The Hashemite Kingdom of the Hijaz in Arabia, played a crucial role in modern Middle Eastern history from its founding in 1916 until its demise in 1925. It was the first Arab country to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire, and it's rulers led the Arab Revolt of "Lawrence of Arabia" fame. The holy cities of Mecca and Medina flourished under its control and it was praised as a model of justice and a beacon of hope for the Muslim world. Yet for all its significance, the Kingdom has received little attention from historians. In The Rise and Fall of the Hashemite Kingdom we learn how the Hijaz wrested its independence from the Ottoman Empire in the storied "Revolt in the Desert" and was celebrated by journalists and world leaders alike. But Teitlebaum is most concerned with the state's ultimate failure Using original sources, he shows how the kingdom was plagued by civil conflict between the Hashemite rulers (the ancestors of the current king of Jordan) and the influential Saudi family, and subject to the whims of Britain and the great powers of Europe. In engaging prose, Teitelbaum tells a story of revolt, civil war, colonialism, political Islam, and revolutionary misrule that mirrors conflicts in the Middle East of today.
Joshua Teitelbaum is Professor of History at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University.
"Josh Teitelbaum uses the concept of the tribal chieftaincy to describe the short-lived 'state' of Sharif Husain and thereby fills an important void in the research." -Guido Steinberg,Orient "the standard history" "excellent account" "detailed analysis" "casts light on many neglected subjects" "particularly interesting" "successful application of Joseph Kostiner's concept of the evolution of the tribal chieftaincy" "based his book on a careful and systematic use of the appropriate sources" "outstanding study" -William Ochsenwald,Middle East Journal "Teitelbaum recreates the political, economic, military and social history of the Hijazi kingdom" "successfully recreates the structure of the rising state" "recommended" "enriches our understanding" -Madawi Al Rasheed "This study...fills a significant gap in the history of the 20th century Middle East" "Well-researched" "[suitable for] graduate students and faculty" -J.W. Walt,Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries "Teitelbaum's thoroughly researched and lucidly presented study" "Teitelbaum provides the (surprisingly) first account of this state's existence whose importance has become apparent only in retrospect. He does it so well that one wishes the book were longer." -Daniel Pipes,Middle East Quarterly
