahmoud and latte:
has agreed not to insist on their inclusion.
t i explained to representatives of the km-uis i wi
Persia that our ^publisued engagements preclude/ our agreeing
t,n Cihfilt* 1 Tin Ins t aid vn Rmv^.liAY'n rs*
be s in
to their inclusion in Southern Kurdistan Confederation
under British protection and that they must remain loy
Persian subjects remaining of course on friendly terms ,,
Confederation. They accepted position cheerfully and on
whole
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, telegrams and minutes regarding the administration of, and situation in, Mesopotamia [Iraq] following the Asia Minor Agreement of 1916, more commonly known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, between the French and British governments, and the Anglo-French Declaration of November 1918. The volume also concerns the subject of self-determination in Persia [Iran].
The papers notably cover:
- Discussion of advance interpretations of the 1916 Agreement
- The Anglo-French Declaration of November 1918, which publicised their intentions and policy in the former Ottoman territories of Syria and Iraq
- Presentation of the 1918 Declaration to the President of the United States of America by the French Ambassador to the US, Jean Adrien Antoine Jules Jusserand
- Disagreement between the British and French visions of the future administration of Mesopotamia
- The situation in southern Kurdistan
- The 1919 Paris Peace Conference
- Apprehensions of the Baghdad Jewish community about the tenor of the Anglo-French Declaration, including a petition to the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, requesting to be made subjects of the British Crown
- Reaction to the Declaration from the across the Arab world
- Disagreement among the British over the form that Britain’s control in Mesopotamia should take
- The views of the principal sheikhs [shaikhs] of Mesopotamia on the 1918 Agreement
- Discussion among British officials of the benefits of control over Mesopotamia and the view of the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad, Arnold Talbot Wilson, on the situation in Mesopotamia
- Discussion of the potential candidates for the head of the new state of Iraq
- Reports on consultations with political and religious leaders and inhabitants from across Iraq on the future Government of Iraq
- The views of Sir Percy Cox and Arnold Wilson on the situation in Mesopotamia
- The question of the future political status of Mesopotamia, including the views of British officers serving in Syria and the Hejaz
- Discussion of the question of Iraqi self-determination.
Notable documents in this volume include:
- Text by Sir Percy Cox regarding ‘The Future of Mesopotamia’ (ff 308-310 and ff 270-272)
- Extracts from The Times , 26 November 1819, including a series of articles under the title ‘The Arab Campaign’ (ff 230-232)
- The statutes for the independence of Iraq (ff 127-130)
- A memorandum by Major W H Young regarding the future of Mesopotamia (ff 99-112)
- Copies of ‘Self-determination in Iraq’ in Arabic (ff 75-97) and English (ff 57-73).
The principal correspondents are: 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. , Political Department; the Governor-General of India; the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad; the Military Governor and Political Officer, Baghdad; Government of India, Military Department, the French Ambassador to the United States; and the British Embassy, Paris.
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 (326 folios)
- Arrangement
The contents of the volume are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
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 334; 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 mixed foliation/pagination 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 two anomalies: f 181a and f 181b.
- Written in
- English, French and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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File 4722/1918 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration of policy and situation' [259r] (533/687), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/755, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100188328445.0x0000ab> [accessed 14 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/755
- Title
- File 4722/1918 Pt 1 'Mesopotamia: administration of policy and situation'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:127v, 128ar, 128r:175v, 176ar, 176r:181v, 181ar:181av, 181cr, 181br:181bv, 182r:182v, 186r:229v, 232v:325v, 327r:334v, 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