Knowra History of Jordan History of Jordan The history of the territory now comprising Jordan spans ancient kingdoms and imperial rule, Ottoman administration, British involvement, and the establishment and development of the modern Hashemite Kingdom.
Ammon : An ancient kingdom east of the Jordan River, centered near modern Amman. Its capital, Rabbath Ammon, became the site of modern Amman.
Ottoman Empire : A multiethnic empire that ruled much of southeastern Europe, western Asia, and North Africa from the fourteenth century to 1922. Ottoman administration governed the territory before the First World War.
Abdullah I of Jordan : The first king of Jordan, who ruled from the emirate’s founding in 1921 until his assassination in 1951. He founded the Hashemite polity that became modern Jordan.
1948 Palestine war : The war surrounding the end of the British Mandate and the establishment of Israel in 1948. Jordan took control of the West Bank and received a large Palestinian refugee population.
Hashemite dynasty : An Arab dynasty claiming descent from Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, which has ruled Jordan since 1921. The dynasty supplies the monarchy and political continuity at the center of the state’s history.
Moab : An ancient kingdom east of the Dead Sea, known from biblical texts and the Mesha Stele. Moab formed one of the Iron Age kingdoms in present-day Jordan.
Arab Revolt : An uprising against Ottoman rule during the First World War, launched in 1916 with British support. The revolt helped end Ottoman control and advanced Hashemite political ambitions.
Hussein of Jordan : King of Jordan from 1952 to 1999, whose reign included wars, political crises, and state-building. His long reign shaped the kingdom’s institutions and foreign relations.
Jordanian annexation of the West Bank : Jordan’s 1950 incorporation of the West Bank, which it held until 1967. The annexation changed the kingdom’s population, territory, and political composition.
British Mandate of Mesopotamia : A League of Nations mandate under British administration that governed Iraq from 1920 to 1932. Britain’s parallel mandate in Iraq shaped the Hashemite family’s regional political fortunes.
Show all 30