Sharif of Mecca
Encyclopedia
The Sharif of Mecca or Hejaz was the title of the former governors of Hejaz
and a traditional steward of the holy cities of Mecca
and Medina
. The term sharif
means "noble" in Arabic
and is used to describe the descendants of Muhammad
's grandson al-Hassan ibn Ali.
The Sharif was charged with protecting the cities and their environs and ensuring the safety of pilgrims performing the Hajj
. The title is sometimes spelled Sheriff or Sherif, with the latter variant used, for example, by T. E. Lawrence
in Seven Pillars of Wisdom
. The common-law
political and legal office of sheriff
found in some anglophone countries is unrelated.
The office of the Sharifate of Mecca dates back to the late Abbasid
era. Since 1201, the Sharifate was held by a member of the Hawashim clan, not to be confused with the larger clan of Banu Hashim
to which all Sharifs claim descent. Descendants of this family continued to hold the position until the Twentieth Century on behalf of various Muslim powers including the Ayyubids and the Mamelukes. In 1517, the Sharif acknowledged the supremacy of the Ottoman
Caliph
, but maintained a great degree of local autonomy. During the Ottoman era, the Sharifate expanded its authority northwards to include Medina
, and southwards to the frontiers of 'Asir, and regularly raided Nejd.
The Sharifate came to an end shortly after the reign of Hussein bin Ali
, ruled from 1908, who rebelled against the Ottoman rule during the Arab Revolt
of 1916. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and its subsequent dissolution
in 1923, Hussein declared himself Caliph
. The British granted control over the newly formed states of Iraq
and Transjordan
to his sons Faisal
and Abdullah
. In 1924, however, in the face of increasing attacks by Ibn Saud
, Hussein abdicated his secular titles to his eldest son, Ali bin Hussein
, who was to become the last Grand Sharif. At the end of 1925, Ibn Saud conquered the Hejaz
and expelled the Hashemites. The House of Saud
has ruled the holy cities and the Hajj
since that time.
During Ayyubid Empire
During Mamluk Empire
During Ottoman Empire
During Kingdom of Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
and a traditional steward of the holy cities of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
. The term sharif
Sharif
Sharīf or Chérif is a traditional Arab tribal title given to those who serve as the protector of the tribe and all tribal assets, such as property, wells, and land. In origin, the word is an adjective meaning "noble", "highborn". The feminine singular is sharifa...
means "noble" in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and is used to describe the descendants of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
's grandson al-Hassan ibn Ali.
The Sharif was charged with protecting the cities and their environs and ensuring the safety of pilgrims performing the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
. The title is sometimes spelled Sheriff or Sherif, with the latter variant used, for example, by T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
in Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the autobiographical account of the experiences of British soldier T. E. Lawrence , while serving as a liaison officer with rebel forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks of 1916 to 1918....
. The common-law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
political and legal office of sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
found in some anglophone countries is unrelated.
The office of the Sharifate of Mecca dates back to the late Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
era. Since 1201, the Sharifate was held by a member of the Hawashim clan, not to be confused with the larger clan of Banu Hashim
Banu Hashim
Banū Hāshim was a clan in the Quraysh tribe. Muhammad, was a member of this clan; his great-grandfather was Hashim, for whom the clan is named. Members of this clan are referred to by the Anglicised version of their name as Hashemites, or Huseini or Hasani...
to which all Sharifs claim descent. Descendants of this family continued to hold the position until the Twentieth Century on behalf of various Muslim powers including the Ayyubids and the Mamelukes. In 1517, the Sharif acknowledged the supremacy of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
, but maintained a great degree of local autonomy. During the Ottoman era, the Sharifate expanded its authority northwards to include Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, and southwards to the frontiers of 'Asir, and regularly raided Nejd.
The Sharifate came to an end shortly after the reign of Hussein bin Ali
Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca
Sayyid Hussein bin Ali, GCB was the Sharif of Mecca, and Emir of Mecca from 1908 until 1917, when he proclaimed himself King of Hejaz, which received international recognition. He initiated the Arab Revolt in 1916 against the increasingly nationalistic Ottoman Empire during the course of the...
, ruled from 1908, who rebelled against the Ottoman rule during the Arab Revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
of 1916. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and its subsequent dissolution
Dissolution of the Ottoman Empire
The Dissolution of the Ottoman Empire included the watershed events of the Young Turk Revolution and the establishment of the Second Constitutional Era, and ended with the Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire by the victorious sides of World War I.- Establishment of the Second Constitutional Era, 24...
in 1923, Hussein declared himself Caliph
Sharifian Caliphate
The Sharifian Caliphate is the term used to describe the unsuccessful attempts at the beginning of the 20th century to establish an Arab caliphate headed by the Sharifs of Mecca in replacement of the Ottoman Caliphate. The idea had been floating around since at least the 15th century...
