The lineage of the Hashemites of Jordan is often cited as an example of a stable and modern monarchy. But to understand their journey to the present day, we must go far back to the origins of the dynasty, and also to the key years of its current formation, in the period from the First to the Second World War. In this post, we provide a brief overview of their evolution so you can better understand where the lineage of the current Jordanian royal family comes from.
Sacred origins of the Hashemites
The Hashemites of Jordan have roots in the early days of Islam: they are direct descendants of Muhammad, and more specifically, of this prophet’s great-grandfather: Banu Hashim, from whom the name Hashemite derives.
Banu Hashim was the leader of his clan (often also known as Hashemites or ancient Hashemites), from the Quraish tribe (also known as Quraysh). This tribe controlled Mecca in the 6th century and within it arose the first disputes over whether to accept the new Islamic religion. Once accepted, it led the struggles for control of the nascent ‘Islamic state’, in the form of a caliphate.
In these disputes, the two main clans were the Umayyads and the ancient Hashemites. In the early days, the former prevailed, but they were overthrown by the Abbasids, who declared themselves successors or direct relatives of the Hashemites. Although the Hashemite lineage did not achieve governance of the caliphate, from the 10th century, they obtained the important position of Sharifs of Mecca, thereafter taking charge of the protection of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Interwar period: key to their current formation
The position of Sharifs of Mecca continued to be held by the Hashemite dynasty until the early 20th century, even under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the region from the 16th century. The Ottoman sultans not only recognized this function of the Hashemites but also gave them wide autonomy.
With the outbreak of World War I, the political landscape of the Middle East became very complex, including the Arab Revolt and the territorial power-sharing claims of the Hashemite dynasty members. This led to ephemeral Hashemite kingdoms of Hejaz, Syria, and Iraq, as well as the Emirate of Transjordan, under British and French protectorates.
Due to various issues related to social instability and geostrategic balances, all these Hashemite kingdoms failed over the years. Paradoxically, the only one that survived was the Emirate of Transjordan, which in 1946 became an independent kingdom, with Abdullah I as its first king.
Hashemites in modern Jordan
Abdullah I is a monarch remembered with great affection for being one of the architects of the country’s independence and its first sovereign. Additionally, his premature death in 1951, in a terrorist attack at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, also contributed to perpetuating his memory. He was succeeded by his son Talal I, who abdicated for health reasons in 1952.
Since then, Jordan has had two more Hashemite kings: Hussein I (from 1952 to 1999) and Abdullah II (from 1999 to the present). Therefore, monarchs with long reigns, which has contributed to giving stability and continuity to this dynasty and the entire country, presenting themselves as a lineage connected to Muhammad himself but at the same time, modern politicians and diplomats, capable of forging good relations with other countries and monarchies.
Moreover, it is a trusted intermediary in the complex political landscape of the Middle East: they have promoted peace treaties and talks for understanding with Israel and other Arab countries, as demonstrated by the assignment to Jordan of managing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which can be interpreted as a ‘modern version’ of the role of Sharifs of Mecca that the Hashemites held for centuries.
