Rashid Taha al-Khawja

Rashid Taha al-Khoja (, 1884–1962) was an Iraqi politician and general in the Ottoman Empire and later in the Kingdom of Iraq. He previously participated in the Russo-Ottoman Caucasus War before coming back to Iraq in 1919 and holding several offices in the country. Al-Khoja is remembered as an example of an early educated Iraqi politician who was also enthusiastic.

Biography In the early 1900s, al-Khoja completed his higher education in Istanbul, studying at the Military Academy and the Staff College. He then graduated in 1906 with the rank of B. Afterwards, he entered the Ottoman army and was sent to participate in the Russo-Ottoman Caucasus campaign, rising to the rank of Brigadier General. With the end of World War I, he traveled to Damascus in 1919, where he would then return to Baghdad on the eve of the Mandate for Mesopotamia.

Career in Iraq After arriving in Baghdad, he was elected as one of the first members of the newly established Iraqi parliament. One month after the formation of the new Iraqi state on 20 October 1920, the first ministry headed by Abd al-Rahman al-Gilani, al-Khoja was appointed as the first mutasarrif of Baghdad in recognition of his activism. However, he was then transferred to the position of mutasarrif of Mosul in 1923 due to the sensitivity of the Mosul province, which was then still claimed by the Ottomans.

Later, he served as the Minister of Defense from 3 November 1932 to 18 March 1933, as well as during the years 1934 and 1935, and served as Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament in 1933-1934 and 1934-1935. In 1938, he held the position of Chief of the Royal Court.