Periodical Understanding the Truth. Issue 38, July 22, 1918

About this Item

Results: 1-4 of 4

About this Item

Title

  • Understanding the Truth.

Other Title

  • Têgeyştinî Rastî

Summary

  • Têgeyştinî Rastî (Understanding the truth) was a semiweekly newspaper published by the command of the British army in Iraq in 1918--19. At the time, Britain was at war with the Ottoman Empire, which had ruled Iraq since the 16th century. When British forces began advancing north toward the Iraqi Kurdistan region in the spring of 1918, the paper became the mouthpiece of the British Empire, propagandizing in support of British positions when dealing with political, social, and cultural issues. The paper sold for one ana, or four fils, a very small amount at the time. The paper's headquarters was in Baghdad, on present-day Nahr Street, in the same building as the Jareedet Al-Arab newspaper. The paper's masthead contained no mention of the names of the owners, editor-in-chief, or editorial board, and articles were not published under bylines. It is known, however, that a Major Soane was the editor-in-chief, and that he prepared the entire paper for publication. Soane had mastered Kurdish, and he was assisted in his work by the poet and literary figure, Shukri Fadhli. Intended to serve as a media and propaganda arm for mobilizing the Kurds against the Ottoman Turks, Têgeyştinî Rastî attacked the Ottoman Empire in its news stories and articles. It also used the glorification of Islam and the promotion of Kurdish national feelings to try to win the hearts and minds of the Kurdish people. It went so far as to publish the names of several British officers who had converted to Islam and adopted Islamic names. The paper took a hostile stance toward the October Revolution in Russia; tried to appeal to tribal leaders, elders, and other leaders with influence in the Kurdish community; and depicted the British army as a liberator of the Kurds from Ottoman control. It promoted Kurdish literature and the poetry of Al-Haj Qadir Al-Koobi and Nali Rimhawi Ka, and it was the first Kurdish paper to write about the history and origins of the Kurdish people.

Names

  • Soane, Ely Bannister, 1881-1923 Editor.

Created / Published

  • Baghdad, Iraq : British Embassy, 1918-1919.

Headings

  • -  Iraq--Baghdad--Baghdad
  • -  Kurdish newspapers
  • -  Kurds

Notes

  • -  Issue 1 (January 1, 1918)-issue 65 (January 27, 1919). World Digital Library data.
  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  "The newspaper was published between January 1, 1918, and January 27, 1919, i.e., over a period of a year and 26 days. A total of 67 issues appeared, although the last issue carries the number 65. This is due to a mistake in issues 20 and 21. Pages 1, 2, a"--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
  • -  Original resource extent: 2 pages ; 36 x 24 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: Iraqi National Library and Archives.
  • -  Content in Kurdish.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2020741480

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Soane, Ely Bannister, Editor. Understanding the Truth. Baghdad, Iraq: British Embassy, to 1919, 1918. Periodical. https://www.loc.gov/item/2020741480/.

APA citation style:

Soane, E. B. (1918) Understanding the Truth. Baghdad, Iraq: British Embassy, to 1919. [Periodical] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2020741480/.

MLA citation style:

Soane, Ely Bannister, Editor. Understanding the Truth. Baghdad, Iraq: British Embassy, to 1919, 1918. Periodical. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2020741480/>.