Difference between revisions of "Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | '''Hussein bin Ali''' ([[1852]]-[[1931]]) ('''حسین بن علی'''; ''Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī'') was the [[Sharif of Mecca]], and [[Emir]] of Mecca from [[1908]] until [[1917]], when he proclaimed himself king of [[Hejaz]], which received international recognition. In 1924, he further proclaimed himself [[Caliph]] of all Muslims. He ruled Hejaz until [[1924]], when, defeated by [[Ibn Saud|Abdul Aziz al Saud]], he abdicated the kingdom and other secular titles to his eldest son Ali. Two sons were appointed kings of Iraq and of Jordan by the British following the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919]] and the division of the former [[Ottoman Empire]] among the victors as [[Leage of Nations]] mandated territories. Hussein was bitterly disappointed that the British failed to defend him against the Saudi rebellion. He retired to Cyprus. His heirs in Jordan, however, have perpetuated what appears to have been a long Hashemite tradition (his family are known as the Hashemites) of practicing an inclusive form of Islam that attempts to bridge divides and to reconcile differences. It is no accident that his heirs are in the forefront of inter-religious dialogue and of peace-building. | + | '''Hussein bin Ali''' ([[1852]]-[[1931]]) ('''حسین بن علی'''; ''Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī'') was the [[Sharif of Mecca]], and [[Emir]] of Mecca from [[1908]] until [[1917]], when he proclaimed himself king of [[Hejaz]], which received international recognition. His family had ruled the Hejaz since 1201. His vision was of a restored Arab State, stretching from the Yemen to Syria. This would be governed according to Islamic principles, including "the full protection and inclusion of ethnic religious minorities" <ref>"Sharif Hussein bin Ali (1853-1931)" at Government of Jordan site [http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/sharif_hussein.html Sharif Hussein bin Ali (1853-1931)"] retrieved 23 June 2007</ref>. |
| + | In 1924, he further proclaimed himself [[Caliph]] of all Muslims. He ruled Hejaz until [[1924]], when, defeated by [[Ibn Saud|Abdul Aziz al Saud]], he abdicated the kingdom and other secular titles to his eldest son Ali. Two sons were appointed kings of Iraq and of Jordan by the British following the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919]] and the division of the former [[Ottoman Empire]] among the victors as [[Leage of Nations]] mandated territories. Hussein was bitterly disappointed that the British failed to defend him against the Saudi rebellion. He retired to Cyprus. His heirs in Jordan, however, have perpetuated what appears to have been a long Hashemite tradition (his family are known as the Hashemites) of practicing an inclusive form of Islam that attempts to bridge divides and to reconcile differences. It is no accident that his heirs are in the forefront of inter-religious dialogue and of peace-building. | ||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
| − | Hussein ibn Ali was born in [[Istanbul]], [[Ottoman Empire]] and was the last of the [[Hashemite]] rulers over the Hejaz to be appointed by the Ottoman Empire. Sharif | + | Hussein ibn Ali was born in [[Istanbul]], [[Ottoman Empire]] and was the last of the [[Hashemite]] rulers over the Hejaz to be appointed by the Ottoman Empire. Until 1908, when he was appointed as Sharif, Hussein and his sons were kept in [[Istanbul]] by the Ottoman caliph, who appears to have wanted to keep them close at hand, since he was not unaware of increased Arab resistance to continued Ottoman domination. Many Arabs did not consider the Ottoman caliphate legitimate and thought bthat Arabia, not Turkey, should lead the Muslim world. |
| − | ===Alliance with Britain== | + | ===Alliance with Britain=== |
| + | At the start of [[World War I]], Hussein was initially allied with the [[Ottomans]] and [[Germany]]. Evidence that the Ottoman government was planning to depose him at the end of the war soured this alliance, and he started to consider rebellion. He and his sons were encouraged in this enterprise by the British military envoy, [[T. E Lawrence]]. He was commissioned to secure Arab aid against Turkey, and was authorized to make certain promises of territory after the war. Hussein interpreted this promise to mean that he would be rewarded with a large Arab state, stretching more or less from the Yemen in the South to Syria in the North. No offical treaty was ever signed and it has been alleged that Lawrence did not have the authority he thought he had, or acted as if he had. However, official correspondence between Hussein and the British High Commissioner in Egypt Sir Henry McMahon clearly indicate that some territorial award was promised: | ||
| + | : "We declare once more that His Majesty's Government would welcome the resumption of the Khalifate by an Arab of true race. With regard to the questions of limits and boundaries, it would appear to be premature to consume our time in discussing such details in the heat of war ..." (August 15th 1915). | ||
| + | |||
