The Hashemites in the modern Arab world: essays in honour of the late Professor Uriel Dann

This volume, dedicated to the memory of Professor Uriel Dann, is a collection of essays on the place of the Hashemites in the modern history of the Arabs. The Hashemites played a crucial role in the evolution of Arab nationalism, from the outbreak of the Arab Revolt in 1916 and the creation of the Arab state system in the aftermath of the First World War to the promotion of various schemes for Arab unity, the formation of the Arab League, and the evolution of the web of inter-Arab relations; and perhaps, above all, in securing a lasting place of prominence is the Palestinian debate. The collection consists of three parts. The first deals with the kingdom of Hijaz and the Hashemite-Saudi rivalry; the second with Hashemite Iraq; and the third with Hashemite Jordan. The book, therefore, spans the entire twentieth century covering the mixed political fortunes of the Hashemites - from the great ambition of the Arab revolt to the rather ignominious defeat in the Hijaz at the hands of the Saudis; from their success in the foundation and preservation, albeit temporary, of Hashemite Iraq to their most enduring and successful political enterprise, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This fairly modest remnant of a great ambition survived, against the odds and the expectations of most, to become a model of stability and political moderation. The hitherto unpublished essays in this volume throw much new light on the Hashemite saga and thus constitute a valuable contribution to the study of modern Arab history. Book jacket