Sulayman, ofIraqi Arab,[1]Circassian[2][3]andGeorgiandescent,[4]was a key figure in the early days of Iraqi independence and the effort to create a multi-ethnic state. He came to power inBakr Sidqi's coup, the first that the country experienced. His position was confirmed by KingGhazi.
He waspresident of the Chamber of Deputiesin 1926.[5]Together with Sidqi, Sulayman veered away from thepan-Arabnationalismof the preceding Iraqi governments. Together with Sidqi, he forged an alliance withTurkeyand settled the border dispute withIran,two countries he regarded as potential allies in the struggle againstArabnationalist sentiment. Nevertheless, he differed with Sidqi over the emphases of the new government, preferring to address social issues in the country, while Sidqi focused on military affairs and expanding Iraq's borders.
He was Prime Minister in the era of thecoup of Bakr Sidqiin 1936, and he served as Prime Minister in Iraq from October 30, 1936 to August 12, 1937, and managed the helm of government with unparalleled sincerity. After the coup, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, and forced to resign after the assassination ofBakr Sidqiin 1937.[7]