| + | Britain was to have an exclusive trade relationship with the new Arab entity. However, while McMahon did not specify borders, he did indicate that certain areas would be excluded and that the interests of France in the region would also have to be taken into account <ref>"The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence", Jewish Virtual Library [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/hussmac1.html The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence] retrieved 23 June 2007</ref>. | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, this exchange of letters convinced Hussein that his assistance on the side of the [[Triple Entente]] would be rewarded by an Arab empire encompassing the entire span between [[Egypt]] and [[Persia]], with the exception of imperial possessions and interests in [[Kuwait]], [[Aden]], and the [[Syrian]] coast. He delegated his sons Feisal and Abdullah to work with the British, and launched the 1916 [[Arab Revolt]] against the Ottomans. With Arab help, the British defeated the Turks in the Middle East, capturing Jerusalem in December, 1917. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Hussen had expected his promised state to stretch continuously across the region, and certainly expected it to include Palestine. McMahon later indicated that he had never envisaged that Palestine would be part of the Arab entity. In a letter to the London'' Times'' on July 23, 1937, wrote: | ||
| + | |||
| + | I feel it my duty to state, and I do so definitely and emphatically, that it was not intended by me in giving this pledge to King Hussein to include Palestine in the area in which Arab independence was promised. I had also every reason to believe at the time that the fact that Palestine was not included in my pledge was well understood by King Hussein.<ref>Bard. Mitchgell "The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence", Jewish Virtual Library [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/hussmac.html The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence] retrieved 23 June 2007</ref>. In a meeting in | ||
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===Post-[[World War I]] | ===Post-[[World War I]] | ||
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Though the British had supported Hussein from the start of the [[Arab Revolt]] and the [[Hussein-McMahon Correspondence]], they elected not to help Hussein repel the Saudi attack, which eventually took Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah. He was then forced to flee to [[Cyprus]]. He went to live in [[Amman]], [[Transjordan]], where his son [[Abdullah I of Jordan|Abdullah]] was [[King of Jordan|king]]. After his abdication, his son [[Ali ibn Hussein of Hejaz|'Ali]] briefly assumed the throne, but then he too had to flee the encroachment of Ibn Saud and his [[Wahhabi]] forces. Hussein himself died in Amman in [[1931]]. His son [[Faisal I of Iraq|Faisal]] was made [[King of Iraq]]. | Though the British had supported Hussein from the start of the [[Arab Revolt]] and the [[Hussein-McMahon Correspondence]], they elected not to help Hussein repel the Saudi attack, which eventually took Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah. He was then forced to flee to [[Cyprus]]. He went to live in [[Amman]], [[Transjordan]], where his son [[Abdullah I of Jordan|Abdullah]] was [[King of Jordan|king]]. After his abdication, his son [[Ali ibn Hussein of Hejaz|'Ali]] briefly assumed the throne, but then he too had to flee the encroachment of Ibn Saud and his [[Wahhabi]] forces. Hussein himself died in Amman in [[1931]]. His son [[Faisal I of Iraq|Faisal]] was made [[King of Iraq]]. | ||
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| − | |||
==Family== | ==Family== | ||
Revision as of 20:14, 23 June 2007
Hussein bin Ali (1852-1931) (حسین بن علی; Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī) was the Sharif of Mecca, and Emir of Mecca from 1908 until 1917, when he proclaimed himself king of Hejaz, which received international recognition. His family had ruled the Hejaz since 1201. His vision was of a restored Arab State, stretching from the Yemen to Syria. This would be governed according to Islamic principles, including "the full protection and inclusion of ethnic religious minorities" [1]. In 1924, he further proclaimed himself Caliph of all Muslims. He ruled Hejaz until 1924, when, defeated by Abdul Aziz al Saud, he abdicated the kingdom and other secular titles to his eldest son Ali. Two sons were appointed kings of Iraq and of Jordan by the British following the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 and the division of the former Ottoman Empire among the victors as Leage of Nations mandated territories. Hussein was bitterly disappointed that the British failed to defend him against the Saudi rebellion. He retired to Cyprus. His heirs in Jordan, however, have perpetuated what appears to have been a long Hashemite tradition (his family are known as the Hashemites) of practicing an inclusive form of Islam that attempts to bridge divides and to reconcile differences. It is no accident that his heirs are in the forefront of inter-religious dialogue and of peace-building.
Biography
Hussein ibn Ali was born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire and was the last of the Hashemite rulers over the Hejaz to be appointed by the Ottoman Empire. Until 1908, when he was appointed as Sharif, Hussein and his sons were kept in Istanbul by the Ottoman caliph, who appears to have wanted to keep them close at hand, since he was not unaware of increased Arab resistance to continued Ottoman domination. Many Arabs did not consider the Ottoman caliphate legitimate and thought bthat Arabia, not Turkey, should lead the Muslim world.
