Faisal << FY suhl >> I (1885-1933) was an Arab nationalist and king of Iraq from 1921 to 1933. He also reigned briefly as king of Syria in 1920. His name is sometimes spelled Faysal or Feisal.
Faisal was born on May 20, 1885, in what is now Saudi Arabia. At that time, Saudi Arabia was part of the Ottoman Empire. Faisal was a son of Sharif Hussein of Hejaz, whom the government of the Ottoman Empire appointed emir (ruler) of the city of Mecca in 1908. See Hussein, Sharif.
During World War I (1914-1918), the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary. The United Kingdom then backed an Arab revolt against their Ottoman rulers. Prince Faisal and his brothers helped lead the Arab forces. Famed British soldier and author T. E. Lawrence—known as Lawrence of Arabia—served with Faisal’s Northern Army. In 1918, as part of the Allied forces, Faisal and his army helped capture the Ottoman-controlled city of Damascus in Syria. Faisal then became Syria’s ruler. In March 1920, an Arab-Syrian Congress under Allied supervision declared Faisal Syria’s king. In July, France took control of Syria and forced Faisal into exile.
Also in 1920, the United Kingdom gained control of Iraq. The British chose Faisal as Iraq’s king in 1921. As king, Faisal worked to balance the interests of Iraq’s political factions, including a group that called for Iraqi independence from the United Kingdom. Iraq gained independence in 1932. Faisal died on Sept. 8, 1933, and was succeeded by his son Ghazi. Faisal’s brother Abdullah began ruling Transjordan as emir in 1921 and later became the first king of Jordan.
See also Abdullah I; Iraq (History); Lawrence, T. E.
