Military conscription in Iraq during the late Ottoman period (1831-1917)

Abstract

Submission date: 03/02/2026

Acceptance date: 24/02/2026

Publication date: 30/03/2026

    This research examines the development of the military conscription system in Iraq from 1831 to 1917, a period marked by fundamental transformations in the structure of the Ottoman military establishment and in the relationship between the state and the local population. It begins by tracing the origins of the conscription system in the Ottoman Empire and its connection to military reform attempts since the reign of Sultan Mahmud II and the Tanzimat era. The research then moves to an analysis of the administrative and military situation in Iraq as an Ottoman province undergoing continuous administrative and military restructuring. It presents the mechanisms of conscription in Iraq, the problems the government faced in implementing it, particularly popular resistance, and the nature of the economic and social system that made military service a heavy burden on the population. The research also addresses the efforts of the governors, especially Midhat Pasha, to support conscription through the establishment of military schools and factories and the development of the army's organizational structures. Finally, it analyzes the major challenges facing the Ottoman state in Iraq, including the weakness of the military infrastructure, inadequate equipment for the forces, draft evasion, and the impact of World War I in exacerbating these challenges. The research concludes that the conscription system in Iraq was only partially successful and fell far short of its objectives due to the complexities of the social, economic, and political environment of Ottoman Iraq.