Jordanian History


Figure 1.--Jordan is one of many Arab countrie that has been caught up in a culture of death. Here two Jordanian (probably Palistinian) boys are pictured with automatic weapons in 1969. The press caption read, "Two Jordanian boys, trained as junior Fatah (Ashbal) commandos are shown at their camp [near Ammam] recently. Boys like these are issued machine guns and live amunitionand are sent on raid into Israeli territiry. Junior Fatah boys appeared March 31 in a show near Kuwait in an attempt to rise funds for Fatah coffers." Palitinians like this tried to seize control of Jordan in what becanmecknown as Black September (1970).

The modern state of Jordan is one of many whose history has been significantly shaped by geography. It is located in an area with a history dating back not only millenia, but hundreds of thousabds of years. The country like Israel is located at the crossroads of the Middle East, connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. It is through this area that the first homoids passed out of Africa to populate Asia and Europe. It was here and in nearby areas that remnabts some of the earlist human settlements have been found. And traces of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt have been found in Jordan. This is because over this narrow bottleneck trade and communications, connected both east and west, and north and south. Many conquerors have passed through Jordan. Mesopotamian peoples (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrians), Egypt, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans have dominated the area. Nomadic Nabateans from southern Arabia built the first culture that might be described as Jordanian Remains of all these peoples can be found in Jordan. The Arabs seized Jordan and the rest of the Levant from the Byzantine Empire in the Islamic outburst (7th century). The modern population of Jordan is descended from Bedouin tribes who adopted the culture of their Edomite or Nabatean predecessors. This was in contrast to the more settled agricultural peolples further west in modern Israel. Jordan was part of thge Caliphate and like much of thge rest iof the Arab world was conquered by the Ottoman Empire (16th century). The Ottomans ruled Jordan as part of Palestine until World War I (1914-18). Lawrence of Arabia played a key role in the Arab Revolt. The British invaded from Egypt and dfeated thec Ottomons (1918). The Levant was divided between the British and French under League of Nations mandates after the War. Because of the relationship with Sharif Hussein ibn-'Ali, the Hashemite ruler of Mecca and the Hejaz, the British helped install Hussein's son Abdallah as the emir of semi-independent Transjordan (1923). This was the first partition of Palestine. A treaty was signed with the British which gave the British the right to garison troops (1928). After World War II, the British mandate ended and Abdullah declared an independent kingdom (1946). Jordan played a major role in the Firt Arab-Isreali War (1948). Even though Jordan obstensibly invaded Palestine to protect Palistinian Arabs, Jordan after the War annexed the Palestinian West Bank. This brought many Palistinians into the kingdom. May did not believe that the King was sufficiently miitant toward Israel. A Palistinian assasinated King Abdulah (1953). His son Hussein became king as a boy, but was able to lead the country for more than 50 years through very difficult times. After joining Egypt and Syria in the Six Days War (1966) against Israel (1966), Jordan lost the West Bank and most of its Palestinian population. The Palestinians attempted to overhrow the monarch and seize control in what became known as Black September (1970).

Geograophy

The modern state of Jordan is one of many whose history has been significantly shaped by geography. It is located in an area with a history dating back not only millenia, but hundreds of thousabds of years. The country like Israel is located at the crossroads of the Middle East, connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. The arid climate is another important factor that has shaped Jordan.

Pre-history

It is through the narrow gap east of Suez or Sinai that the first homoids passed out of Africa to populate Asia and Europe. The earliest city has been found at Jerico (7000 BC).