. The British granted control over the newly formed states of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
to his sons Faisal
Faisal I of Iraq
Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi, was for a short time King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria or Greater Syria in 1920, and was King of the Kingdom of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...
and 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...
. In 1924, however, in the face of increasing attacks by Ibn Saud
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
, Hussein abdicated his secular titles to his eldest son, Ali bin Hussein
Ali of Hejaz
Ali bin Hussein, GBE was King of Hejaz and Grand Sharif of Mecca from October 1924 until December 1925. He was the eldest son of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the first modern King of Hejaz, and a scion of the Hashemite family...
, who was to become the last Grand Sharif. At the end of 1925, Ibn Saud conquered the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
and expelled the Hashemites. The House of Saud
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
has ruled the holy cities and the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
since that time.
During Fatimid Dynasty (967-1101)
- Muhammed Abu-Jafar Al-Thalab (The fox) (967–980)
- Sharif Essa (980–994)
- Sharif Abu Al-Futooh (994–1039)
- Sharif Shukrul-Din (1039–1061)
- Abul-Hashim ibn Muhammed (1061–1094)
- Ibn Abul-Hashim Al-Thalab (1094–1101)
During Ayyubid EmpireAyyubid dynastyThe Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...
(1201–1254)
- Qatada ibn Idris al-Alawi al-HasaniQatada ibn IdrisQatada ibn Idris al-Alawi al-Hasani was the Sharif of Mecca, reigning from 1201 to 1220. He also founded the Banu Qatada dynasty and established a tradition of sharifs descended from him to rule Mecca which lasted until the office was abolished in 1925....
(1201–1220): Killed at age 90 by his son - Ibn Qatada Al-Hashimi (1220–1241): Al-Zahir Baibers ruler of Egypt sends a prince to collect Zakat from the area including the surrounding bedouins
- Al-Hassan abul-Saad (1241–1254)
During Mamluk EmpireMamluk Sultanate (Cairo)The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt was the final independent Egyptian state prior to the establishment of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in 1805. It lasted from the overthrow of the Ayyubid Dynasty until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. The sultanate's ruling caste was composed of Mamluks, Arabised...
(1254–1517)
- Muhammed abul-Nubaj (1254–1301): First MamlukMamlukA Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
Sharif after the fall of Ayyubid EmpireAyyubid dynastyThe Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they... - Rumaitha Abul-Rada (1301–1346)
- Aljan Abul-Sarjah (1346–1375)
- Al-Hassan II (1394–1425)
- Barakat I (1425–1455)
- Malik ul-Adil ibn Muhammed ibn Barakat (1455–1497)
- Barakat II bin Muhammed (Barakat Efendi) (1497–1525): Built the first Walls of JeddahJeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
by order of Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-GhawriAl-Ashraf Qansuh al-GhawriAl-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri was the second last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last of the Burji dynasty, he reigned from 1501 to 1516.On the disappearance of Sultan Al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Tuman bay I, it was not till after some days that the choice of the Emirs and Mamluks fell upon Al-Ashraf...
During Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
(1517–1916)
- Barakat Efendi (1497–1525): First Ottoman Sharif; Hejaz became an Ottoman state after the fall of CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
to Sultan Selim ISelim ISelim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
. - Muhammed Abul-Nubaj bin Barakat (1525–1583): Rebuilt the walls of JeddahJeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
in 1525 following the victory over Portuguese ArmadaPortuguese Gold CoastThe Portuguese Gold Coast was a Portuguese colony on the West African Gold Coast on the Gulf of Guinea.-History:The Portuguese established the following settlements on the Gold Coast from January 21, 1482:...
