r/Iraq آشوري/Assyrian/ܐܵܫܘܼܪܵܝܵܐ/ࡀࡕࡅࡓࡀࡉࡀ Sep 07 '23

History Iraq in Ottoman and British documents - Debunking the colonial/reactionary myth of "artificial state". (compiled by me)

65 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

13

u/CaptainSalamence Baklava is Assyrian Sep 07 '23

Kuwait is included as part of Ottoman Iraq in the last picture 😈

10

u/memes4youu آشوري/Assyrian/ܐܵܫܘܼܪܵܝܵܐ/ࡀࡕࡅࡓࡀࡉࡀ Sep 07 '23

It is also included at every mention of Basra in the documents.

6

u/memes4youu آشوري/Assyrian/ܐܵܫܘܼܪܵܝܵܐ/ࡀࡕࡅࡓࡀࡉࡀ Sep 07 '23 edited Sep 07 '23

Few notes:

  • "Khitta" is a medieval Arabic term that refers to the borders of a state.
  • The original Ottoman manuscripts are provided alongside the official modern Turkish translation, all of them are in Turkish except the first document, which was written in Arabic by the Sultan.
  • "Baghdad", "Mosul" and "Basra" are terms referring to the three vilayets, not the cities. That's why Sharizor and Sulaymaniyah are listed as part of the Mosul vilayet, alongside the city itself, in the 5th image.
  • The last map is of Mamluk Iraq (1704-1831) after the end of their dynasty, the administration of Iraq was centralized again by Ottomans, so the three vilayets remained ruled together by Baghdad, which the documents make clear.

HUGE thanks to Prof. Nahar Muhammed Nuri of Al-Mustansiriya University for compiling most of the sources referenced.

Thanks to the users TimojenCCC and Beneficial_Waltz3209 for helping me translate some parts of the documents.

This was in part a response to the recent reemergence of the "Kirkuk question" and other revisionist narratives echoed by western and reactionary propaganda.

Please save and share these documents, for historical value if nothing else.

Edit:

Forgot to add the source of the first document. (source added)

Added a page for the Iraqi Revolution. (page added)

Made a PDF file that you can download for easier access. (click here)

1

u/verturshu آشوري / ܣܘܪܝܐ Sep 07 '23

Did you make these images? What did you use to make them?

1

u/memes4youu آشوري/Assyrian/ܐܵܫܘܼܪܵܝܵܐ/ࡀࡕࡅࡓࡀࡉࡀ Sep 07 '23

Do you mean software? Adobe.

1

u/verturshu آشوري / ܣܘܪܝܐ Sep 07 '23

Is it like a template or something? Cause they're in the exact same format as Mark Gewargis' images on Assyrians throughout history, see this one as an example and the full list of them here

Like they're the exact same style and format lol, so i was confused.

1

u/memes4youu آشوري/Assyrian/ܐܵܫܘܼܪܵܝܵܐ/ࡀࡕࡅࡓࡀࡉࡀ Sep 07 '23 edited Sep 07 '23

Yeah I liked how clean his format is, so I copied it.

Hope that's okay. I should've probably asked him first since I have contact with him.

I can give you a psd file for the format so you can use it, it uses Trajan and Arial fonts.

1

u/verturshu آشوري / ܣܘܪܝܐ Sep 07 '23

Of course it's okay lol, it's a nice format. Would love to have the PSD for it if you dont mind.

2

u/Serix-4 عراقي Sep 10 '23

This debunking the theory of Iraq being a "British creation"

I already know Iraq was a semi independent state during the Ottoman Empire or more specifically during the Mamluk dynasty in ~1700. But didn’t know these much details because I haven’t read more. So, thank you!!

Also the source of the last image is from a book called "politics and society in early modern Iraq" author: Tom Nieuwenuis.

1

u/AMountainofMadness Sep 07 '23

A lot of the drama came from how Ottoman borders were undefined and often several governments claimed administration of one area. After independence when all borders were defined, all middle east countries simply argued in favor of whatever gave them more land.

1

u/awddw14 Sep 07 '23

Thanks for your effort and for all who shared the work. What happened in kirkuk is really appalling and tragic to our beautiful nation, I only have hopes that it will not spread and end where it is.

1

u/za3tarani Sep 07 '23

great work!

1

u/abuman1990 Sep 07 '23

Very educational. Keep it up! I also highly admire your clear referencing.