Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
Jamil al-Midfai | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | 1892 Baghdad, Ottoman Iraq |
Died | 28 August 1965 Beirut, Lebanon | (aged 72–73)
Political party | Party of National Brotherhood |
Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
Early life
Rashid Ali was the son of Sayyid Abdul Wahhab al-Gaylani and born into the prominent Baghdad-based Gaylani family. He also had origins in the Circassian governors of the Ottoman Vilayet. Members of the Gaylani family were known as sayed, as the family's ancestry can be traced back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[1] Rashid Ali enrolled in law school in Baghdad and was a lawyer until his political career.[2]
Political career
In 1924, Rashid Ali al-Gaylani began his career in politics in the first government led by
He was elected as the president of the Chamber of Deputies in 1925 and 1926.[4]
During the Hashimi government, Gaylani served as Minister of Interior with the additional benefit of the lucrative trusteeship of the Qadiri Awqaf. Later, as prime minister, he would retain the interior portfolio as public works projects progressed, including the laying of the foundations for a mosque to be named the Faysal Mosque.[5]
On 31 March 1940, when Gaylani was again appointed Prime Minister,
1941 Iraqi coup d'état
Britain responded with severe economic sanctions against Iraq. Meanwhile, news of British victories against Italian forces in North Africa weakened support for Gaylani. On 31 January 1941, under pressure from Regent Abdul-Illah, he resigned as Prime Minister. This only exacerbated his mistrust of Britain and its supporters in the government. Together with the members of the Golden Square, Gaylani made plans to assassinate Regent Abdul-Illah and seize power. On 31 March, Abdul-Illah discovered the plot to assassinate him and fled the country.
On April 1, the Golden Square executed their coup d'état; on April 3, the "National Defence Government" replaced the government of the Regent with Gaylani as Prime Minister. As one of his first acts, Gaylani sent an Iraqi artillery force to confront the RAF base in Habbaniya. By the end of April, Iraqi forces held in strong positions on the escarpment above the base, and a siege began.
Iraq had been a major supplier of
Anglo-Iraqi War
At Habbaniya, the besieging Iraqis demanded the cessation of all training activities and of all flights in and out of the base. On 2 May, the commander at RAF Habbaniya,
On 31 May, an armistice between the British and the Iraqis was signed. On 1 June, the Regent returned to Baghdad and his government was restored. Immediately afterwards, the Farhud, a violent pogrom against Jews, took place in Baghdad.
Iran, Italy, Germany and Saudi Arabia
Gaylani was not to stay long in Iran. On 25 August 1941 the
Later life and death
Gaylani did not return from exile until after the
See also
- Fritz Grobba
- Nazi relations with the Arab world
Notes
References
- ^ Makiya, p. 216
- ^ Cleveland, p. 212
- ^ Longrigg, 1953, p. 274
- ISBN 9780231142014– via Google Books.
- ^ Longrigg, 1953, pp. 248, 283
- ^ Aboul-Enein and Aboul-Enein, 2013, pp. 51-52
- ^ Lewis, 2003, pp. 69-70
- ^ "19. Iraq (1932-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "Preachers of Hate: Islam and the War on America" p. 106
Bibliography
- Aboul-Enein, Youssef; Aboul-Enein, Basil (2013). The Secret War for the Middle East: The Influence of Axis and Allied Intelligence operations During WW. Naval Institute Press.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 9781588360755.
- Longrigg, Stephen Hemsley (1953). Iraq, 1900 To 1950: A Political, Social, and Economic History. Oxford University Press.