The 17th Indian Division was formed in 1917 from units of the British Indian Army for service in the Mesopotamia Campaign during World War I.

In August 1923, the division was reduced to a single brigade.

[1] Most of the infantry battalions that had already been guarding lines of communications in Mesopotamia for some months, were somewhat acclimatized and accustomed to the country.

[1] The division was involved in the action at Fat-ha Gorge on the Little Zab between 23–26 October 1918 and the Battle of Sharqat, 28–30 October 1918[2] under command of I Corps[1] At the end of the war, the 17th Division was chosen to form part of the occupation force for Iraq.

In August 1923, the division was reduced to a single brigade; the last British troops left in March 1927 and the Indian ones in November 1928.