Jordan2  Series Peoples and Nations

THE WORLD:

Geography, History and Something More

Jordan: a Kingdom specially made (by the United Kingdom)

Part 2

Chapter 2

Danilo Anton

Historically the territory of what is now Jordan is closely linked to countries that are located to the West of the Jordan river, Palestine and Israel.   Its area is 89,000 km2 with a population of 10,000,000 inhabitants, including 2.1 million Palestinians and 1.5 million Syrian refugees.

More than 4 million people live in Amman, the capital.

                                                                            View of Amman

Traditionally it was said that "Jordan was Palestine desert" but when the history of the region is analyzed recognizes that it is more than that. For thousands of years the lands east of the Jordan River, formed by fertile valleys and oases interspersed in a vast desert have been home to many peoples, kingdoms and cultures, from the distant times of the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites to Jordan overpopulated and current tourism.

However,  it should be remembered that  the creation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was a geopolitical maneuver of the European powers, especially Britain and France, to maintain economic and strategic control of the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean. The fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, allowed the Great Arab Revolt which wanted to unite the countries of Arab culture taking advantage of the feeling of pan-Arabism that reigned in all the Arab countries that once was dominated by the Ottomans.

                                                         Hussein, King of Hejaz

Britain and France would not allow a strong and difficult to master Arab state, so they sought to maintain politically fragmented the region transforming the old Ottoman provinces in "Protectorates"

Thus, through mandates of the League of Nations, Britain received the protectorates of Palestine, Iraq and Transjordan.

In the case of Transjordan the British were to find a monarch who could handle and had some kind of legitimacy. We should remember that in Muslim culture, lineages are fundamental, the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, the descendants from Abraham, those belonging to the oldest and tribes and clans provide the political and religious legitimacy that is used by the economic and social elites to control the countries. .

For that the Britain found an ideal character in Hussein bin Ali, who they  had supported when he got his title of Sharif of Mecca, then under Turkish rule, and who, in 1916, when the rebellion spread, proclaimed himself king of Hejaz with British imperial complacency.

In its strategy of regional domination, Britain imposed the second son of King Hussein of Hejaz, Hussein bin Abdulla, who was appointed as Emir of the British Protectorate of Transjordan. Abdulla, who was born in Mecca and had never lived in the territory of Transjordan, had antededentes as a combatant in the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans (fighting alongside Lawrence of Arabia) something the British were well aware. To Muslim eyes, he had the legitimacy of being « sharif »  (descendant of Muhammad) and belonged to the tribe of the Hashemites with Abrahamic traditions.

During his reign, first under British orders, and then as their unofficial trustee when the country was granted independence, Abdulla acted on the facts as defender of the interests of the UK.

In 1946 Transjordan declared its independence and Abdulla became monarch of the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.

Two years later (1948) took place the war in Palestine which ended with the creation of the State of Israel. Abdullah took advantage of the confusion to occupy the West Bank which became part of the Jordan, which changed its name to "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan ".

The formal annexation of the West Bank took place in 1950 with the general condemnation of international public opinion and from most of the governments in the Arab world.

                                                      Death of King Abdulla

In 1951 the King Abdulla was killed and briefly succeeded by his son Talal I bin Abdullah. He was forced to abdicate for health reasons (apparently for psychiatric problems) taking his lace Abdulla’s young grandson: Hussein bin al-Talat (who was very young with 17 years of age).. Hussein continued his grandfather pro-Western policies, and maintaining a relatively friendly relationship with Israel.

In 1967, in the Six-Day War, unexpectedly Israel attacked Egypt, and at same time invaded Syria and Jordan, taking control of the Sinai Peninsula (which later would be reintegrated to Egypt), occupying Gaza, the Golan Heights in Syria and the West Bank. The Golan Heights and the entire West Bank remain under Israeli control while Gaza is completely surrounded and blocked by Israel.

After the war, Jordan returned to the old borders of Transjordan. His policy remained largely unchanged, continued to be an ally of Western powers.

When the king died Hussein of Jordan was succeeded by his son Abdulla, whose full name would be "Abdulla bin al-Hussein, bin al-Talat al-Abdullah bin. bin al-Hussein "summarizing the monarchical genealogy of the Hashemite Kingdom.

Policies Jordanian monarchs today as yesterday remain pro-Western, maintaining good relations with Israel.

Of course presently the situation in Jordan today is far from idyllic. with 10 million inhabitants in a largely desertic country, with 2,100,000 Palestinian refugees (of whom 400,000 live in refugee camps), 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and tens of thousands of Iraqis and Lebanese refugees.

 Jordan is having enormous difficulties to sustain a large population in a country with limited resources.

It should be clarified that the majority of the Jordanian population is in fact Palestinian of origin but many Palestinians in Jordan prefer not to be identified as such for obvious reasons.

                                             Palestinian refugees in 1948

For now an unstable equilibrium is maintained, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has been saved from the wars that have plagued its neighbors and has sought to take advantage of some unmentionable alliances, but if something teaches Middle East history is, that sooner or later, waters return to their course. Greater Syria, which involves the bloodied Syria proper, Lebanon, Palestine (in spite of Israel) and, of course Jordan will be what the fighters of pan-Arabism sought in the great revolution of the early twentieth century, a country of tolerance and respect for diversity that unfortunately have been lost in the explosions, deaths and ruins caused by war.

Syrian refugee camps in Jordan