India–Iraq relations

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India-Iraq relations
Map indicating locations of India and Iraq

India
Iraq

The bilateral relations between the

Indus Valley and Mesopotamia date back to 1800 BCE.[1] The 1952 Treaty of Friendship established and strengthened ties between contemporary India and Iraq.[2] By the 1970s, Iraq was regarded as one of India's closest allies in the Middle East.[3]

Ties between India and Iraq were disrupted during the Iran–Iraq War, the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War. However, the bilateral relations normalised after the establishment of democratic government in Iraq.

History

Medieval period

Since the early 13th century,

Hanafi reveals the fact that they theoretically were faithful to the caliphate system. Some of these sultans according to the political conditions in their time and to excel upon their rivals and attract support the Indian subcontinent's Muslims that were mostly Hanafi or Shafei, established relations with the Abbasid caliphate of Iraq and later Cairo to receive the permission of ruling from them.[4]

Early modern period

Emperor Aurangzeb often supported the Ottoman Empire's enemies; he extended cordial welcome to two rebel governors of the Ottoman-controlled Muntafiq Emirate of Basra, and granted them and their families a high status in the imperial service. Indian trade with Iraq through Basra was especially lucrative during the Mamluk regime's tenure in Iraq.

Ties between Shias in Iraq and Shias in India

Roots of North Indian Shi'ism in Iran and Iraq: Religion and State in Awadh, 1722–1859 by J.R.I. Cole.[5]

Shi'i Indians funded the Hindiyya canal in the Iraqi city of Najaf.[6] North India's Awadh (Oudh) state was Shi'i and it provided funding to the Iraqi Shi'i shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf, channeling the money towards Persian mujtahids in the cities.[7] The Hindiyya canal was finished in 1803 and money was able to be channeled to the Shi'i shrines cities like Najaf from India and Iran because western colonization did not touch Shi'i areas until the end of the 19th century.[8]

Nawab of Bengal
.

The Iraqi Shia writer and poet

Muzaffar Al-Nawab is of Indian descent.[9][10][11][12]

Iraq was one of the few countries in the

MiG-21 pilots.[14] The security relationship was expanded in 1975, when the Indian Army sent training teams and the Indian Navy established a naval academy in Basra. India continued to provide considerable military assistance to Iraq through the Iran–Iraq War. In addition to training, India provided technical assistance to the Iraqi Air Force through a complicated tripartite arrangement involving France.[15][16]

The eight-year-long

Kashmir dispute with Pakistan.[13][17] India and Iraq established joint ministerial committees and trade delegations to promote extensive bilateral co-operation.[18][19]

Economic ties and Oil-for-Food Programme

K. Natwar Singh possibly received illegal kickbacks from Iraq over the Oil-for-Food Programme
.

India's ties with Iraq suffered due to the

Indian minister of external affairs Natwar Singh and the Congress party had possibly received kickbacks from the Baathist regime, leading to his resignation and at the request of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.[20]

Post-2003

Iraqi government, and more recently the activities of Iraqi businesses in India have been growing rapidly.[19]

Iraq is one of the major suppliers of crude oil to India, exporting 220,000 barrels of oil per day to Indian Oil Corporation.[24] In 2013 June, Foreign Minister of India, Mr. Salman Khurshid visited Iraq regarding security and business issues, the first to do so since 1990.[25]

Iraqi Kurdistan

Gandhi statue in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan

There has been limited diplomatic relations between

ISIL, and announced that the Indian government would open a consulate in Kurdistan.[27]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9781581152036
    .
  2. ISBN 9788170233404
    .
  3. ISBN 9781850437031
    .
  4. ^ Mohsen, Masoumi; Saeid, Shirazi (1 January 2013). "Relations Between Delhi Sultans And Abbasid Caliphs". 9 (17): 117–134. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ISBN 978-0-231-15810-7
    .
  6. ISBN 0-691-11575-3
    .
  7. ISBN 0-691-11575-3
    .
  8. ISBN 0-691-11575-3
    .
  9. ISBN 978-0-8108-7942-3
    .
  10. ^ "Iraqi poets who lived in expatriation". Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  11. ^ "alkitab.com-Your Source for Arabic Books: Home". Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  12. ^ Poetic Works Muzaffar al-Nawab: Amazon.co.uk: Nawab. Muzaffar Yuqub. Dawud: Books. ASIN 9933402293.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h "US-Iraq War: India's Middle East policy". Archived from the original on 16 December 2008.
  14. ISBN 978-1-84176-655-3
    .
  15. ^ David Brewster. "Extract from India's Ocean - India's defence relations with Iraq under Saddam Hussein Retrieved 13 August 2014".
  16. ISBN 9781317806998
    – via Google Books.
  17. ^ "India, Iraq Agree on Cooperation for Strategic Partnership". en.people.cn.
  18. ^ "Iraq prizes ties with India: Saddam". The Times of India.
  19. ^ a b c "Iraq Economic and Commercial Relations". Archived from the original on 27 December 2008.
  20. ^ India's Foreign Minister Fired
  21. The Hindustan Times
    .
  22. ^ Government Of India, Ministry of External Affairs. "Statement by Official Spokesperson on the commencement of military action in Iraq".
  23. ^ "India will consider sending troops". Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  24. ^ "India Offers Iraq Oil Storage at Tanks to Be Built in Two Years - BusinessWeek". www.businessweek.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2010.
  25. ^ "Khurshid Arrives in Iraq on Two-Day Visit to Revive Ties". Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  26. ^ Swami, Praveen (3 July 2014). "Kurdish leadership calls for better India ties". The Hindu.
  27. ^ "India to open Consulate General in Kurdistan". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015.
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