Ikhwan raids on Transjordan
Encyclopedia
Ikhwan raids on Transjordan were a series of plunders by the Ikhwan
, irregular Arab tribesmen of Najd
, on Transjordan
between 1922 and 1924. The repeated Wahhabi incursions fron Najd into southern parts of his territory were the most serious threat to emir Abdullah
's position in Transjordan. The emir was powerless to repel those raids by himself, thus the British maintained a military base, with a small air force, at Marka, close to Amman
. The British military force was the primary obstacle against the Ikhwan, and was also used to help emir Abdullah
with the suppression of local rebellions at Kura
and later by Sultan Adwan
, in 1921 and 1923 respectively.
initiated their first long range raid on Amman
, with participation of some 1,500 camel raiders. According to Guckian, the raiders dissipated upon spotting a British aircraft approaching their column, and never reached Amman. On the other hand, Wilson and Graham claim the intent of the raid was two small villages, which were entirely massacred, and the raiding Ikhwan party was intercepted by British armored cars and planes on their way back to the Kingdom.
militia force, numbering some 4,500 raiders, travelled 1,600 kilometers from Najd
(in modern day Saudi Arabia
) to attack Transjordan
, which was at that time under British protectorate. Just 15 kilometers off Amman, the raiders were spotted by the British RAF, which in turn attacked the Ikhwan using airplanes. The Ikhwan army suffered heavy casualties, with death toll reaching 500. Without the help of the RAF, Amman would most likely been captured by the Ikhwans.
occurred during the 1927-1930 Ikhwan Revolt
against the authority of Ibn Saud. The Ikhwanis raided on southern Iraq in November 1927, and on Kuwait
in January 1928, in which they looted camels and sheep. On both occasions, though they raided brutally, they suffered heavy retaliations from RAF and Kuwaitis. The Ikhwan were eventually defeated by Ibn Saud's regular forces and their leadership slain. The remants were incorporated into regular Saudi units.
Ikhwan
The Ikhwan was the Islamic religious militia which formed the main military force of the Arabian ruler Ibn Saud and played a key role in establishing him as ruler of most of the Arabian Peninsula, in his new state of Saudi Arabia. The Ikhwan were made up of Bedouin tribes...
, irregular Arab tribesmen of Najd
Najd
Najd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
, on Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
between 1922 and 1924. The repeated Wahhabi incursions fron Najd into southern parts of his territory were the most serious threat to emir Abdullah
Abdullah I of Jordan
Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan [‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Husayn] عبد الله الأول بن الحسين born in Mecca, Second Saudi State, was the second of three sons of Sherif Hussein bin Ali, Sharif and Emir of Mecca and his first wife Abdiyya bint Abdullah...
's position in Transjordan. The emir was powerless to repel those raids by himself, thus the British maintained a military base, with a small air force, at Marka, close to Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
. The British military force was the primary obstacle against the Ikhwan, and was also used to help emir Abdullah
Abdullah I of Jordan
Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan [‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Husayn] عبد الله الأول بن الحسين born in Mecca, Second Saudi State, was the second of three sons of Sherif Hussein bin Ali, Sharif and Emir of Mecca and his first wife Abdiyya bint Abdullah...
with the suppression of local rebellions at Kura
Kura Rebellion
Kura Rebellion was among the first uprisings against the authority of emir Abdullah in Transjordan. The rebellion, begun in 1921, resulted in minor casualties and was at first pacified via negotiations and amnesty by the Hashemite ruler, but erupted again in 1923...
and later by Sultan Adwan
Adwan Rebellion
Adwan Rebellion or the Balqa Revolt was the largest uprising against the newly installed Transjordanian government, headed by Mezhar Ruslan, during its first years. The rebellion was initiated in the early months of 1923, but was quickly crushed with the assistance of the British RAF...
, in 1921 and 1923 respectively.
First major raid
The IkhwanIkhwan
The Ikhwan was the Islamic religious militia which formed the main military force of the Arabian ruler Ibn Saud and played a key role in establishing him as ruler of most of the Arabian Peninsula, in his new state of Saudi Arabia. The Ikhwan were made up of Bedouin tribes...
initiated their first long range raid on Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, with participation of some 1,500 camel raiders. According to Guckian, the raiders dissipated upon spotting a British aircraft approaching their column, and never reached Amman. On the other hand, Wilson and Graham claim the intent of the raid was two small villages, which were entirely massacred, and the raiding Ikhwan party was intercepted by British armored cars and planes on their way back to the Kingdom.
Second major raid
In August 1924, a larger IkhwanIkhwan
The Ikhwan was the Islamic religious militia which formed the main military force of the Arabian ruler Ibn Saud and played a key role in establishing him as ruler of most of the Arabian Peninsula, in his new state of Saudi Arabia. The Ikhwan were made up of Bedouin tribes...
militia force, numbering some 4,500 raiders, travelled 1,600 kilometers from Najd
Najd
Najd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
(in modern day Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
) to attack Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
, which was at that time under British protectorate. Just 15 kilometers off Amman, the raiders were spotted by the British RAF, which in turn attacked the Ikhwan using airplanes. The Ikhwan army suffered heavy casualties, with death toll reaching 500. Without the help of the RAF, Amman would most likely been captured by the Ikhwans.
Aftermath
Other raids of IkhwanIkhwan
The Ikhwan was the Islamic religious militia which formed the main military force of the Arabian ruler Ibn Saud and played a key role in establishing him as ruler of most of the Arabian Peninsula, in his new state of Saudi Arabia. The Ikhwan were made up of Bedouin tribes...
occurred during the 1927-1930 Ikhwan Revolt
Ikhwan Revolt
The Ikhwan Revolt had begun in 1927, when elements of the Ikhwan, the radical irregular tribesmen of Arabia, undermined the authority of Ibn Saud and begun raiding neighbouring Iraq and Kuwait. The relations between the House of Saud and the Ikhwans deteriorated into an open bloody feud in December...
against the authority of Ibn Saud. The Ikhwanis raided on southern Iraq in November 1927, and on Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in January 1928, in which they looted camels and sheep. On both occasions, though they raided brutally, they suffered heavy retaliations from RAF and Kuwaitis. The Ikhwan were eventually defeated by Ibn Saud's regular forces and their leadership slain. The remants were incorporated into regular Saudi units.
See also
- Sultan bin NajadSultan bin NajadSultan Bin Bajad Al-Otaibi was a leader of the Ikhwan movement in Saudi Arabia. This movement was the virtual army that supported King Abdul Aziz to build his kingdom between 1910 and 1927...
- Kuwait-Najd Border War
- Saudi Arabian National GuardSaudi Arabian National GuardThe Saudi Arabian National Guard is a separate military force of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is not part of the Saudi Arabian Defence Forces, due to its specific role as a counterbalance to the regular military. It serves both as defence force against external threats and as a security force...
- List of modern conflicts in the Middle East