"مذكرات الحرب. مقر قيادة الجيش، الهند. [...] قوة المشاة الهندية «د». المجلد ٣٧. الجزء II. (من ١٦ إلى ٣١ أغسطس ١٩١٧)." [و‎‎٨‎٤] (٥٤٦/١٧٢)

No. 59.
DIARY OF INFORMATION.
Dated 28 th July 1917 *
SUBJECTS*
1. Climate and Floods.
2. The Christians of Mesopotamia.
CLIMATE.
(Week ending 21st July 1917.)
Maximum temperature at Baghdad during the week occurred on 20th July 1917—122*8 .
Maximum temperature at Basrah during the week occurred on 18th July 1917—122-0^.
Minimum temperature at Baghdad during the week occurred on 21st July 1917 74^2
Minimum temperature at Basrah during the week occurred on 18th July 1917 74 0 .
The tremendous heat continues^ but the nights are comparatively cool.
FLOODS.
(Week ending 21st July 1917.)
Maximum Reading Baghdad Gauge during the week occurred on 15th July 1917
(Overflow 114*8).
Maximum Reading Amarah Gauge during the week occurred on 16th July 1917-
(Overflow 96-8).
The Gauge readings still show a fall.
THE CHRISTIANS OF MESOPOTAMIA.
The forms of Mesopotamian Christianity are many and Taried. In perhaps
no other country of the world hare they retained their original features um ^
paired by time, foreign invasion and internecine strife. I i P P
-95*78.
-92-68.
give a short sketch of the original development of the
Christianity in this country, then in a few words to compare J^ 8 -
Christianity was first introduced into what is now know n a P ,
by St. James and St. Thaddeus, the Apostles. They travelled over the South
Eastern area of Asia Minor, the North of Syria and turned South along the
vallevs of the Euphrates and Tigris, It has spread over the ^ortho E ypt,
over Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Gaul and even to the extreme North of Bri
tain. The successors of St. Peter at Rome had, as Heads of the Christ
Church, wielded an unchallenged sway under the aegis of the Roman Emperors.
In the IVth Century, under pressure of the invasions of Huns and Goths,
the Roman Emperor Constantine, at the partition of the noman Empire,
moved his Capital Eastwards to |Bysantmm the Roman Pontiff being left
behind at Rome. In those rude times, when the Tf 8
ling to its fall and communications few, dangerous and difficult, theHead ot the
State and the Head of the Church tended to drift apart Various Christian
peoples of the world had been organized, for purposes of ecclesiastical discipline,
under Patriarchs or Bishops, each nation or group of peoples being allowed to
retain subject to the sanction of the Pope, its own particular form of worship.
It was 3 during the reign of Constantine that the Patriarch of Con stan-
tinople, his power and influence having been increased by the presence of the
Emperor and the establishment of the Capital—claimed the utle of Ecumenica
Patriarch, that is. Universal Patriarch. Although he was not recognised as such
by the Emperor Constantine, subsequent Emperors, ever jealous of 1 apal supie-
macy and independence, were only too eager to seize the opportunity of
acquiring control over the Church by insisting on the claims of the Patriarch
of Constantinople, which were naturally contested by the Pope. Thus was
originated the greatest schism in Christianity before the Reformation.
g When East broke away from West the effect was tar-reaching, for it
meant that Christian struggle(d) with Christian ^^ .Snid this countrC
both Bv the Vllth Century it was too late, ^ot only did this country
become irrevocably Mobammadan, but the wave of Mohammadamsm, as is well
known, swept Westwards through’spain to the very heart of Prance. Eastern
Christianity had become a mass of broken and isolated remnants, and ail hopep
of i e-union became for ever extinct.