Series Nations and Countries

THE WORLD:

Geography, History and More

Chapter 2

                  Jordan: a Kingdom designed          Part 2

(by the United Kingdom)

Danilo Antón

Historically the territory of what is now Jordan is closely linked to countries that are West of the Jordan river, Palestine and Israel River.

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 is the desert of Palestine" but when the history of the region is analyzed one realizes that it is much 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 current Jordan overpopulated and touristic.

Nevertheless, in spite of its deep history it should not be forgotten 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. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, a widespread Arab revolt took place for the union of countries of Arab culture taking advantage of the pan-Arabism feeling that reigned in  Arabic-speaking former Ottoman provinces.

Britain and France could not allow a strong and difficult to master Arab state, so they sought to keep a politically fragmented  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 wanted to find a monarch who they could handle and had some kind of legitimacy. We must remember that in Muslim culture lineages are fundamental, the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, of Abraham, belonging to the oldest tribes and clans gives political and religious legitimacy that is used to their benefit by the economic and social elites of the Islamic countries .

Britain found an ideal character in Hussein bin Ali, whom 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, Abdulla, 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) and also, Britain was well aware, to Muslim eyes, he had the legitimacy of being sharif (descendant of Muhammad) belonging to the tribe of the Hashemites of Abrahamic traditions.

During his reign, first under British orders and later as unofficial representative when the country was granted independence, Abdulla remained a defender of the UK interests.

In 1946 Transjordan independence was decided and Abdulla became monarch of the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.

Two years later (1948) the war in Palestine ending with the creation of the State of Israel took place, Abdullah took advantage of the confusion and Transjordan occupied the West Bank which became part of the Kingdom, changing its name to "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan ". The formal annexation took place in 1950 while experiencing the general condemnation of public opinion and most of the governments in the Arab world.

                                             Death of King Abdulla

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

In 1967, in the Six-Day War, Israel attacked unexpectedly Egypt on its southern border, and invaded Syria and Jordan, occupying the Sinai Peninsula (which would then be reintegrated), Gaza, the Golan Heights in Syria and the West Bank in Jordan. The Golan Heights and West Bank are still under occupation while Gaza remains completely blocked).

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

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

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

Of course the situation in Jordan today is not idyllic. with 10 million inhabitants in a largely desert 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 has 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 originally Palestinian but many Palestinians in Jordan prefer not to be called for obvious reasons.

                                                                Palestinian refugees in 1948

Right 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 Middle East history teaches is that sooner or later water return to their course. Greater Syria, which involves the bloodied Syria, Lebanon, Palestine 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 refugees in Jordan