King Abdullah, Britain and the Making of JordanKing Abdullah played an active role in the partition of Palestine and, as a result, has always been viewed as one of the most controversial figures in modern Middle East history. This book is the first in-depth study of the historical and personal circumstances that made him so. Born in Mecca in 1882 of a family that traced its lineage to the Prophet Muhammad, Abdullah belonged to the Ottoman ruling elite. He grew up in Istanbul and returned to Mecca when his father was appointed Sharif in 1908. During the First World War he earned nationalist credentials as a leader of the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Owing to his alliance with Britain in the revolt, he emerged afterwards as a contender for power in a Middle East now dominated by Britain. Despite grandiose ambitions, Abdullah ended up as Britain's client in the mandated territory of Transjordan. His dependence on Britain was exacerbated by his situation in Transjordan, an artificial creation with no significant cities, no natural resources, and little meaning beyond its importance to British strategy. Within the constraints of British interests, it was left to Abdullah to make something of his position, and he spent the remainder of his life looking beyond Transjordan's borders for a role, a clientele, or a stable balance of interests which would allow him a future independent of British fortunes. He found all three after 1948 when, in conjunction with the creation of Israel, he came to rule the portion of Palestine known as the West Bank. |
Contents
Prologue | 1 |
Mecca and Istanbul | 6 |
The Arab revolt | 25 |
The creation of Transjordan | 39 |
Settling in | 60 |
Discovering the limits | 85 |
Abdullah and Palestine 192139 | 103 |
War and politics | 129 |
1948 | 168 |
The end of ambition | 187 |
Epilogue | 209 |
British high commissioners of Palestine | 216 |
Prime ministers of Transjordan | 217 |
Notes | 218 |
Bibliography | 267 |
279 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abd al-Ilah administration al-Husayni al-Mudhakkirat al-Rifa'i Amir Abdullah Amman Amman to FO April Aqaba Arab Higher Committee Arab League Arab Legion Arab Palestine Arab world Arabia armistice August Baghdad Bani Sakhr Beirut Britain British Cairo Churchill Clayton Damascus December Druze Egypt Faysal February forces French Glubb Greater Syria Hajj Hajj Amin Hashemite high commissioner Hijaz Husayn Ibn Saud independence Iraq Iraqi Israel Israeli Istanbul January Jerusalem Jewish Agency Jidda Jordan July June Karak King Abdullah Kirkbride to FO land leaders Lebanon London Ma'an mandate March Medina Middle East military months nationalist Nayyif negotiations November Nuri October Office Ottoman Palestinian partition Pasha Philby political situation position prime minister revolt Sa'id Samuel Saudi September settlement sharif of Mecca shaykhs Shuckburgh situation in Transjordan T. E. Lawrence Talal Tawfiq Abu'l-Huda territory throne Transjordan Transjordanian treaty tribal tribes troops United Nations West Bank Zionist
References to this book
Dialogues in Arab Politics: Negotiations in Regional Order Michael N. Barnett No preview available - 1998 |
Jordan's Inter-Arab Relations: The Political Economy of Alliance Making Laurie A. Brand No preview available - 1994 |