Ancient History

It was here and in nearby areas that remnabts some of the earlist human settlements have been found. City-states esisted during the Bronze Age (3200–2100 BC). Traces of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt have been found in Jordan. This is because over the narrow bottleneck trade and communications, connected both east and west, and north and south. Many conquerors have passed through Jordan. Mesopotamian peoples (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrians), Egypt, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans have dominated the area. The Egyptians conquered Palestine (including Jordan) (16th century BC). Semitic-speaking peoples established kingdoms on both banks of the Jordan (13th century BC). A Jewish kingdom ruled by David and Solomon ruled an area extendinto western Jordan on both banks of thec Jordan (10th century BC). The West Bank became part of the Kingdom of Judah. Differet foreign empires conquered the area. Alexander the Great conquered the Levant including Jordan (4th century BC). This ushered in the area of classical culture (Greek and Riman). Alexander died soon after. Jordan and adjacebnt areas was conteted by the Seleucids of Syria, the Ptolemies of Egypt, and different native dynasties, including the Hasmoneans (Maccabees). Rome responding to etities by the Jewish rulers gained diominnce iver the are (1st century BC). During the classical era, culture flourished on the East Bank hile in southern Jordan, the Nabataean kingdom, a native Arab state allied with Rome rose to prominance. Nomadic Nabateans from southern Arabia built the first culture that might be described as Jordanian. Ancient Petra is the impressive reains of these remarkable people. The structures at Petra were hewn out of the red sandstone cliffs. They develope a distinctive culture, blending Arab and Greco-Roman elements on an Arab base. he modern population of Jordan is descended from Bedouin tribes who adopted the culture of their Edomite or Nabatean predecessors. This was in contrast to the more settled agricultural peolples further west in modern Israel. Trajan annexed Nabataea (2nd century AD). Thus Palestine including areas east of the Jordan came under direct Roman rule. Christianity at this time spread rapidly tgroughout the Levant. Thus Christianity was the rincial religion in Jordan for 300 years. the dominant religion. With the division of the Empire (4th century AD), the area of Jordan becamne part of the Eastern Empire which evolved into the Byzantine Empire. Remains of all these peoples can be found in Jordan.

Arab Era (636-1517)

The Arabs seized Jordan and the rest of the Levant from the Byzantine Empire in the Islamic outburst (7th century). ThecArabs were fired with Islam and enbcounteted only limited resistance. The Byzantine policy of inisting on approved theology and repressing other Christians undermined support for the Empire. Arab rule ws firmly established with important miklitary victories (636 AD). The aea of modern Jordan became a backwater of the Caliphate. Gradually the area became Arabized and Islamized, although imporant Christian minorities survived, The Crusaders established kingdoms (12th century).

Ottomon Era (1517-1918)

Like much of the rest of the Arab world, the Levant and Jordan, was conquered by the Ottoman Empire (16th century). The Ottomans ruled the lands east of the Jordan as part of the Damascus vilayet. The West Bank and the rest of Palesine formed part of the sanjak, subdivision) of Jerusalem within the vilayet of Beirut. Jordan continued to becruled by the Ottomans until World War I (1914-18).

World War I (1914-18)

The Ottoman Empire joined the Cebntral Powes (October 1914). They invaded Russia and in the Middfke East invaded Egyot attenmotiung to seize the Suez Canal. Sharif Hussein ibn-'Ali, the Hashemite ruler of Mecca and the Hejaz saw an opportunity to shake off Ottoman rule with assistance from Britain. Thge result was the Arab Revolt. Hussein's vision was an Aran natiion that would include Jordan. The British to support the creation of an independent Arab state without details as to borderc adc the time frame. Lawrence of Arabia played a key role in the Arab Revolt. The British invaded from Egypt and defeated thec Ottomons, occupying Jerusalem and Dasmacus as well as Badgdad to the east inn a separate offensive (1918). The Levant as forsee by the Sykes-Picot Treaty was divided between the British and French under League of Nations mandates after the War (1921). The Arabs felt with soimecjustification to have been cheated.

Autonomus Transjordan (1923-46)

