'ABD AL-ILAH

born 1913, at-Ta'if, Arabia died July 14, 1958, Baghdad 'Abd al-Ilah regent of Iraq (1939-53) and crown prince to 1958. Son of the Hashimite king 'Ali ibn Husayn of the Hejaz (northwestern Arabia), who was driven from Arabia by Ibn Sa'ud, 'Abd al-Ilah accompanied his father to Iraq in 1925. Upon King Ghazi's death in 1939, he was appointed regent for his four-year-old nephew, Faysal II. 'Abd al-Ilah ruled Iraq for 14 turbulent years, loyally serving the throne and supporting the Allies during World War II. In April 1941, faced with an uprising of army officers led by Rashid 'Ali al-Gaylani, who was sympathetic to Germany and Italy, the regent was forced to leave Iraq. With British assistance, however, the revolt was suppressed by the end of May, and 'Abd al-Ilah returned to Baghdad. Thereafter, in close collaboration with Nuri as-Said, he pursued a policy of moderate Iraqi nationalism and maintained strong ties with the West. When King Faysal reached legal age on May 23, 1953, the regent relinquished his functions but remained as the young king's chief adviser and companion until both were killed during the Iraq revolution of 1958.