Qutb-ul Aqtaab Naqib Al Ashraaf Syed Abd ar-Rahman al-Qadri al-Gillani (; 11 January 1841 – 13 June 1927) was the first
prime minister of Iraq
The prime minister of the Republic of Iraq is the head of government of Iraq and the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces. On 27 October 2022, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani became the incumbent prime minister.
History
The prime minist ...
. He was an important figure during the
Ottoman and 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.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
Eras, and he had an important role in the politics of
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
.
Early life
Al-Gillani was born in
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
to a Sufi family. Al-Gillani was the 15th descendant of
Abdul Qadir al-Gillani. His family has been known since ancient times for its scientific significance and councilmen and was known for his morality and love for his people. He was the captain of the
Banu Hashim
Banu Hashim () is an Arab clan within the Quraysh tribe to which the Islamic prophet Muhammad belonged, named after Muhammad's great-grandfather Hashim ibn Abd Manaf.
Members of this clan, and especially their descendants, are also referred ...
of the Quraishi tribe in Baghdad. He lived most of his life as an Ottoman and studied under Sultan
Abdul Hamid II
Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...
who strongly supported him on the issue of Palestine when he was young.
Political career
Al-Gillani was chosen in 1920 to head the Iraqi Council of Ministers following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Due to his good relations with the British and his personality, he was one of the candidates for the throne of Iraq. He refused to take the title out of renunciation of the King but agreed to be prime minister. He used his influence to oppose the appointment of
Faisal I
Faisal I bin Hussein bin Ali Al-Hashemi (, ''Fayṣal al-Awwal bin Ḥusayn bin ʻAlī al-Hāshimī''; 20 May 1885 – 8 September 1933) was King of Iraq from 23 August 1921 until his death in 1933. A member of the Hashemites, Hashemite family, ...
as King of Iraq and resigned from his post when his efforts were defeated. Nevertheless, Faisal still reappointed him as prime minister in order to curb opposition.
Even though Al-Gillani was reinstated, his powers were greatly diminished as the king and the British took more prominent roles in appointing ministers and other government officials.
In 1922, al-Gillani negotiated the first
Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, which ensured nominal independence for the country, though Britain maintained control of the military and foreign affairs, essentially establishing a
Mandate in the country. Opposed to these results, al-Gillani resigned shortly after and spent the rest of his life in seclusion.
Death and Burial
Al-Gillani died on 13 June 1927 in Baghdad, aged 86. His funeral was attended by many high figures of Iraq including
Prince Ghazi. He was buried inside the
Mausoleum of Abdul-Qadir Gillani shrine near the shrine of Abdul Qadir al-Gillani.
In pop culture
Al-Gillani and his role in the Ottoman Empire was briefly mentioned in the Iraqi television drama Sarah Khatoon, which aired on
Al Sharqiya.
[Interview with Sheikh Afif Al-Din Al-Kilani_the grandson of the captain, Jamal Al-Din Faleh Al-Kilani, memorandum in Columbus, 2014]
See also
*
List of prime ministers of Iraq
References
1841 births
1927 deaths
Arab people from the Ottoman Empire
Prime ministers of Iraq
Hashemite people
Iraqi Muslims
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