Wilajety irackie pod panowaniem tureckim na przełomie XIX i XX wieku
Streszczenie
The three wilayas of the Ottoman Empire: Bagdhad, Basra and Mosul, which in 1921
formed the Kingdom of Iraq, occupied an important position with reaspect to historical and
strategic considerations as well as to discovery of petroleum resources in this area. It was,
therefore, the object of great powers (Britain and Germany) rivarly.
The inhabitants of the wilayas came from different nationalities and religious creeds, with
muslim Arabs forming the greater majority (75%), followed by the Kurds (c. 20%). The
despotic regime of Sultan Abdul-Hamid (1876-1909) met with opposition not only among
non-Turkish nationals of the Empire, but also among the Turkish modernist movement of
Yound Turkey. At first, the movement’s programme was progressive, accepting the idea of
autonomy for non-Turks, but with the passage of time „Young Turks” returned to the earlier
despotism and negation of national rigths of other nations.
That was the case with respect to the Iraqi wilayas, where national cosciousness and
orientation towards independence were gainig ground. Arab (and to some extent Kurdish)
organisations of Iraqi lands were under the impact of different tendencies. Radical societies
(as a rule, they were cladestine or emigrant) demanded sovereignty and were not inclined to
compromise with ottoman authorities, while legal organisations had conciliatory attitudes. That
was connected with anxiety about the possibility of being occupied by European powers,
likewise North African Arab countries. Such was the case in the aftermanth of World War I.
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