TheHashemite Kingdom of Hejaz(Arabic:المملكة الحجازية الهاشمية,Al-Mamlakah al-Ḥijāziyyah Al-Hāshimiyyah) was a state in theHejazregion ofWestern Asiathat included the western portion of theArabian Peninsulathat was ruled by theHashemite dynasty.It wasself-proclaimedas a kingdom in June 1916 during theFirst World War,to be independent from theOttoman Empire,on the basis ofan alliancewith theBritish Empireto drive theOttoman Armyfrom theArabian Peninsuladuring theArab Revolt.
Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz المملكة الحجازية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah al-Ḥijāzyah Al-Hāshimīyah | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916–1925 | |||||||||||
 Coat of arms
(1920–1925) | |||||||||||
 Kingdom of Hejaz (red) within modern-daySaudi ArabiaandJordan | |||||||||||
| Capital | Mecca (1916–1924) Jeddah (1924–1925)[1] | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Arabic | ||||||||||
| Ethnic groups | Arabs | ||||||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Hejazi | ||||||||||
| Government | Absolute monarchy | ||||||||||
| King | |||||||||||
• 1916–1924 | Hussein bin Ali | ||||||||||
• 1924–1925 | Ali bin Hussein | ||||||||||
| Historical era | World War I Interwar period | ||||||||||
| 10 June 1916 | |||||||||||
| 10 August 1920 | |||||||||||
• Foundation of theSharifian Caliphate | 3 March 1924 | ||||||||||
| 19 December 1925 | |||||||||||
•Abdulazizcrowned King of Hejaz | 8 January 1926 | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 1920 | 850,000 | ||||||||||
• 1925[1] | 900,000 | ||||||||||
| Currency | Hejazi riyal | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Today part of | Saudi Arabia Jordan | ||||||||||
The British government hadpromisedHussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz,a single independentArabstate that would include, in addition to theHejazregion, modern-dayJordan,Iraq,and most ofSyria,with the fate of thePalestine region(today'sIsraelandPalestine) being mentioned in more ambiguous terms. However, at the end of theFirst World War,theTreaty of Versaillesturned Syria into a FrenchLeague of Nations mandateandIraq,Mandate PalestineandTransjordaninto British mandates. Hashemite princes were installed as monarchs under the British mandates in Transjordan and Iraq; this became known as theSharifian solution.
Relations with theBritish Empirefurther deteriorated when moreJewsmoved toPalestine,as the area was defined under the British rule. Hussein refused to ratify the 1919Treaty of Versailles,and, in response to a 1921Britishproposal to sign a treaty accepting the Mandate system, stated that he could not be expected to "affix his name to a document assigning Palestine to the Zionists and Syria to foreigners".[2]A further British attempt to reach a treaty failed in 1923–24 and negotiations were suspended in March 1924;[3]within six months the British withdrew their support in favour of theircentral ArabianallyIbn Saud,who proceeded toconquer Hussein's kingdom.[4][5]
On 23 September 1932, theKingdom of Hejaz and Nejdwas unified with the other Saudi dominions, creating theunifiedKingdom of Saudi Arabia.[6][7]
Background
editIn 1908, theYoung Turkstook over theOttoman Empire,and in 1909 when a counter-coup failed, the Young Turks "secularized" the government. Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, was appointed by the previous Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and did not favor the Young Turks; his opposition to the empire grew over time, culminating in the Arab Revolt.[8]
History
editIn their capacity asCaliphs,theSultans of the Ottoman Empirewould appoint an official known as the Sharif of Mecca. The role went to a member of the Hashemite family, but the Sultans typically promoted Hashemite intra-familial rivalries in their choice, preventing the building of a solid base of power in the Sharif.
With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Sultan,Mehmed V,in his capacity as Caliph, declared ajihadagainst theEntente powers.The British in particular hoped to co-opt the Sharif as a weighty alternative religious figure backing them in the conflict. The British already had a series of treaties with otherArableaders in the region and were also fearful that the Hejaz could be used as a base to attack their shipping to and fromIndia.
The Sharif was cautious but, after discovering that the Ottomans planned to remove and possibly murder him, agreed to work with the British if they would support a wider Arab Revolt and the establishment of an independent Arab Kingdom — the Britishimplied they would.After the Ottomans executed otherArab nationalistleaders inDamascusandBeirut,the Hejaz rose against and soundly defeated them, almost completely expelling them (Medina remaining under Ottoman control throughout).
