A Similar Policy in Iraq and the Resistance Strategy of Kurdish Elites Against it (1921-1933)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D Student of Political Sciences, Dept. of Political Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of International Relations, Dept. of Political Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

Abstract

The Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 facilitated the annexation of the Province of Mosul (Southern Kurdistan) to the newly established country of Iraq, despite its linguistic and cultural differences from the Arab dominated Iraq. To establish a ‘unified’ nation-state based on Arabic identity, King Faisal the first made nation-making the priority of his kingdom. This research examines King Faisal’s policies in Kurdistan between 1921 to 1933 and Kurdish elite’s resistance against his policies. The article illustrates King Faisal adopted assimilation policies and forced Iraqi identity to achieve his nation-building, but his policies were met with resistance by the Kurdish elites. Relying on primary and neglected sources including early Kurdish periodicals, this research demonstrates that despite the depiction of the situation of Kurds under King Faisal as favourable, the Kurdish elites’ resistance and their strategies shows the severity of King Faisal’s assimilation policy in Kurdistan.

Keywords

References

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Mesopotamian Political Studies
Volume 2, Issue 1
May 2023
Pages 53-77

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 February 2023
  • Revise Date: 28 May 2023
  • Accept Date: 29 May 2023

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