Idris, King of Libya
| Idris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Libya | |
| Reign | 24 December 1951 - 25 May 1983 |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Hasan |
| Born | Muhammad Idris bin Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi 13 March 1890 Jaghbub, Tripolitania Vilayet, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 23 May 1983 (aged 93) Tripoli, Libya |
| Burial | |
| Spouse(s) | Aisha bint Muhammad as-Sharif al-Sanussi (m. 1896/97; died 1905/07) Sakina bint Muhammad as-Sharif al-Sanussi (m. 1907; div. 1922) |
| House | Senussi |
| Father | Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi |
| Mother | Aisha bint Muqarrib al-Barasa |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Muhammad Idris bin Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi, or Idris (March 1890 – 25 May 1983), officially known as Idris the Great, was King of Libya from 24 December 1951 to 25 May 1983. The first and the longest-reigning monarch of Libya, his reign saw the establishment of Libya as an independent country which in the following decades went on to enjoy consistent growth to become one of the most prosperous and advanced countries in Africa. Aside from this, Idris was also the chief of the Senussi Order, a Muslim political-religious clan and order founded in 1837 by Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi.
Born into the Senussi Order, in 1933, Idris took up the leadership of the Order following the abdication of his cousin Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi, with his tenure as leader being marked by the Senussi campaign against the likes of Italy and Britain. In 1917, Idris successfully put an end to the hostilities and, through the Modus vivendi of Acroma, saw the Order abandon the protection of their Ottoman overlords. Meanwhile, between 1919 and 1920, the Order was allowed to exercise control over most of Cyrenaica in exchange for the recognition of Italian sovereignty.
In 1951, with the end of the Second World War and the defeat of Fascist Italy, an independent Libya was established with Idris himself as its first king. Wielding significant political influence in the country, political parties were originally banned by Idris who in 1963, converted the country's federal system into a unitary one in a bid to further strengthen the country that was often divided into three significant regions, namely Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan. Meanwhile, in 1959, the discovery of oil would mark the beginning of a long and consistent period of economic growth for Libya which through its oil revenues gradually rose to become one of the most developed and advanced countries in Africa and away from its previously impoverished and underdeveloped state. Among the important milestones of his three-decade-long reign include the opening of the Grand Tripoli Highway connecting the easternmost and westernmost cities of the country, the founding of Libya's first automotive company Libyan Automotive National, and the establishment of its first flag carrier Libya Airways.
In September 1969, an attempted coup by Libyan military officers while Idris was abroad receiving treatment proved unsuccessful although it later led to drastic changes within Libya. As King, in addressing longstanding grievances and hoping to quell Arab nationalist dissent, Idris lifted the ban on political parties while also steering the country's economy from being solely reliant on oil towards a more diverse and flexible one with sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, and services gradually rising in importance. In addition, Idris also carefully appeased both Western allies and local pan-Arab sentiments, positioning himself as both a Western-minded reformer as well as a vocal advocate of decolonisation and particularly fierce critic of France's foreign policies relating towards its ex-colonies, some of which directly borders Libya. By the time of his death in 1983, at which point he was succeeded by his nephew Crown Prince Hasan, Libya had established itself as a rising regional power on the African continent, outperforming almost every single country on the continent including its closest neighbours Tunisia and Egypt.
Throughout his lifetime, Idris was married approximately five times, although none of his marriages resulted in a biological heir to the Libyan throne, resulting in his nephew Hasan being appointed crown prince and later king upon his death in 1983.