Sharifian Army

Sharifian Army
الجيش الشريفي
Soldiers of the Sharifian Army in northern Yanbu carrying the Flag of the Arab Revolt.
Active1916–1925
Disbanded1925
Country Kingdom of Hejaz
AllegianceHussein bin Ali
HeadquartersMecca
Jeddah
Taif
Nickname(s)Arab Army
Hejazi Army
EngagementsArab Revolt
Al-Khurma dispute
Saudi conquest of Hejaz

The Sharifian Army (Arabic: الجيش الشريفي), also known as the Arab Army (Arabic: الجيش العربي), or the Hejazi Army (Arabic: الجيش الحجازي) was the military force behind the Arab Revolt which was a part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. Sharif Hussein bin Ali of the Kingdom of Hejaz, who was proclaimed "Sultan of the Arabs" in 1916,[1] led the Sharifian Army in a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire with the ultimate goal of uniting the Arab people under an independent government.[2] Aided both financially and militarily by the British, Hussein's forces gradually moved north through the Hejaz and, fought alongside the British-controlled Egyptian Expeditionary Force, eventually capturing Damascus. Once there, members of the Sharifian Army set up a short-lived monarchy known as the Arab Kingdom of Syria led by Faisal, a son of Hussein.

  1. ^ Marshall Cavendish Corporation. History of World War I, Volume 1. Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2002. Pp. 255.
  2. ^ Marshall Cavendish Corporation. History of World War I, Volume 1. Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2002. Pp. 255