Abdul Muhsin al-Sa'dun
Abdul Muhsin al-Sa’doun (1879–1929) was an influential Iraqi politician and military officer who served as prime minister of Iraq four times between 1922 and 1929. He came from the Sa’doun tribe, a powerful clan in the Muntafiq Confederation. He trained at the Ottoman Military Academy, served in the Ottoman Army, and was an aide-de-camp to Sultan Abdul Hamid II. He also spent about ten years as a member of the Ottoman Parliament before returning to Iraq.
After World War I, Britain controlled Iraq and used tribal leaders to influence politics. Al-Sa’doun built strong political power through tribal and British connections, leading the Progressive group in Parliament and often opposing King Faisal I’s plans. He was President of the Constituent Assembly in 1924 and later served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1926 to 1928 and again in 1929. During his third term as prime minister, he helped negotiate the Ankara Treaty with Turkey, in which Iraq agreed to pay Turkey 10% of revenues from Mosul oil in return for Turkish recognition of Iraqi control over the Mosul area.
By late 1928, protests against British influence intensified, and al-Sa’doun supported King Faisal’s push for more autonomy. He resigned in January 1929 in protest. On 13 November 1929, during his fourth term as prime minister, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He left a note to his son expressing how he had endured insults and contempt. In his memory, the street where he died was named al-Sa’doun Street, and a bronze statue was later placed there.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:05 (CET).