Top 10 Remarquable Facts about Abdullah I of Jordan

King Abdullah I Mosque.jpg Photo by Shannon Hobbs – Wikimedia Commons

King Abdullah I Mosque in Amman, Jordan was built between 1982 and 1989. It is capped by a magnificent blue mosaic dome beneath which 3,000 Muslims may offer prayer.

Tourists are allowed to visit. Men must have long trousers on and women must cover their heads, arms, and legs. A hooded gown is provided free of charge for this purpose.

2. His Remarkable Rise to Power

Political and Military Personalities; Abdullah, King of Jordan; Abdullah, King of Jordan CBM1666.jpg Photo by Cecil Beaton – Wikimedia Commons

In 1910, Abdullah persuaded his father to stand, successfully, for Grand Sharif of Mecca, a post for which Hussein acquired British support.

In the following year, he became deputy for Mecca in the parliament established by the Young Turks, acting as an intermediary between his father and the Ottoman government.

In 1914, Abdullah paid a clandestine visit to Cairo to meet Lord Kitchener to seek British support for his father’s ambitions in Arabia.

3. His Remarkable Rule in the Revolt

Abdullah maintained contact with the British throughout the First World War and in 1915 encouraged his father to enter into correspondence with Sir Henry McMahon, British high commissioner in Egypt, about Arab independence from Turkish rule.

This correspondence in turn led to the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans. During the Arab Revolt of 1916–18, Abdullah commanded the Arab Eastern Army. Abdullah began his role in the Revolt by attacking the Ottoman garrison at Ta’if on 10 June 1916. 

The garrison consisted of 3,000 men with ten 75-mm Krupp guns. Abdullah led a force of 5,000 tribesmen but they did not have the weapons or discipline for a full attack. Instead, he laid siege to the town.

4. The Remarkable Team-Work with Egyptians

In July, he received reinforcements from Egypt in the form of howitzer batteries manned by Egyptian personnel. He then joined the siege of Medina commanding a force of 4,000 men based to the east and northeast of the town.

In early 1917, Abdullah ambushed an Ottoman convoy in the desert and captured £20,000 worth of gold coins that were intended to bribe the Bedouin into loyalty to the Sultan. In August 1917, Abdullah worked closely with French Captain Muhammad Ould Ali Raho in sabotaging the Hejaz Railway.

5. His Relationship with Captain T.E. Lawrence

Abdullah’s relations with British Captain T. E. Lawrence were not good, and as a result, Lawrence spent most of his time in the Hejaz serving with Abdullah’s brother, Faisal, who commanded the Arab Northern Army.

6. The Remarkable Damascus Capture

When French forces captured Damascus after the Battle of Maysalun on July 24,  1920, and expelled his brother Faisal between July 27 and  August 1,  1920.

Additionally, Abdullah moved his forces from Hejaz into Transjordan with a view to liberating Damascus, where his brother had been proclaimed King in 1918. 

Winston Churchill invited Abdullah to Cairo in 1921 for a famous “tea party”, where he convinced Abdullah to stay put and not attack Britain’s allies, the French.

Churchill told Abdullah that French forces were superior to his and that the British did not want any trouble with the French.

7. Turned Down Declaration King of Iraq

King Abdullah I of Jordan with his son Talal, 1 May 1948.png Photo by Unknown author – Wikimedia Commons

On March 8, 1920, Abdullah was proclaimed King of Iraq by the Iraqi Congress but he refused the position.

After his refusal, his brother Faisal who had just been defeated in Syria accepted the position. Abdullah headed to Transjordan and established an emirate there after being welcomed into the country by its inhabitants.

8. Autocratic Advisory Rule

King Abdullah I, 1 January 1950.jpg Photo by Unknown author – Wikimedia Commons

Although Abdullah established a legislative council in 1928, its role remained advisory, leaving him to rule as an autocrat. Prime Ministers under Abdullah formed 18 governments during the 23 years of the Emirate.

Abdullah set about the task of building Transjordan with the help of a reserve force headed by Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Peake, who was seconded from the Palestine police in 1921.

The force renamed the Arab Legion in 1923, was led by John Bagot Glubb between 1930 and 1956. During World War II, Abdullah was a faithful British ally, maintaining strict order within Transjordan, and helping to suppress a pro-Axis uprising in Iraq. The Arab Legion assisted in the occupation of Iraq and Syria.

9. His Remarkable Negotiations with Britain

King Abdullah I of Jordan declaring independence, 25 May 1946.jpg Photo by army photographer – Wikimedia Commons

Abdullah initiated a talk with Britain to gain independence. On May 25,  1946, the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan has renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on April 26, 1949.

On the same, date, Jordon has declared an independent Kingdom. On the same day, Abdullah was crowned king in Amman.

10. He was a Preferred Leader by the West

King Abdullah I of Jordan, 1 June 1948.png Photo by Unknown author – Wikimedia Commons

It was remarkable that Abdullah was considered a moderate leader by the west among all the Arab leaders of his generation.

He was willing to sign a separate peace agreement with Israel, but for the Arab League’s militant opposition.

His focus for a Greater Syria within the borders of what was then Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, and the British Mandate for Palestine under a Hashemite dynasty with a throne in Damascus cost him the distrust among his Arab countries.

However, he maintained his remarkable support for the west.