Britain created Trans-Jordon after World War I by partioning Palestine. As the name of the country indicates, it was the area of Palestine beyond or east of the Jordon. This was former Ottomon territitory seized during the War as administered as a League of Nations Mandate. The British because of their relationship with Sharif Hussein, installed his son Abdallah as emir of Transjordan (1923). Two military forces were formed in Jordon, the Tranjordan Frontier Force and the Arab Legion. Both were led by British officers. The Transjordan Frontier Force (TJFF) was formed (April 1926). It was a para-military border guard tasked with guarding Trans-Jordan's northern (Syria and Iraq) and southern (Saudi Arabia) borders. (The eastern border with Palestine did not need to be defended because the British were there.) The TJFF an Imperial Service regiment whose members had to agree to serve wherever required and not just within Trans-Jordon. Emir Abdullah was an Honorary Colonel of the TJFF. After the War, the TJFF was incoroprated iunto the Arab League. The other military force was the Arab League (AL). The term Arab Legion was used rather than Trans-Jordon Legion because Sharif Hussein had wanted to form an Arab nation (including Arabia, the Levant, and Mesopotamia) far beyond the limits of Trans-Jordon. At the time, the Arab Legion was one of the few Arab military forces. Britain was also helping to form the Iraqi Army and an Egyptian Army existed.) The AL in contrast to the TJFF was an internal security militia to protect Emir Abdulah and the new monarchy. It was recruited from men who conducted the Arab Revolt and intensely loyal to the Hashemite monarchy. The AL evolved into the regular army of Trans-Jordon. A treaty was signed with the British essentially granting Trans-Jordan autonomy, but giving the British the right to garison troops (1928). A local cabinet government (Council of Ministers) was formed (1939).

World War II (1939-45)

There was considerable support for the Axis inthe Arab world, epecially mandates like Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, and Syria. Trans-Jordon was a British ally during the War. John Bagot Glubb, known as Glubb Pasha, was appointed the AL's commander. Major General Abdul Qadir Pasha Al Jundi, a Jordanian, was appointed deputy commander. These two men created the best trained Arab army during World War II, albeit very small and lightly armed. The AL at the time of World War II consisted of 1,600 men. It was part of Iraqforce and made an important contribution in the Anglo-Iraqi War and in the Syria-Lebanon campaign (1941), two rare Allied victories in the early years of World War II. Syria was being used by the Germans to funnel arms to the pro-NAZI Iraqi Government.

Independent Kingdom (1946- )

After World War II, the British granted full independence to Jordan (1946). Abdullah was declared king of the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. While the country was not yet called Jordan, the independence of the country dates from this time. The United Nations partitioned Palestine ad after Israel declared its indeopenence, tghe nbeighboring Arab countries invaded. Jordan played a major role in the First Arab-Isreali War (1948). The British trained Arab Legion, although small, proved to be the most effective Arab force, seizing much if Jerusalem and the West Bank. Even though Jordan obstensibly invaded Palestine to protect Palistinian Arabs, Jordan after the War annexed the Palestinian West Bank. This brought many Palistinians into the kingdom. The King contended that the West Bank was included in the area that had been promised to Sharif Hussein. General elections were held in the East and West banks, An act of union joined Jordanian-occupied Palestine and the Kingdom of Trans-Jordan to form the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (April 24, 1950). Some Arabs criticized the action as showing inordinate Hashemite ambitions. About halkf of the 1 million Palestinian refugees fled to Jordan. They were taken in by UN-administered camps. Another 0.5 million non-refugee Palestinians sttled in Jordan. This meant that Jordan now had a Palestinian majority. The monarchy and elites loyal to the throne continued to control the country. Many Palestinians resented Abdullah's seizure of the West Bnak. He was also not seen as sufficiently militant toward Israel. The King was assasinated by a Palestinian (July 20, 1951). He was suceeded by his eldest son, Talal. The mentally unstable Talal, however, was incapable of actualy ruling. As a result, Talal's young son Hussein who had witnessed the assasination of his grahdfather became king. After a brief of regency, when he reached 18 years of age he was formally enthroned (May 2, 1953). King Hussein was able to lead the country for more than 50 years through very difficult times. Jordan was beset not only with economic problems faced by many new natiions at the time, but with internal security and Arab-Israeli tensions but also with difficulties stemming from its relations with the Western powers and the Arab world. The Egyptian military overthrew King Faruk (1952) Col. Nasser emerged as Egypt's new ruler. He began a policy of Arab socialism and actively supported disident groups in the Arab monarchies. The Arabs could agree on a joint effort to destroy Israel. The Arab Legion became the regular Jordanian Army (1956), althgough at first called the Arab Army. Legion was used informally by the men for years. After joining Egypt and Syria in the Six Days War (1966) against Israel (1966), Jordan lost the West Bank and most of its Palestinian population. The Palestinians attempted to overhrow the monarch and seize control in what became known as Black September (1970).









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Created: 4:04 AM 5/4/2012
Last updated: 4:04 AM 5/4/2012