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The last king of syria

In the aftermath of World War I, the star of Arab self-determination in the Middle East seemed on the ascendant.

It beamed most brightly for the leader of the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkey, Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz, Sharif and Emir of Mecca, and his three sons.

The Sons of Hussein

The emir’s eldest, Ali, became the short-lived King of the Hejaz, a desert kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula. His second son, Abdullah, became king of Trans-Jordan, now known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

His third son, Faisal, became the symbol of Arab independence and its frustrated hopes.

 

 Sharif Hussein_bin Ali, father to Ali, Abdullah, and Feisal

Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz,
Sharif and Emir of Mecca
Emir Faisal, King of Syria and Iraq

Emir Faisal, King of Syria and Iraq

 Twice king, but always a lion in a cage, Faisal stands as the most tragic of modern Arab figures.

Tall, stately, cultivated, a natural leader, and an astute diplomat, Faisal al-Husseini is best known to Western readers of Middle Eastern history for his remarkable partnership with T. E. Lawrence, his British advisor during the Arab Revolt.

As the military commander of the Revolt, Faisal crowned his successes in the field by occupying Damascus in the fall of 1918. “Lawrence of Arabia” was at Faisal’s side through much of the conflict, acting as British paymaster and arms supplier to Faisal's largely Bedouin forces.

Versailles

Afterwards, Faisal brought Lawrence with him to Europe for the Versailles Treaty conference. The Arab leader tried to persuade the Great Powers, particularly Britain, to live up to their promises of Arab self-determination in the Middle East.

 Originally, Faisal had visions of a pan-Arab nation that encompassed the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, Palestine, and Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), but, a realist, he knew he would have to scale down his ambitions for a “Greater Syria”.

Gradually he came to realize that European promises were worthless—France and England had other plans for the Middle East.

Emir Feisal with the Arab delegation to the 1919 Versailles Peace Conference. (L to R) Rustum Haidar, Nuri as-Said, Prince Faisal, Captain Rosario Pisani (behind Feisal), T.E. Lawrence, Feisal's unidentified slave, and Captain Tahsin Qadri.

Emir Faisal with the Arab delegation to the 1919 Versailles Peace Conference. (L to R) Rustum Haidar, Nuri as-Said, Emir Faisal, Captain Rosario Pisani (behind Faisal), T.E. Lawrence, an unidentified servant, and Captain Tahsin Qadri.

king of syria ... and iraq

Philip Alexius de Laszlo's Portrait of Feisal
Emir Faisal,
portrait by Philip Alexius de Laszlo		 Smarting at this “betrayal” by the West, Faisal stole a march on the world by having himself crowned King of Syria in 1920. It was a short-lived reign. As chronicled in another article on this website, Faisal’s hopes were dashed at the battle of the Maisalun and “the once and future king” went into exile
Stamp of Iraq 1927. King Faisal I

 Faisal, King of Iraq
(1927 Iraq Stamp)

Within two years, Faisal would have another country to rule, this time the new state of Iraq. Faisal knew the title was hollow for while he had the trappings of power, the British called the diplomatic shots as well as exercised control over the rich Iraqi oil fields.

Nevertheless, he hoped that an Arab leader of an independent state in the Middle East would inspire efforts to struggle for greater self-determination throughout the region.

The noble warrior reigned in Iraq until his death in 1933, a romantic figure of forlorn hopes and a pawn of the real-politik of his day.
 

Remembering March the 8th of the Year 1920: Proclamation of Faisal as King of Syria

Remembering March the 8th of the Year 1920:
Proclamation of Faisal as King of Syria

next: Damascus Delicacies

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