Jamil Al Midfai

Jamil Al Midfai (Arabic: جميل المدفعي; (1958 – 1890)) was an Iraqi politician. He served as the country's prime minister on five separate occasions.

Jamil Al Midfai
Prime Minister of Iraq
In office
9 November 1933 – 27 August 1934
MonarchGhazi I
Preceded byRashid Ali al-Gaylani
Succeeded byAli Jawdat al-Aiyubi
In office
4 March 1935 – 17 March 1935
MonarchGhazi I
Preceded byAli Jawdat al-Aiyubi
Succeeded byYasin al-Hashimi
In office
17 August 1937 – 25 December 1938
MonarchGhazi I
Preceded byHikmat Sulayman
Succeeded byNuri al-Said
In office
4 June 1941 – 10 October 1941
MonarchsFaisal II
Prince Abdullah (Regent)
Preceded byRashid Ali al-Gaylani
Succeeded byNuri al-Said
In office
29 January 1953 – 17 September 1953
MonarchsFaisal II
Prince Abdullah (Regent)
Preceded byNureddin Mahmud
Succeeded byMuhammad Fadhel al-Jamali
Personal details
Born1890 (1890)
Mosul, Iraq
Died26 October 1958(1958-10-26) (aged 67–68)

Biography

Born in the town of Mosul, Midfai served in the Ottoman army during World War I, but deserted in 1916 to take part in the nationalist Arab Revolt. After the war, he was an aide to the Emir Faisal during his brief reign in Syria. He returned to Iraq in 1920, but was soon forced into exile in Jordan because of his anti-British nationalist activities. Upon his return in 1923, he served in various senior provincial capacities and finally joined the cabinet in 1930.

He was elected as the president of the Chamber of Deputies from December 1930 to November 1931, and from November 1931 to November 1933.[1][2]

As a seasoned politician and two-time prime minister, he was asked to form a new government in August 1937, following the assassination of General Bakr Sidqi, who had ruled the country as a military dictator for almost a year. A staunch monarchist, Midfai was again forced into exile to Transjordan following the short-lived pro-Axis coup by Rashid Ali al-Kaylani in 1941.

Upon his return to Iraq, he served in various senior capacities including President of the Senate of Iraq in the 1950s,[3] and briefly as prime minister after the suspension of political activities during the Iraqi Intifada. He died on 26 October 1958 suffering from lung cancer.[4]

Fourth Ministry

When the Crown Prince 'Abd al-Ilah came back to Baghdad in 1 June 1941, He summoned Midfai to Him and after careful consultations, the opinion settled on Midfai to form a new government, so the Prince sent Him the following letter:

My most luxurious minister Jamil al-Midfai, Based on the dissolution of the government, and given the current circumstances, and depending on your knowledge and sincerity, We have entrusted you to head the new government, Provided that you elect your associates and present their names on us, and God is the Guardian of success.

— Abd al-Ilah[5]

The circumstances in which Al-Madfai was tasked with forming his fifth cabinet were strict and required the appointment of ministers and determining their responsibilities so quickly that he could not think about the extent of the cooperation that would take place between him and his associates in the management of state affairs in these circumstances.

And accordingly, the royal will was issued on the second day of June 1941 to appoint:[6]

  1. Jamil Al-Midfai: the Prime Minister
  2. Ali Jawdat al-Aiyubi: Minister of Foreign Affairs
  3. Mustafa Mahmud al-Umari: Minister of Interior
  4. Nadhif Al-Shawi: Minister of Defense
  5. Ibrahim Kemal: Minister of Finance and Minister of Justice
  6. Jalal Baban: Minister of Works and Communications
  7. Nasrat al-Farisi: Minister of economy
  8. Mohammed Ridha Al-Shabibi: Minister of Knowledge.

References
  1. "Report by His Britannic Majesty's Government to the Council of the League of Nations on the Administration of Iraq 1930". HathiTrust.
  2. "'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [27v] (54/96)". Qatar Digital Library. 10 September 2018.
  3. Al-Marayati, Abid A. (5 January 1961). "A diplomatic history of modern Iraq". New York. hdl:2027/mdp.39015001694838.
  4. "في مثل هذا اليوم... توفي العسكري والسياسي العراقي جميل المدفعي | العراق - القرطاس نيوز". Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  5. History of the ministries of Iraq, Part 6 page 6 - 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Hasani, archived copy in Arabic
  6. History of the ministries of Iraq, Part 6 page 6 - 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Hasani, archived copy in Arabic
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