Britain And Jordan

King 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.

Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: Abdullah's Accession to Power: War-time Diplomacy and Establishment of the Mandatory Regime in Palestine and Transjordan -- Chapter 3: Abdullah and the Special Relationship: The Origins of Hashemite-Zionist Relations -- Chapter 4: Diplomacy during the Arab Revolt: The British, Abdullah and the Jewish Agency -- Chapter 5: The Complexity of Decolonialisation: The End of the Mandate, 1944-47 -- Chapter 6: The Imagery of Collusion: From Mandate to Statehood, 1948-51 -- Chapter 7: Conclusion.

This atlas aims to provide the reader with key pointers for a spatial analysis of the social, economic and political dynamics at work in Jordan, an exemplary country of the Middle East complexities. Being a product of seven years of scientific cooperation between Ifpo, the Royal Jordanian Geographic Center and the University of Jordan, it includes the contributions of 48 European, Jordanian and International researchers. A long historical part followed by sections on demography, economy, social disparities, urban challenges and major town and country planning, sheds light on the formation of Jordanian territories over time. Jordan has always been looked on as an exception in the Middle East due to the political stability that has prevailed since the country’s Independence in 1946, despite the challenge of integrating several waves of Palestinian, Iraqi and - more recently - Syrian refugees. Thanks to this stability and the peace accord signed with Israel in 1994, Jordan is one of the first countries in the world for development aid per capita.

This study uses the private papers of Glubb Pasha to rethink the end of Britain's imperial presence in the Middle East.

An accessible introduction to the political history of Jordan, including new material on the major events of the last decade.

This text analyses how modern Jordanian identity was created and defined. The author studies two key institutions, the law and the military, and uses them to create an analysis of the making of modern Jordanian identity.