▁the ▁mountains ▁of ▁north ▁Ira q . ▁The ▁most ▁striking ▁problem ▁facing ▁the ▁British ▁was ▁the ▁growing ▁anger ▁of ▁the ▁national ists ▁in ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁kingdom . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Independ ence ▁With ▁the ▁signing ▁of ▁the ▁Ang lo - I ra qi ▁Tre aty ▁and ▁the ▁sett ling ▁of ▁the ▁Mos ul ▁Question , ▁Ira qi ▁politics ▁took ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁dynamic . ▁The ▁emer ging ▁class ▁of ▁Sun ni ▁and ▁Sh ia ▁land own ing ▁trib al ▁she ik hs ▁v ied ▁for ▁positions ▁of ▁power ▁with ▁wealth y ▁and ▁pr estig ious ▁urban - based ▁Sun ni ▁families ▁and ▁with ▁Ott oman - tra ined ▁army ▁officers ▁and ▁b ureau cr ats . ▁Because ▁Ira q ' s ▁newly ▁established ▁political ▁institutions ▁were ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁foreign ▁power , ▁and ▁because ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁dem ocr atic ▁government ▁had ▁no ▁preced ent ▁in ▁Ira qi ▁history , ▁the ▁polit icians ▁in ▁Bag hd ad ▁lack ed ▁legit im acy ▁and ▁never ▁developed ▁deeply ▁root ed ▁constitu encies . ▁Thus , ▁despite ▁a ▁constitution ▁and ▁an ▁elected ▁assembly , ▁Ira qi ▁politics ▁was ▁more ▁a ▁sh ifting ▁al liance ▁of ▁important ▁personal ities ▁and ▁cli ques ▁than ▁a ▁dem ocracy ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁sense . ▁The ▁absence ▁of ▁broad ly ▁based ▁political ▁institutions ▁in hib ited ▁the ▁early ▁national ist ▁movement ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁make ▁deep ▁in ro ads ▁into ▁Ira q ' s ▁diverse ▁social ▁structure . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁Ang lo - I ra qi ▁Tre