'Abd al-Ilah of Hejaz, ( ar, عبد الإله; also written Abdul Ilah or Abdullah; 14 November 1913 – 14 July 1958) was a cousin and brother-in-law of
King Ghazi of the
Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq
The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq ( ar, المملكة العراقية الهاشمية, translit=al-Mamlakah al-ʿIrāqiyyah ʾal-Hāshimyyah) was a state located in the Middle East from 1932 to 1958.
It was founded on 23 August 1921 as the Kingdo ...
and was
regent for his first-cousin once removed,
King Faisal II, from 4 April 1939 to 23 May 1953, when Faisal came of age. 'Abd al-Ilah also held the title of
Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
of Iraq from 1943.
'Abd al-Ilah was killed along with the rest of the Iraqi royal family in the
14 July Revolution
The 14 July Revolution, also known as the 1958 Iraqi coup d'état, took place on 14 July 1958 in Iraq, and resulted in the overthrow of the Hashemite monarchy in Iraq that had been established by King Faisal I in 1921 under the auspices of the ...
in 1958 that ended the
Hashemite
The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (1921� ...
monarchy in Iraq. His body was mutilated, dragged across the streets of Baghdad, and eventually burnt.
Biography
Son and heir of
King Ali ibn Hussein of Hejaz
Ali bin Hussein, GBE ( ar, علي بن الحسين بن علي الهاشمي, translit=Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Alī el-Hâşimî; 18791935), was King of Hejaz and Grand Sharif of Mecca from October 1924 until he was deposed by Abdulaziz bin ...
, who was the elder brother of
King Faisal I of Iraq
Faisal I bin Al-Hussein bin Ali Al-Hashemi ( ar, فيصل الأول بن الحسين بن علي الهاشمي, ''Faysal el-Evvel bin al-Ḥusayn bin Alī el-Hâşimî''; 20 May 1885 – 8 September 1933) was King of the Arab Kingdom of Syri ...
, and brother of
Aliya bint Ali
Aliya bint Ali of Hejaz (1911 – 21 December 1950), was an Arabian princess and a queen consort of Iraq. She was the spouse and first cousin of King Ghazi of Iraq and the queen mother of King Faisal II of Iraq. She was the second and last Quee ...
. His family fled
Hejaz when
Ibn Saud of Nejd usurped his father's authority.
[ Upon King Ghazi's death in an automobile accident, 'Abd al-Ilah assumed power in Iraq as regent for the underage King Faisal II.][
]
1941 Iraqi coup d'état
During World War II, 'Abd al-Ilah was deposed briefly by former Prime Minister Rashid Ali al-Kaylani
Rashid Ali al-Gaylaniin Arab standard pronunciation Rashid Aali al-Kaylani; also transliterated as Sayyid Rashid Aali al-Gillani, Sayyid Rashid Ali al-Gailani or sometimes Sayyad Rashid Ali el Keilany (" Sayyad" serves to address higher standing ...
. Rashid Ali led a pro-German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
'' coup d'état'' against 'Abd al-Ilah's pro-British government. After he fled the country, 'Abd al-Ilah was replaced as regent by Sharaf bin Rajeh, an ageing, religious relative of Faisal II. The deposed regent spent his time with former Prime Minister Nuri al-Said as a refugee in Amman. During his time in exile, 'Abd al-Ilah was a guest of his uncle Abdullah
Abdullah may refer to:
* Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname
* Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village
* ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan
* '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
, the Emir of Transjordan.
On 2 May, the United Kingdom launched an offensive
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
against the Iraqi rebels. On 26 May, '' The New York Times'' newspaper reported that 'Abd al-Ilah had called for an uprising of tribal and religious leaders to help him overthrow the insurgent government. He appealed specifically to the Iraqi people, the army and the police to accomplish "this heavy task".
By 2 June, Rashid Ali's "National Defence Government" had collapsed and Rashid Ali had fled to Iran. 'Abd al-Ilah returned to Baghdad and was restored as regent.
Working in tandem with Nuri al-Said, 'Abd al-Ilah pursued a moderate nationalist approach while maintaining close ties to the Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
.[
In 1942, Wendell Willkie travelled to Britain and the Middle East as ]President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As th ...
's personal representative. In Iraq, Abdul Ilah held a lavish state dinner attended by Willkie.
In 1945, 'Abd al-Ilah visited the United States. He was the honoured guest at the first state dinner hosted by the new American First Lady, Bess Truman
Elizabeth Virginia Truman (''née'' Wallace; February 13, 1885October 18, 1982) was the wife of President Harry S. Truman and the first lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953. She also served as the second lady of the United States from Janu ...
. The regent of "friendly Iraq" was awarded a Legion of Merit military decoration
Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...
by President Harry S. Truman.
