Iraq Colonial Records

Ottoman Empire Colonization (1534-1920)
Anciently known as Mesopotamia, Iraq became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1534 after a series of conflicts with Iran. It remained a part of the Ottoman Empire until the area was partitioned following World War One.

British Colonization (1918-1932)
Britain won control of Iraq from Ottoman Turkey during World War One and was given a League of Nations mandate to govern the nation in 1920. In 1921, Britain organized a Hashemite monarchy, but the country remained a British protectorate. In 1932, the kingdom of Iraq was granted independence.