The only son
of Ghazi I and Queen 'Aalya. He became king in the age of four after the
death of his father in 1939. He was quite dependent on his uncle the regent
Abdul-Ilah whom was appointed as the crown prince too.
He grew very shy and was rarely active
in public. Under his reign Iraq took part in the war of Palestine in 1948.
Under his time the Hashemite union of Iraq and Jordan was declared.
He was killed at the massacre of al-Zuhoor
palace on July 14th, 1958 with the rest of the royal family. The traumatic
experiences of this young king throughout his short life from the death of
his father to the violent death in a bloody massacre gained him a special
place in the Iraqis' memory.
