CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2022
| Author | Elhariri, Khalil |
|---|---|
| Title | Convenient for Shaikhs? Assessing the Relationship between Bedouin Elites and British Officers in Northern Iraq during the Mandate Period (1921-1932) |
| Summary | This thesis explores state-tribal relations in northern Iraq during the mandate period (1921-1932). More specifically, it analyzes the interactions between British officers and the shaikhs or elites of the Shammar Jarba, the largest Bedouin tribal confederation in the region, by primarily examining the periodical intelligence reports and correspondences written by the mandate officials. In doing so, the thesis contends that Bedouin elites in northern Iraq were able to maintain and expand their authority during the mandate period due to the territorial and border disputes between British Iraq and the neighboring states in the region. On the one hand, the thesis shows that British officials relied on the Bedouin elites’ access to transnational networks to gain the upper hand over French Syria and Turkey. On the other hand, it also explains how British officers were forced to accommodate the shaikhs’ authority as they learnt that any misguided or heavy-handed state intervention in the Shammar’s affairs would be exploited by neighboring states in their efforts to win the tribesmen to their side. As for Bedouin elites, they were no strangers to negotiating authority with state officials as the late Ottoman period witnessed a considerable level of compromise and shared interests between them and provincial bureaucrats. Because of that, this thesis contends that the Shammar shaikhs were able to expand their authority by taking advantage of the nascent states’ competition over their allegiance and services. |
| Supervisor | Wilson, M. Brett; Radway, Robyn Dora |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/elhariri_khalil.pdf |
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