Zain Carrimjee

The impact of the British actions and policies leading up to the 1933 Simele Massacre on the formation of Pan-Arabism in a post-mandate Iraq

Started June 14, 2024

Abstract or project description

This project provides an overview of the ways in which the British were responsible for the Simele Massacre of 1933. The Simele Massacre was one of the first actions done by the Iraqi Army post-independence, resulting in the killing of hundreds of Assyrians in villages across Iraq. There are 3 main ways in which the British were responsible: Their connection they had built with the Assyrians, which led to the minority group being targeted; their actions across the Middle East, which contributed to the growth of Pan-Arab sentiment; and their short-term actions in 1933, which left no choice but violence. The main primary sources used are correspondence from the British National Archives, particularly between Mar Eshai Shimun and the British High Commissioner Francis Humphrys. This paper uses a constructivist approach when analysing the sources, in order to properly understand what the relationship between the British and the minority group would have truly been like. Additionally, the paper also examines the British response to the massacre, as well as their actions in the years following the event.