Ibn Saud (1876–1953)
Born 1876 CE, died 1953 CE.
Abdulaziz bin Abdu Rahman Al Saud (Arabic: عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ بْنِ فَيْصَلٍ آلِ سُعُود; 15 January 1876 – 9 November 1953), known in the Western world as Ibn Saud (Arabic: ابن سعود; Ibn Suʿūd), and known with his kunya Abu Turki (Arabic: أَبُو تُرْكِي), was a Najdi statesman and religious leader who became the founder and first King of Saudi Arabia, reigning from 23 September 1932 until his death in 1953. He had ruled parts of the kingdom since 1902, having previously been Emir, Sultan, King of Nejd, and King of Hejaz. Ibn Saud was the son of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, Emir of Nejd, and Sara bint Ahmed Al Sudairi. The family were exiled from their residence in the city of Riyadh in 1890. Ibn Saud reconquered Riyadh in 1902, starting three decades of conquests that made him the ruler of nearly all of central and north Arabia. He consolidated his control over Najd in 1921, then conquered the Hejaz in 1925. He extended his dominions into what later became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. Ibn Saud's victory and his support for Islamic revivalists would greatly bolster pan-Islamism across the Islamic world.
Text from the Wikipedia article Ibn_Saud, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.