Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz المملكة الحجازية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah al-Ḥijāzyah Al-Hāshimīyah | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916–1925 | |||||||||||
 Coat of arms (1920–1925) | |||||||||||
 Kingdom of Hejaz (green) with the modern-day region ofHejaz (red outline) | |||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||
• Abdulaziz crowned King of Hejaz | 8 January 1926 | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 1920 | 850,000 | ||||||||||
• 1925[1] | 900,000 | ||||||||||
| Currency | Hejazi riyal | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Today part of | Saudi Arabia Jordan | ||||||||||
TheHashemite Kingdom of Hejaz (Arabic:المملكة الحجازية الهاشمية,Al-Mamlakah al-Ḥijāziyyah Al-Hāshimiyyah) was a state in theHejaz region ofWestern Asia that included the western portion of theArabian Peninsula that was ruled by theHashemite dynasty. It wasself-proclaimed as a kingdom in June 1916 during theFirst World War, to be independent from theOttoman Empire, on the basis ofan alliance with theBritish Empire to drive theOttoman Army from theArabian Peninsula during theArab Revolt.
The British government hadpromisedHussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz, a single independentArab state that would include, in addition to theHejaz region, modern-dayJordan,Iraq, and most ofSyria, with the fate of thePalestine region (today'sIsrael andPalestine) being mentioned in more ambiguous terms. However, at the end of theFirst World War, theTreaty of Versailles turned Syria into a FrenchLeague of Nations mandate andIraq,Mandate Palestine andTransjordan into 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 Empire further deteriorated when moreEuropean Jews moved toPalestine, as the area was defined under the British rule. Hussein refused to ratify the 1919Treaty of Versailles, and, in response to a 1921British proposal 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 Arabian allyIbn Saud, who proceeded toconquer Hussein's kingdom.[4][5]
On 23 September 1932, theKingdom of Hejaz and Nejd was unified with the other Saudi dominions, creating theunifiedKingdom of Saudi Arabia.[6][7]
In 1908, theYoung Turks took 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]
Hussein bin Ali, theSharif and Emir of Mecca from 1908,[9] enthroned himself asKing of the Hejaz after proclaiming theGreat Arab Revolt against theOttoman Empire,[10] and continued to hold both of the offices of Sharif and King from 1916 to 1924.[9] At the end of his reign he also briefly laid claim to the office ofSharifian Caliph; he was a37th-generation direct descendant ofMuhammad, as he belongs to theHashemite family.[9] A member of the Dhawu Awn clan (Banu Hashim) from theQatadid emirs of Mecca, he was perceived to have rebellious inclinations and in 1893 was summoned toIstanbul, where he was kept on the Council of State.[9] In 1908, in the aftermath of theYoung Turk Revolution, he was appointed Emir of Mecca by theOttoman sultanAbdul Hamid II.[9] In 1916, with the promise of British support for Arab independence, he proclaimed the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, accusing theCommittee of Union and Progress of violating tenets of Islam and limiting the power of the sultan-caliph. Shortly after the outbreak of the revolt, Hussein declared himself "King of the Arab Countries". However, hispan-Arab aspirations were not accepted by theAllies, who recognized him only as King of the Hejaz.
In theaftermath of World War I, Hussein refused to ratify theTreaty of Versailles, in protest at theBalfour Declaration and the establishment of British and Frenchmandates inSyria,Iraq, andPalestine. He later refused to sign the Anglo-Hashemite Treaty and thus deprived himself of British support when his kingdom was attacked byIbn Saud. After the Kingdom of Hejaz was invaded by theAl Saud-Wahhabi armies of theIkhwan, on 23 December 1925 King Hussein bin Ali surrendered to the Saudis, bringing both the Kingdom of Hejaz and the Sharifate of Mecca to an end.[11]
In their capacity asCaliphs, theSultans of the Ottoman Empire would 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 ajihad against 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 otherArab leaders 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 nationalist leaders inDamascus andBeirut, 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 Army participated with other Arab Forces and the British Empire in expelling the Ottomans from theArabian Peninsula.[12][13]
TheUS State Department quotes anaide-mémoire dated 24 October 1917 given by theArab Bureau to 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.[14]
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 (inprotectorate form) 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 system stated that he could not be expected to "affix his name to a document assigningPalestine to theZionists 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 theBritish withdrew their support in favour of theircentral Arabian allyIbn Saud, who proceeded toconquer Hussein's Kingdom.[4]
TheLeague of Nations Covenant provided for membership to the signatories of thePeace Treaties; the Hejaz was one of two (the other one was theUnited States) that failed to ratifyVersailles.[15][16]
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hussein bin Ali
| (1854-05-01)1 May 1854 – 4 June 1931(1931-06-04) (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 Ali and Abdiya bin Abdullah | Hashemite |  |
Pre-Saudi states | ||
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| Saudi-ruled |
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