| 1916 uprising in Hilla | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Mesopotamian Campaign | |||||||
  Hilla 1916 uprising in Hilla (Iraq) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire | Rebels | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Muhammad ‘Ali al-Qazwini Among others | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 1,500 killed, "thousands" deported | ||||||
The 1916 uprising in Hilla or the Akif incident [1] was an Arab uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1916.
The Ottoman defeat in the Battle of Shaiba in April 1915 had damaged the authority of the Ottomans in the eyes of the Arabs, [2] leading to an uprising in Najaf in May 1915. Following their victory, emissaries from Najaf began encouraging an uprising in Hilla. [3]
The uprising in Hilla took place in November 1916. [4] The Ottomans put up a desperate fight in the city but found themselves outnumbered by waves of Bedouin and deserters. [5] After the rebels captured the city, the Ottomans sent a punitive force of 4,000-6,000 troops under ‘Ākif Beg. [4] On the 11th, Ākif wrote a letter to Hillah, [6] claiming that he needed to cross the city to get to Nasiriyah. [4] He asked to meet the prominent people of the city to negotiate with them for permission to cross. When the leaders of the city, such as Muhammad ‘Ali al-Qazwini and others, met them, the Ottomans detained them and declared to the inhabitants of the city that if their crossing through the city to Nasiriyah was opposed, they would kill their hostages. [4]
The residents abided by the Ottoman demands, but Akif reneged on his promise. [4] Ottoman forces hung 128 [1] or 126 [7] people, carried of their women, [4] and killed 1500 in all, [1] as well as deporting "thousands" of people to Diyarbakır. [7] This incident served to increase anti-Ottoman sentiment among Arab Shiites, some of whom came to Hilla to aid the rebels, but were too late. [4]
Al-Fatlah chieftain Mudbir al-Far'un condemned the Ottoman massacre: [1]
This is a statement to the Arab nation and especially the Iraqi tribes […] Oh Arab brothers who have been cultivated by race and who trace their lineages back to Qahtan [one of the ‘fathers’ of the Arabs] […] oh those of jealousy, valour; and lords of aid and courage […] let everyone who belongs to Qahtan know that this [Ottoman] state wants to wipe you off the face of the earth and to replace you with their own Turkish kind […] By God all who did nothing in the face of such deeds and who obeyed this unjust state have none of the Arabs’ zeal. Have you not read its [the state’s] newspapers? They discriminate and degrade Arabs, and here it is, overflowing with insults to the Arabs; they even call black dogs ‘Arab’.
— Mudbir al-Far'un, 1916 condemnation
Muhammad ‘Ali al-Qazwini was spared by the Ottomans and lived until 1937. [4]
Faisal I bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi was King of Iraq from 23 August 1921 until his death in 1933. A member of the Hashemite family, he was a leader of the Great Arab Revolt during the First World War, and ruled as the unrecognized King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria from March to July 1920 when he was expelled by the French.
Najaf or An-Najaf or Al-Najaf or An-Najaf al-Ashraf, is the capital city of Najaf Governorate in central Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam and one of its spiritual capitals, as well as the center of Shia political power in Iraq. It is the burial place of Muhammad's son in law and cousin, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib. It is a major pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims. The largest cemetery in the world (Wadi-us-Salaam) and the oldest Shi'a Islamic seminary in the world are located in Najaf.
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Hillah, also spelled Hilla, is a city in central Iraq on the Hilla branch of the Euphrates River, 100 km (62 mi) south of Baghdad. The population was estimated to be about 455,700 in 2018. It is the capital of Babylon Province and is located adjacent to the ancient city of Babylon, and close to the ancient cities of Borsippa and Kish. It is situated in a predominantly agricultural region which is extensively irrigated with water provided by the Hilla canal, producing a wide range of crops, fruit and textiles. Its name may be derived from the word "beauty" in Arabic. The river runs in the middle of the town, and it is surrounded by date palm trees and other forms of arid vegetation, reducing the harmful effects of dust and desert wind.
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The Mesopotamian campaign or Mesopotamian front was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British Raj, against the Central Powers, mostly the Ottoman Empire. It started after British amphibious landings in 1914 which sought to protect Anglo-Persian oil fields in Khuzestan and the Shatt al-Arab. However, the front later evolved into a larger campaign that sought to capture the key city of Baghdad and divert Ottoman forces from other fronts. It ended with the Armistice of Mudros in 1918, leading to the cession of Iraq and further partition of the Ottoman Empire.
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emissaries from Najaf encouraged similar rebellions in Karbala and nearby Hilla, also predominantly Shi'i.