Samenvatting

Iraq is currently one of the most unstable countries in the world. Its political instability can be attributed to different factors, such as internal (armed) conflicts, wars with neighbouring countries, and invasions. Political scientists such as Toby Dodge argue that the state that the British created in 1920 contained the seeds of unrest and conflicts.

The aim of this paper is to outline the correlation between the British Mandate (1920-1932) and the political instability of current-day Iraq. It evaluates the British role in the evolution of Iraqi borders. This is of particular importance for understanding why the Iraqi borders have been such a prominent source of unrest and conflict. It also addresses the British political approaches to Iraq and their consequences. Furthermore, it examines the roles of different groups in Iraqi society in the independence movement. The most important findings of this paper are as follows.

The evaluation of the border demarcation process finds that, prior to the British Mandate, most Iraqis were unfamiliar with hard border lines. In order to create an Iraqi state, the British attempted to impose hard borderlines and centralise power in Baghdad. This was opposed to by groups such as the Kurds and Assyrians, which had ambitions for more autonomous rule.

Investigating the British political approaches shows that the British insisted in interfering with Iraqi politics despite promises of self-governance to the locals. The British applied different methods to maintain their presence in Iraq. For instants, important administrative positions in Iraqi ministries were held by British advisors. The British also collaborated with local landowners to undermine anti-British activities in the countryside. Furthermore, they established a highly Baghdad-centric bureaucratic system that was vulnerable to corruption and excluded people of farther-away regions. In addition, they mostly relied on the Sunni Arab elite to indirectly rule the country, excluding the Shi'a and other minorities from important administrative decisions.

Study of the independence movement finds that every ethnic, religious, and sectarian group in Iraqi society responded differently to the British Mandate. In a way, their responses defined their positions in the independence of Iraq. While Sunni and Shi'a Arabs anticipated the withdrawal of the British, other groups such as Kurds and Assyrians grew concerned about their positions in the future of Iraq. This research argues that no direct link can be established between the Mandate and the current instability in Iraq. However, it can be stated that the local despotic leaders inherited the legacies of the British Mandate to maintain their power in the country. This eventually led to increasing political instability.

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