The Historical Sociology of Class Formation in the Southern Kurdistan: 1921-1991

Abstract

This article attempts to investigate the phenomenon of class formation in Southern Kurdistan from 1921 to 1991, during which the class structure of this society changed gradually. On this basis, a historical sociological reading of the political upheaval implications for class formation has been made in Southern Kurdistan. Since the establishment of the Iraqi state in 1921, under the supervision of a British Mandate, in Southern Kurdistan, which was regarded as a part of this country, the feudal system was dominant until the July 1958 revolution in Iraq and the coming to power of Abdulkarim Qasim, which began to reform agricultural lands. On the other hand, the successive uprisings of the Kurdish nation, especially the Eylul uprising in 1961-1975 had a significant influence on the formation and change of the class relations in Southern Kurdistan. As a result, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were significant changes in class relations, which led to the formation of petit-bourgeoisie that played a crucial role in the coming years in Southern Kurdistan.