On August 23, 1921, Iraq witnessed the proclamation of the monarchy with the coronation of King Faysal to the throne, in a ceremony that took place in the courtyard of the Al-Qishla building in Baghdad, to begin a critical stage in the modern history of Iraq.
King Faisal I began his reign by laying down the first building blocks of state institutions, most of whose systems are still in place to this day, which led many to call him the "founder of the Iraqi state."
Founder of the state
Professor of modern history at the University of Mosul and historian Ibrahim Khalil Al-Allaf believes that King Faisal was the builder of the glory of Iraq and the founder of its modern state, and he placed the financial, administrative, economic, cultural and military pillars of the state.
In his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Allaf points out that the Iraqi army was established after the coronation of Faisal, who in turn established a high-level educational, judicial, judicial and financial system with the help of a number of leaders and advisors.
Faisal continued his path towards the independence of Iraq and the end of the British mandate over it, as the 1922 treaty was concluded after long negotiations, so that the mandate turned into something like autonomy under British supervision, after which this treaty was amended, and Iraq entered the League of Nations as a semi-independent state.
Stations and achievements
Political analyst Najm Al-Qassab says that the royal phase was the best period that Iraq has gone through, indicating in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net that the most prominent achievements of the ownership are the implementation of laws and the completion of projects, chiefly bridges, stations, railways and factories.
Al-Qassab points out that despite the suffering of the Iraqi people at the time from living crises, the period of monarchy was better off compared to the rest of the Arab countries.
For his part, historian and legal expert Tariq Harb considers the period of Faisal I's rule as a stage of building the Iraqi state, followed by the period of King Faisal II, which achieved various achievements for Iraq, as well as political, economic and urban integration.
According to Harb, the announcement of the monarchy coincided with Prince Faisal's visit to religious sites in Najaf and Karbala until his coronation on August 23, 1921, indicating that a quasi-referendum was held on the king - at that time - with the support of the majority.
As for Al-Allaf, he says that Faisal established a strong state, achieved independence and entered Iraq into the League of Nations in 1932, built an excellent financial, administrative and judicial system, and established a national army, indicating that he followed an independent foreign policy, organized relations with Turkey, Iran and Britain, and arrived in Iraq to an independent state until He passed away in 1933.
On April 4, 1939,
King Ghazi bin Faisal the First - the second king of Iraq died as a result of a mysterious car accident, and his Shiites, the masses of Baghdad, were deeply saddened to his final resting place in the royal cemetery. He wrote on the subject a lot of analyzes, opinions and accusations, but without confirmed evidence and evidence that reached the perpetrator # baghdad_salam pic .twitter.com/4h1qwKDfPe
- Baghdad Dar Al Salam (@baghdad_salam) April 5, 2020
Coronation of Ghazi and his death
After the death of Faisal the First, power took over from his son Ghazi, who was a motivated and enthusiastic young man who had nationalist aspirations that helped him form political groups dominated by this character.
Al-Allaf explains that King Ghazi was crowned in 1933 after the death of his father, Faisal the First, indicating that he was opposed to British control and was interested in supporting the Palestinian cause.
He added that Ghazi demanded the annexation of Kuwait to Iraq, and established a radio station in the Palace of Flowers that calls for it and calls for Arab unity, and gave way to Arab nationalist officers, and sponsored the fatwa and scouts to inflame Iraqi national sentiment, and paved the way for striking the rebellion of the Assyrians (Assyrians), he said.
The killing of King Ghazi sparked a lot of speculation and explanations at the time, and on this, Al-Allaf confirms that Ghazi supported the coup of Lieutenant General Bakr Sidqi in 1936 and got rid of some politicians. Therefore, the British ambassador at the time, Corris Patterson, said, "Ghazi must be curtailed or eliminated."
"When Ghazi was killed in a collision with his car in 1939, the Iraqi people revolted and accused the British of killing him, and the Mosulians attacked the British consulate and killed Consul Monk Mason, so the British got angry at Mosul and punished it by bombing it with aircraft in 1941 and killing a large number of citizens as a result of these events."
For his part, Al-Qassab says that Ghazi died in a traffic accident when his car collided with an electric pole.
Al-Qassab indicates in his interview with Al-Jazeera Net that there are those who said that the incident was a killing process that was succeeded by the regent of the throne at the time, Abdul Ilah bin Ali, and the prime minister at the time, Nuri al-Saeed.
The Last Kings
Al-Allaf explains that Faisal II became king after the killing of Ghazi, and he was a child (at the age of four), so Prince Abdul Ilah bin Ali - the King of the Hijazi Kingdom - assumed custody over him until 1953.
According to Al-Allaf, Faisal II crowned and assumed his constitutional powers in 1953, and his reign continued until the revolution of July 14, 1958, which ended with the fall of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of Iraq.
Al-Allaf believes that internal reasons related to the political, economic and social conditions led to the overthrow of the Iraqi monarchy, in addition to external reasons related to linking Iraq with the West, the Baghdad pact, and resisting the national tide during the era of the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
He added, "Young people - whether from the military or from party affiliates - felt that they had no room for participation in government, and that power was limited to clan sheikhs, feudal lords and reactionaries, and to fight the patriots of the youth of the parties."
For his part, Tariq Harb believes that "the overthrow of the monarchy came because of the Nasserite tide."
Ups and downs
During the stages of the transition of rule during the monarchy period, Iraq witnessed political fluctuations, and according to Al-Allaf, the Iraqi foreign policy sided with the West, and the Baghdad Pact was established with Turkey, Iran, Britain, Pakistan and the United States, which generated resentment among the people, so he organized many protests and confrontations with the monarchy in the years between 1936 and 1956.
Al-Allaf added that the treaties with Britain were unfair, as it established two military bases in Habbaniyah in Anbar Governorate, and Shuaiba in Basra Governorate.
He points out that the monarchy did not give way to the youth, so there are those who interpret the revolution of 14 July 1958 as a kind of conflict between the old generation that ruled Iraq since 1921, and the new generation represented by national, national and democratic parties.
According to Al-Allaf, the Iraqis at that time were suffering from the domination of Nuri al-Saeed, and his dependence on a limited number of politicians, and education was limited, pointing out that the student should have bought school books, and if he could not, he must bring a document from the mayor of the region in which to prove his poverty.
He points out that 16 families controlled during that period all the agricultural lands of the country, as well as shackling Iraq with unjust treaties with Britain, siding with the West, the Baghdad Pact, and opposing the national orientation and the Arab nationalist orientation.
Ownership in the eyes of Iraqis
Al-Allaf believes that the Iraqis have a positive attitude towards the monarchy because of the calamities, wars, siege and violence they experienced until the American invasion in 2003 and afterward, saying that many young people who did not live in the monarchy now see it as the best period.
For his part, Al-Qassab confirms that Iraqis today have pity on the royal stage that Iraq went through, pointing out that this Iraqi outlook came because of the rule of commitment, laws and stability in that era.
Harb agrees with Al-Qassab's statement that Iraqis bemoan the end of the monarchy period in the country.