in the Red SeaRed SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez... - Al-Hassan bin Muhammad Abul-Nubaj (1583–1601)
- Idris bin Al-Hassan (1601–1610)
- Muhsin bin Hussein (1610–1628)
- Ahmed bin Talib Al-Hasan (1628–1629)
- Masud bin Idris (Masut Efendi) (1629–1630)
- Abdullah bin Hassan (1630–1631)
- Zeid bin Muhsin (1631–1666)
- Saad bin Zeid (1666–1667)
- Muhsin bin Ahmed (1667–1668)
- Saad bin Zeid (1668–1670)
- Homud bin Abdullah bin Al-Hasan (1670–1670)
- Saad bin Zeid (1670–1671)
- Barakat bin Muhammed (1672–1682)
- Said bin Barakat (1682–1683)
- Ibrahim bin Muhammed (1683–1684)
- Ahmed bin Zeid (1684–1688)
- Ahmed bin Ghalib (1688–1689)
- Muhsin bin Ahmed (1689–1691)
- Said bin Saad (1691–1693)
- Saad bin Zeid (1693–1694)
- Abdullah bin Hashim (1694–1694)
- Saad bin Zeid (1694–1702)
- Said bin Saad (1702–1704)
- Abdulmuhsin bin Ahmad (1704–1704)
- Abdulkarim bin Muhammed (1704–1705)
- Said bin Saad (1705–1705)
- Abdulkarim bin Muhammed (1705–1711)
- Said bin Saad (1711–1717)
- Abdullah bin Said (1717–1718)
- Ali bin Said (1718–1718)
- Yahya bin Barakaat (1718–1719)
- Mubarak bin Ahmad (1719–1722)
- Barakaat bin Yahya (1722–1723)
- Mubarak bin Ahmad (1723–1724)
- Abdullah bin Said (1724–1731)
- Muhammed bin Abdullah (1731–1732)
- Masud bin Said (1732–1733)
- Muhammed bin Abdullah (1733–1734)
- Masud bin Said (1734–1759)
- Jafar bin Said (1759–1760)
- Musa'ed bin Said (1760–1770)
- Ahmad bin Said (1770–1770)
- Abdullah bin Hussein (1770–1773)
- Surour bin Musa'ed (1773–1788)
- Abdulmuin bin Musa'ed (1788–1788): Appointed by Saud ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud, the ruler of Dir'iyyahFirst Saudi StateThe First Saudi State was established in the year 1744 when imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Prince Muhammad ibn Saud formed an alliance to establish a religious & political sovereignty determined to cleanse the Arabian Peninsula of heretical practices and deviations from orthodox Islam...
- Ghalib Efendi bin Musa'ed (1788–1803)
- Yahya bin Surour (1803–1813): Jailed in ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
during the Ottoman–Saudi War - Ghalib Efendi bin Musa'ed (1813–1827)
- Abdulmutalib bin Ghalib (1827–1827)
- Muhammed bin Abdulmuin (1827–1851)
- Abdulmutalib bin Ghalib (1851–1856)
- Muhammed bin Abdulmuin (1856–1858)
- Abdullah Kamil Pasha (1858–1877)
- Hussein bin Muhammed (1877–1880)
- Abdulmutalib bin Ghalib (1880–1882)
- Aun Al-Rafiq Pasha (1882–1905)
- Ali Abdullah Pasha (1905–1908)
- Hussein bin Ali PashaHussein bin Ali, Sharif of MeccaSayyid Hussein bin Ali, GCB was the Sharif of Mecca, and Emir of Mecca from 1908 until 1917, when he proclaimed himself King of Hejaz, which received international recognition. He initiated the Arab Revolt in 1916 against the increasingly nationalistic Ottoman Empire during the course of the...
(1908–1916) (later King Hussein) - Ali Haidar Pasha (1916–1917)
During Kingdom of HejazKingdom of HejazThe Kingdom of Hejaz was a state in the Hejaz region, ruled by the Hashemite family. The kingdom was annexed by Nejd and merged into the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz in the mid 1920s, which would eventually be known as Saudi Arabia in 1932.-Kings of Hejaz:...
(1916–1925)
- King Hussein bin AliHussein bin Ali, Sharif of MeccaSayyid Hussein bin Ali, GCB was the Sharif of Mecca, and Emir of Mecca from 1908 until 1917, when he proclaimed himself King of Hejaz, which received international recognition. He initiated the Arab Revolt in 1916 against the increasingly nationalistic Ottoman Empire during the course of the...
(1916–1924) (previously Hussein Pasha) - King Ali bin HusseinAli of HejazAli bin Hussein, GBE was King of Hejaz and Grand Sharif of Mecca from October 1924 until December 1925. He was the eldest son of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the first modern King of Hejaz, and a scion of the Hashemite family...
(1924–1925)
See also
- Ottoman Hejaz
- Kingdom of HejazKingdom of HejazThe Kingdom of Hejaz was a state in the Hejaz region, ruled by the Hashemite family. The kingdom was annexed by Nejd and merged into the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz in the mid 1920s, which would eventually be known as Saudi Arabia in 1932.-Kings of Hejaz:...
- Battle of Mecca (1916)
- Battle of Mecca (1924)Battle of Mecca (1924)Battle of Mecca took place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Following the fall of Taif to King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. King Hussien bin Ali has fled from Mecca to Jeddah leaving hundreds of weapons left in the Qishla of Mecca for Ibn Saud men....
- Siege of MedinaSiege of MedinaMedina, an Islamic holy city in Arabia, underwent a long siege during World War I. Medina was at the time part of the Ottoman Empire. In the war, the Ottoman Empire sided with the Central Powers...
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties