(contents)
Chapter 2 Global wave – The end of
colonial era and the emerging two super powers
041 Comparison French colonial rule with
British one (3/3)
On the other hand, the UK accumulated wise
experience through the long colonial control during the British Empire era. The
UK assigned Hussein’s two sons as the king of Jordan and Iraq respectively.
They were descendants of prophet Muhammad, but they were swept away from Makkah
by Saudi Arabia. In the Western Europe where democracy is common, the monarchy
looks like old-fashioned anachronism. But in the Middle East it was still a
world where tribes could make their breadth, and Islamic religion was rooted in
life. Western European republican or parliamentary democracy was premature in
the Middle East. The UK looked at the reality of the Middle East with
cool-headedness.
During the World War I, UK military officer
Thomas Edward Lawrence, T.E. Lawrence, being nicknamed "Lawrence of
Arabia", helped Abdullah Hussein, the second son of the Sheriff of Makkah
and later the king of Jordan. T.E. Lawrence was an advisor of Abdullah,
although he was a mere secret agent of British government. In 1921, Abdullah
became the ruler of the Emirates of Transjordan, and in 1946 the country became
independent as Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. His son, Crown Prince Hussein was
sent to UK to study at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Sandhurst is
renowned training institution for young princes in the Middle East studying how
to be a good ruler. UK has conciliated Hashemite into the UK’s ally.
The Hashemite was the ruler who has been
sent to Jordan by UK. But for ordinary Arabs it was enough that the ruler was
the descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. They thought UK had given them a
precious gift. An Arabic merchant in the capital city of Amman passionately
welcomed the ruler. His son, Khatib who was born in 1939 when the World War II
began, was only seven years old at that time. He did not know the real meaning
of the independence of his country. But he clearly could remember that his
father enthusiastically welcoming the new ruler.
(To be continued ----)
(From an ordinary citizen in the cloud)
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