Haditha Al-Khraisha

Haditha Al-Khraisha
Painting of Sheikh Haditha Al-Khraisha by M. Ferdinandy
Born1882
Died1952 (age 69-70)
NationalityJordanian
OccupationBedouin tribal sheikh
Known forOne of the two paramount sheikhs of the Bani Sakhr Tribe
Notable work
  • Fought the Wahhabi Ikhwan, a religious militia that helped establish Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud as the first King of Saudi Arabia
  • Played a significant role in building the nascent Jordanian state and shaping its development
  • Served several terms as Senator and Parliamentarian, including the first Jordanian Senate in 1947
  • Elected to the second Legislative Council in June 1931, and the Fourth Legislative Council in 1937
  • One of the founding members of the Jordanian Solidarity Party (Hizb al-Tadamun al-Urduni) in March 1933
  • Cultivated the oasis of Azraq, Jordan

Haditha Ali Abdullah Al-Khraisha (Arabic: حديثه علي عبد الله حميدي خلف سالم حنيف محمد (سليم العود) محمد سليمان حنيف الخريشه; 1882–1952) was a Jordanian Bedouin tribal leader. He was one of the two paramount sheikhs of the Bani Sakhr Tribe,[1] arguably the most powerful tribe in Jordan.[2] Haditha headed the northern clans of the Bani Sakher (al-Ka'abnah),[3] while Mithgal Al-Fayez headed the other half, (al-Twaga). In the early twentieth century (1922 & 1924), Haditha and the Bani Sakhr, in addition to other Trans-Jordanian tribes such as the Huweitat and the Belqawiah, fought the Wahhabi Ikhwan, a religious militia who helped establish Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud as the first King of Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabi Ikhwan were Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud's tool for territorial expansion[4] and lent religious legitimacy to Ibn Saud's territorial and political ambitions. According to King Faisal Al Saud the armed resistance that Bani Sakhr put up against Ibn Saud and the Wahhabi Ikhwan was "the reason that Saudi Arabia's borders do not extend all the way to Palestine and why the Al Sauds never became the rulers of the Levant".[5] Haditha was known throughout Arabia for his wisdom and chivalry,[6] He played a significant role in building the nascent Jordanian state and shaping its development.[7] An ally and supporter of King Abdullah I,[8] Haditha served several terms as Senator and Parliamentarian, including the first Jordanian Senate in 1947 which consisted of only ten members.[9] Haditha was also elected to the second Legislative Council in June 1931,[10][11] and the Fourth Legislative Council in 1937[11][12] while Jordan was still an Emirate. Haditha was also one of the founding members of the Jordanian Solidarity Party (Hizb al-Tadamun al-Urduni) in March 1933.[13] Sheikh Haditha also cultivated the oasis of Azraq, Jordan.[14][15]

  1. ^ The Glubb Reports: Glubb Pasha and Britain's Empire Project in the Middle East 1920-1956, ed. Tancred Bradshaw, 2016, Palgrave Macmillan, p.52
  2. ^ The Tribes of Jordan at the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century, Ghazi bin Muhammad; Turab, http://rissc.jo/the-tribes-of-jordan-at-the-beginning-of-the-twenty-first-century/ Archived 23 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. p. 10.
  3. ^ According to the 1986 Jordanian Electoral Law, the Bani Sakhr Tribe is made up of thirteen clans: Al-Khirshan; Al-Jbour; Al-Salim; Al-Badareen; Al-Gudah; Al-Hammad; and Al-Shra'ah (traditionally known collectively as the Ka'abnah half of the Bani Sakhr); Al-Ghbein; Al-Amir; Al-Ka'abna; Al-Hgeish; Al-Saleet, and Al-Taybeen (traditionally known collectively as the Twaga half of the Bani Sakhr); The Tribes of Jordan at the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century, Ghazi bin Muhammad; Turab, http://rissc.jo/the-tribes-of-jordan-at-the-beginning-of-the-twenty-first-century"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link).
  4. ^ The Making of Jordan: Tribes, Colonialism and the Modern State, Yoav Alon, I.B. Taurus, 2007, p.52 & 85; ISBN 978-1-84511-138-0.
  5. ^ Al-Urdon LiMan?, Awwad Al-Rdeini; Al-Dustour Press, 2013; retrieved 4. June, 2016 http://www.zamancom.com/?p=5619
  6. ^ The History of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Vol. II: The Development of Transjordan, 1929-1939, Ma'an Abu Nowar; Amman, Jordan Press Foundation, 1997; p. 76-77; ISBN 0863721192.
  7. ^ The Making of Jordan: Tribes, Colonialism and the Modern State, Yoav Alon, I.B. Taurus, 2007, p.70.
  8. ^ The History of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Vol. I: The Creation & Development of Transjordan, 1920-29, Ma'an Abu Nowar; (Oxford: Ithaca Press, 1989); p. 199.
  9. ^ Jordanian Senate
  10. ^ The History of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Vol. II: The Development of Transjordan, 1929-1939, Ma'an Abu Nowar; Amman, Jordan Press Foundation, 1997, p.111-112.
  11. ^ a b "مجلس الأمة". www.parliament.jo. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  12. ^ The History of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Vol. II: The Development of Transjordan, 1929-1939, Ma'an Abu Nowar; Amman, Jordan Press Foundation, 1997, p.206.
  13. ^ The History of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Vol. II: The Development of Transjordan, 1929-1939, Ma'an Abu Nowar; Amman, Jordan Press Foundation, 1997, p.133.
  14. ^ Glubb's reports, Sep.-Oct. 1933, Dec. 1934, Jan. & Feb. 1935; Annual Report, 1935, p.307.
  15. ^ The Making of Jordan: Tribes, Colonialism and the Modern State, Yoav Alon, I.B. Taurus, 2007, p.129.