Alliance with Britain
At the start of World War I, Hussein was initially allied with the Ottomans and Germany. Evidence that the Ottoman government was planning to depose him at the end of the war soured this alliance, and he started to consider rebellion. He and his sons were encouraged in this enterprise by the British military envoy, T. E Lawrence. He was commissioned to secure Arab aid against Turkey, and was authorized to make certain promises of territory after the war. Hussein interpreted this promise to mean that he would be rewarded with a large Arab state, stretching more or less from the Yemen in the South to Syria in the North. No offical treaty was ever signed and it has been alleged that Lawrence did not have the authority he thought he had, or acted as if he had. However, official correspondence between Hussein and the British High Commissioner in Egypt Sir Henry McMahon clearly indicate that some territorial award was promised:
- "We declare once more that His Majesty's Government would welcome the resumption of the Khalifate by an Arab of true race. With regard to the questions of limits and boundaries, it would appear to be premature to consume our time in discussing such details in the heat of war ..." (August 15th 1915).
Britain was to have an exclusive trade relationship with the new Arab entity. However, while McMahon did not specify borders, he did indicate that certain areas would be excluded and that the interests of France in the region would also have to be taken into account [2].
However, this exchange of letters convinced Hussein that his assistance on the side of the Triple Entente would be rewarded by an Arab empire encompassing the entire span between Egypt and Persia, with the exception of imperial possessions and interests in Kuwait, Aden, and the Syrian coast. He delegated his sons Feisal and Abdullah to work with the British, and launched the 1916 Arab Revolt against the Ottomans. With Arab help, the British defeated the Turks in the Middle East, capturing Jerusalem in December, 1917.
Hussen had expected his promised state to stretch continuously across the region, and certainly expected it to include Palestine. McMahon later indicated that he had never envisaged that Palestine would be part of the Arab entity. In a letter to the London Times on July 23, 1937, wrote:
I feel it my duty to state, and I do so definitely and emphatically, that it was not intended by me in giving this pledge to King Hussein to include Palestine in the area in which Arab independence was promised. I had also every reason to believe at the time that the fact that Palestine was not included in my pledge was well understood by King Hussein.[3]. In a meeting in
===Post-World War I
In the aftermath of the war, the Arabs found themselves freed from the Ottomans but placed under the mandate system of France and the United Kingdom, in which the "liberty" of the inhabitants would be guaranteed by their occupation by European imperial powers. The sons of Hussein were made the kings of Transjordan (later Jordan), Syria and Iraq. However, the monarchy in Syria was abruptly ended when the French were given control over the nation (resulting in much resistance and bloodshed), so his son (Faisal) was installed in Iraq instead.
When Hussein declared himself king of the Hejaz, he also declared himself king of all Arabs (malik bilad-al-Arab). This aggravated his conflict with Ibn Saud, with whom he had fought before WWI on the side of the Ottomans in 1910. Two days after the Turkish Caliphate was abolished by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on March 3, 1924, Hussein declared himself Caliph at his son Abdullah's winter camp in Shunah, Transjordan.[4] The claim to the title had a mixed reception, and he was soon ousted and driven out of Arabia by the Saudis, a rival clan that had no interest in the Caliphate. Saud defeated Hussein in 1924. Hussein continued to use the title of Caliph when living in Transjordan.
Though the British had supported Hussein from the start of the Arab Revolt and the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence, they elected not to help Hussein repel the Saudi attack, which eventually took Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah. He was then forced to flee to Cyprus. He went to live in Amman, Transjordan, where his son Abdullah was king. After his abdication, his son 'Ali briefly assumed the throne, but then he too had to flee the encroachment of Ibn Saud and his Wahhabi forces. Hussein himself died in Amman in 1931. His son Faisal was made King of Iraq.
Family
Hussein, who had four wives, fathered five sons and three daughters:
- Abdullah, Emir (later King) of Transjordan
- Faisal, King of Iraq
- Prince Zeid, succeeded King Faisal II of Iraq on his assassination in 1958, but never ruled as Iraq became a republic.
- Ali, last King of Hejaz
- Hassan (died young)
- Saleha
- Fatima
- Sara
In the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, Alec Guiness portrayed Prince Faisal, Sharif Hussein's son.
| Preceded by: Ottoman Empire |
King of Hejaz 1916-1924 |
Succeeded by: Ali bin Hussein |
Notes
- ↑ "Sharif Hussein bin Ali (1853-1931)" at Government of Jordan site Sharif Hussein bin Ali (1853-1931)" retrieved 23 June 2007
- ↑ "The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence", Jewish Virtual Library The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence retrieved 23 June 2007
- ↑ Bard. Mitchgell "The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence", Jewish Virtual Library The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence retrieved 23 June 2007
- ↑ Teitelbaum, 2002, p. 243.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Teitelbaum, Joshua (2001). The Rise and Fall of the Hashemite Kingdom of the Hijaz. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. ISBN 1850654603
See also
- Sharif of Mecca
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