In 1953, Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
'Abd al-Ilah stepped down when Faisal II came of age. But he continued to be a close adviser of the young King, and an advocate of a pro-Western foreign policy.
In 1955, Iraq adopted the Baghdad Pact
The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), also known as the Baghdad Pact and subsequently known as the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), was a military alliance of the Cold War. It was formed in 24 February 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turk ...
(also known as the Central Treaty Organization, or CENTO). The other members of the organization were Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The organization's headquarters were initially located in Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
.
In May 1957, Saud of Saudi Arabia
Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سعود بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''Suʿūd ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Suʿūd'', Najdi Arabic pronunciation: ; 15 January 1902 – 23 February 1969) was King of Saudi Arabia from 9 November 1953 ...
made an eight-day visit to Iraq. He was met on his arrival by Faisal II, 'Abd al-Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said. It was the Saudi king's first ever visit to Iraq, and it commemorated Iraq's membership in the Arab Federation
The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived country that was formed in 1958 from the union between the Hashemite Kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan. Although the name implies a federal structure, it was ''de facto'' a confederation.
The Federation ...
and its break with the United Arab Republic of Gamal Abdel Nasser.
14 July Revolution
On 14 July 1958, a '' coup d'état'' led by Colonel Abd al-Karim Qasim
Abd al-Karim Qasim Muhammad Bakr al-Fadhli al-Zubaidi ( ar, عبد الكريم قاسم ' ) (21 November 1914 – 9 February 1963) was an Iraqi Army brigadier and nationalist who came to power when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown du ...
toppled the government and brought an end to the Iraqi monarchy. In the ensuing violence brought on by the coup, 'Abd al-Ilah was killed, along with most of the Royal Family. The body of Crown Prince 'Abd al-Ilah was trailed on al Rashid street and was cut into pieces. According to the 21 July edition of '' Time'' magazine, Gamal Abdel Nasser's Middle East News Agency
The Middle East News Agency (MENA) is a news agency based in Egypt. It is run by the Egyptian government.
History and profile
The MENA was founded on 15 December 1955 as a joint stock company owned by Egyptian press establishments. The agency, ...
gleefully described the assassination of Crown Prince 'Abd al-Ilah: 'The people dragged 'Abd al-Ilah's body into the street like that of a dog and tore it limb from limb.' Then the mobs burned the body.
Private life
In his book ''Closet Queens'', about 20th century British gay politicians, historian and biographer Michael Bloch
Michael Anthony Bloch (born 24 September 1953) is an author and historian.
Educated at Portadown College and St John's College, Cambridge, he was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1978 and in 1979 became an assistant to Maître Suzanne ...
mentions 'Abd al-Ilah (whom he calls Prince Abdulilah), on page 157, as being homosexual and a close friend of Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton
Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, CH, PC, DL (18 November 1904 – 8 March 1983), was a British Conservative politician.
Background, education and military service
Lennox-Boyd was the son of Alan Walter Lennox-Boyd by his ...
. Bloch says that after 'Abd al-Ilah was killed, "''the revolutionaries discovered intimate letters from Lennox-Boyd among the Prince's papers, which they released to the world's press.''"
On page 159 of the book, Bloch says that Lennox-Boyd and Henry Channon
Sir Henry Channon (7 March 1897 – 7 October 1958), often known as Chips Channon, was an American-born British Conservative politician, author and diarist. Channon moved to England in 1920 and became strongly anti-American, feeling that Amer ...
organised a memorial service for their friend, the Prince, in 1958.
Military ranks and Awards
'Abd al-Ilah held the following ranks:
* Field Marshal, Royal Iraqi Army
* Marshal, Royal Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF or IrAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية العراقية, Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah}) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well ...
* Honorary Marshal, Royal Air Force
He was awarded the Legion of Merit (Chief Commander) on 1 June 1945.
* Poland (in exile): Order of the White Eagle, 1947
Hashemite genealogy
See also
* Central Treaty Organization
The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), also known as the Baghdad Pact and subsequently known as the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), was a military alliance of the Cold War. It was formed in 24 February 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turk ...
* Coup d'état of 1941
Notes
Further reading
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abd Al-Ilah
1913 births
1958 deaths
20th-century Royal Air Force personnel
Chief Commanders of the Legion of Merit
Executed Iraqi people
Field marshals of Iraq
Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
House of Hashim
Iraqi politicians
Iraqi Sunni Muslims
Leaders ousted by a coup
Marshals of the Royal Iraqi Air Force
1958 in Iraq
Murdered royalty
People executed by Iraq by firing squad
People murdered in Iraq
People from Taif
Princes of Iraq
Regents
Royal Air Force air marshals
World War II political leaders
1958 murders in Iraq
LGBT in Iraq
Heirs apparent who never acceded
Sons of kings