In June 1916, Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, declared himself King of Hejaz as hisSharifian Armyparticipated with other Arab Forces and the British Empire in expelling the Ottomans from theArabian Peninsula.[9][10]
TheUS State Departmentquotes anaide-mémoiredated 24 October 1917 given by theArab Bureauto the American Diplomatic Agency in Cairo confirming that
...Great Britain, France and Russia agreed to recognize the Sherif as lawful independent ruler of the Hedjaz and to use the title of "King of the Hedjaz" when addressing him, and a note to this effect was handed to him on 10 December 1916.[11]
The British, though, were compromised by their agreement to give theFrenchcontrol of Syria(comprising modern-day Syria and Lebanon) and did not, in Hussein's eyes, honour their commitments. Nevertheless, they did eventually create Hashemite-ruled kingdoms (inprotectorateform) in Transjordan and in Iraq, as well as Hejaz. The changing boundaries of the Ottoman Hejaz Vilayet contributed to uncertainties between the neighbouring Hashemite kingdoms, particularly thecompeting claim with Transjordan over the inclusion of the sanjak of Ma'an,including the cities of Ma'an andAqaba.
King Hussein refused to ratify the 1919Treaty of Versailles,and in response to a 1921 British proposal to sign a treaty accepting theMandate systemstated that he could not be expected to "affix his name to a document assigningPalestineto theZionistsand Syria to foreigners. "[2]A further British attempt to reach a treaty failed in 1923–24, and negotiations were suspended in March 1924;[3]within six months theBritishwithdrew their support in favour of theircentral ArabianallyIbn Saud,who proceeded toconquer Hussein's Kingdom.[4]
TheLeague of Nations Covenantprovided for membership to the signatories of thePeace Treaties;the Hejaz was one of two (the other one was theUnited States) that failed to ratifyVersailles.[12][13]
Kings of Hejaz
edit| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hussein bin Ali
| 1 May 1854 – 4 June 1931(aged 77) | 10 June 1916 | 3 October 1924 (abdicated) | Son of Ali bin Muhammad and Salha bint Gharam al-Shahar | Hashemite |  |
Ali bin Hussein
| 1879 – 13 February 1935 (aged 55–59) | 3 October 1924 | 19 December 1925 (deposed) | Son ofHussein bin Aliand Abdiya bin Abdullah | Hashemite |  |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abBen Chaoon."Saudi Arabia".WorldStatesmen.org.Ben M. Cahoon.Retrieved9 April2021.
- ^abMousa 1978,p. 185.
- ^abHuneidi 2001,pp. 71–72.
- ^abHuneidi 2001,p. 72.
- ^Mai Yamani(13 October 2009),Cradle of Islam: the Hijaz and the quest for an Arabian identity(Pbk. ed.), I.B. Tauris (published 2009),ISBN978-1-84511-824-2
- ^Madawi Al Rasheed.A History of Saudi Arabia.Cambridge, England, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
- ^A Brief overview of Hejaz –Hejaz history
- ^Dividing the Middle East – The Great Loot – Extra History – #1,2 May 2020,archivedfrom the original on 17 November 2021,retrieved24 March2021
- ^Randall Baker (1979),King Husain and the Kingdom of Hejaz,Cambridge, England. New York:Oleander Press,ISBN978-0-900891-48-9
- ^Joshua Teitelbaum (2001),The rise and fall of the Hashimite Kingdom of Arabia,New York University Press,ISBN978-0-8147-8271-2
- ^Division of Near Eastern Affairs (1931).Mandate for Palestine(PDF)(Report).United States State Department.p. 7. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 25 May 2019.Retrieved20 May2019.
- ^Christian J Tams."League of Nations, B.2.Membership".Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/e519.Retrieved2 June2019.
- ^LoN Hejaz,HC Deb 17 March 1930 vol 236 c1714.
Bibliography
edit- Mousa, Suleiman (1978). "A Matter of Principle: King Hussein of the Hijaz and the Arabs of Palestine".International Journal of Middle East Studies.9(2): 183–194.doi:10.1017/S0020743800000052.S2CID163677445.
- Huneidi, Sahar, ed. (2001).A Broken Trust: Sir Herbert Samuel, Zionism and the Palestinians.I.B.Tauris. p. 84.ISBN978-1-86064-172-5.
- Malik Dahlan (2018).The Hijaz: The First Islamic State.Oxford University Press. pp. 133–.ISBN978-0-19-093501-6.
