Sharaf bin Rajeh (1881–1955) was the regent of the
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 ...
from April of 1941 to June 1941, as well as a Jordanian senator and the Emir or Taif until his death. He, a distant relative of the previous regent
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 ...
, was appointed under
Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
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 ...
to legitimize
Golden Square
Golden Square, in Soho, the City of Westminster, London, is a mainly hardscaped garden square planted with a few mature trees and raised borders in Central London flanked by classical office buildings. Its four approach ways are north and sout ...
control of Iraq.
Biography
Sharaf bin Rajeh was born in
Taif
Taif ( ar, , translit=aṭ-Ṭāʾif, lit=The circulated or encircled, ) is a city and governorate in the Makkan Region of Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarat M ...
in 1881 as the heir of the emirship, in what was then
Ottoman Arabia
The Ottoman era in the history of Arabia lasted from 1517 to 1918. Ottoman degree of control over these lands varied over the four centuries with the fluctuating strength or weakness of the Empire's central authority.
History
Early period
In t ...
. He participated in the conquest of
Asir
The ʿAsir Region ( ar, عَسِيرٌ, ʿAsīr, lit=difficult) is a region of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country that is named after the ʿAsīr tribe. It has an area of and an estimated population of 2,211,875 (2017). It is ...
against the Ottoman authorities during the
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On t ...
. Around the same time, he became the
Emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
of Taif, succeeding his father. He continued participation in the conflict by raiding train stations. He would lead the capture of
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...
following the surrender of the Ottomans. He later moved to Iraq in 1925, where he had his son
Abdelhamid Sharaf
Abdelhamid Sharaf ( ar, الشريف عبدالحميد شرف; 8 July 1939 – 3 July 1980), was a Jordanian politician born in Iraq who served as the 24th Prime Minister of Jordan from December 1979 until his death of a heart attack after seven m ...
. In Iraq, he became the second
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
.
In 1950, he moved to
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
and served on the
Jordanian senate
The Senate of Jordan is the upper house of the Parliament of Jordan, Jordanian Parliament which, along with the House of Representatives of Jordan, House of Representatives forms the legislature of Jordan.
As regent
To prevent his constitutional power from being levied to support the Golden Square, in 1941 Abdullah fled the royal palace. After this, Rashid Ali al-Gaylani was looking to bring in a new regent. He therefore called forward the distant royal relative of Sharaf bin Rajeh to legitimize the government. Abdullah was then indicted in absentia for 'trying to undermine the army, for harming national unity and for flouting the constitution.' This new government was recognized by the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...