Prologue:
Background to 1747:
Mesopotamia, the ancient homeland of both the Sumerians and Babylonians, the
'cradle of civilization' itself once flourished in cultural pristine, Baghdad, founded under the Caliphs was for centuries the intellectual center of the Muslim world, this was no more. The population of both the entire region and the city itself had been decimated both the successive massacres inflicted by the Mongol invaders and the warlord Tamerlane, by the time the region came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in 1533, the region stood impoverished and population numerically smashed.
Mongol Siege of Baghdad (c) 1258
Under Ottoman rule the region remained one of the least developed of the Empire and became a constant battle ground between the Ottoman Turks and Safavid Persians. In the period of direct Ottoman administration up until 1750, mis-administration would lead the region to become subject to a repeated cycle of inter-clan struggles and outbreaks of plague and cholera, creating a deep-seeded and everlasting resentment towards their overlords.
The Ottoman Empire (c) 17th Century - With the Iraqi regions shaded pink
Under the reign of Sultan Ahmed III (1703-30), the Empire experienced relative political stability and extensive reform. As part of the solution to the problem of the warring clans in the Iraqi regions, the Sultan gave permission to one of those groups, the Mamluks, predominantly former Christian slaves converted to Islam and of largely Georgian descent, to form an elite corp in the name of the Empire. Under Ahmed III's reign, the Mamluks provided a valuable service to the Ottoman Porte, providing a steady inflow of taxes for Istanbul and an added defense against the Safavids, however, upon Ahmed's death, the sultan in attempt to prevent the Mamluks from seizing power sent a
wali to Baghdad, however upon assuming power, the Georgian guard ousted the Ottoman administrator in what would later be known as
The First March on Baghdad, thereby inaugurating autonomous Mamluk rule in Iraq.
A Mamluk cavalryman, drawn by Carle Vernet in 1810
The Road to Revolution:
By the early 19th century, the Persian Gulf region had become part of
The Great Game between the Russian and British Empires whom sought to gain supremacy over Central Asia. Russian ambitions laid out by Peter The Great to secure a port on the Indian Ocean through Persia lead to the growth of British interests seeking to prevent the intervention of any power in the Gulf.
Political Cartoon depitcting an Islamic Emir with his "friends" the Russian Bear and British Lion
The existence of the autonomous Mamluk regime in Iraq had become a source of great anxiety in Istanbul, so after successive defeats in attempting to restore authority over Muhammad Ali Pasha's Egypt and the Greek independence, Sultan Mahmud II initiated a strict policy of re-asserting hegemony throughout the Empire by the use of force. Consequently in 1831 an Ottoman army under Ali Rida Pasha was dispatched from Aleppo and after only token resistance Baghdad capitulated and any Mamluks who had remained, were swiftly exterminated. The arrival of the Sultan's new governor in Baghdad signaled the end to 84 years of
de facto Mamluk rule and the beginning of direct Ottoman rule in Iraq, an occurrence that was deeply unacceptable to British interests in the region, and so British units in the Persian Gulf region were mobilized along the Iraqi border for potential intervention should British demands not be met.
British units landed in Persia
Amidst what could potentially be the eve of war between The Ottoman
and British Empires, Frederick William III intervened on behalf of
The Concert of Europe whom sought to retain the
status quo in balance of power part of which involved preventing the decline of the Ottoman Empire and so convened the
Convention of Berlin which sought to balance British demands as well as ensuring that such a series of events could not occur, and so the subsequent
Treaty of Berlin entailed:
- A Satellite nation of Iraq is be established recognising Mahmud II as Head of State
- The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire is to appoint a 'pro-British' Conservative Government to administer the region
- The British Empire should renounce all militaristic and economic ties with the Qajar Persian State and proceed to withdraw all military units from the Persian Gulf and surrounding territories
- All Iraqi military units would serve directly under Ottoman command and bear the flag of the Empire
Whilst reluctant to ratify the treaty and essentially loose all the gains in Iraq that had been made, the Turks came under mounting pressure from the Austrians and French whom threatened the withdrawal of any backing of the Empire in future disputes and the establishment of
protectorates over the Empires Christian subjects should the Turks not comply, so without choice, the
Treaty of Berlin was ratified by the members of the
Concert of Europe and the Ottoman Empire.
Birth of a Nation:
In the 84 year period that Iraq had ruled autonomously, whilst the dominant faction consisted of the Mamluks, it was by no means the sole remaining faction of the quarreling clans, and so instead after assuming power, lead a coalition and shared power with a series of factions including the Hashemites, whom, after the Ottoman eradication of the Mamluks, emerged as the dominant underground faction in absolute opposition of the ruling regime, whom would rally the spite of a Nation for the cause of overthrowing those whom humiliate and outsource Iraq for the gain of foreigners.
Militant activity in Iraq rapidly grew once the Puppet regime had been established
For over four years, the elitist Hashemites would unify and rally all those whom opposed what they termed the
illegal occupation of Iraq by the Ottoman and British Empires, however, despite its strength drawn on from the masses, it was still doubtful that any uprising would last in the wake of the intervention by the worlds foremost power, the United Kingdom. And so after years of anticipation in drawing their strength and collecting their forces, the opportunity they had long sought presented itself. A secret envoy sent directly by the Russian Tsar to the inner-circle of the Hashemite organisation, had hinted the Russians wished to remove British suzerainty established in the Persian Gulf region and so would support a Hashemite regime both diplomatically and with supply.
On November 11th, 1835. The House of Hashim unilaterally declared into existence the
Emirate of Iraq and marched with their followers into Baghdad, effectively ending the Ottoman Puppet State, the
Sultanate of Iraq. Upon preparing for the encounter with the Empire that was expected to soon follow, the Revolutionaries were greeted with an unexpected and joyous news, the Iraqi forces had mutinied against the Empire and raised the Royal Standard! The expected struggle before the promised Russian assistance had turned into a bloodless Revolution.
Iraqi Royal Standard
Before an inevitable British and Turkish intervention could take place, the second Convention over the so-called
Gulf-Question had been called, this time in Moscow. The Russians threatened that should the newly established Hashemite regime not be recognized as a fully independent state, then military action would be required, and as alarm bells across Europe rang as a war of potentially global proportions loomed, every effort was made until it was finally established that the formation of an Iraqi nation, whom would in theory be as impoverished and backward as its neighbors would settle the dispute by the effective removal of all parties concerned from the region thus averting the possibility of war and the maintenance of the balance of power, the 1835
Treaty of Moscow dictated:
- The establishment of a fully independant Iraqi Monarchy headed by the House of Hashim
- So to recognize this newly established State's existence on the will of the Nations of Europe, the nation will be styled the Kingdom of Iraq with the Head of State adopting the title King
- To delimit the direct power of The Hashims, a consititution which would be set by The British Empire is to be accepted by the State
- To compensate The Ottoman Empire for its loss of the Iraqi territories, the right for the Sultanate to re-assert hegemony through the use of force over the Levant will be recognized
- The Ottoman Empire will be admitted to the Concert of Europe
Independence achieved for Iraq, upon ascension, for the sacrifices made during the Revolutionary years, the Hashemites unilaterally made but one promise to the people, to restore Iraq, to restore Baghdad to her Ancient glories.
The House of Hashim claimed direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad