This thesis looks at something that goes beyond the cult of the dead, actively seeking contact and giving messages to the deceased. The occasional pragmatic contact with the dead could almost be...Show moreThis thesis looks at something that goes beyond the cult of the dead, actively seeking contact and giving messages to the deceased. The occasional pragmatic contact with the dead could almost be seen as magical practices to manipulate or influence the dead to do something. Egypt and Mesopotamia are considered in this thesis because from Egypt we have the so-called letters to the dead but Mesopotamia does not have these, but is in this thesis discussed as which comparable practices can be found in Mesopotamia and whether the deceased could be approached on specific moments, and for specific purposes.Show less
In a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman...Show moreIn a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman Empire because it had joined the First World War as one of the Axis, many policy issues had not been clarified yet. Too often did not only the army and the political officers on the ground, but the government officials in London as well work without a clear goal in mind. The question that begs to be asked is who was responsible for the policy in Mesopotamia. Hence, this is a study of the interaction within the British Empire during and right after World War I and its effects on policy development in Mesopotamia. When you zoom in on the British Empire, you will notice a diverse range of interests. This world encompassing Empire was not a monolith. Different regions and different political entities had conflicting ideas on the future of Mesopotamia. This thesis analyzes the British Empire itself to understand the confusion and contradictions in British policy-making following 1914 by leaving the core-periphery binary often assumed in imperialist historiography, and by paying attention to the webbed character of empires; multiple metropoles connected in a competing network.Show less
