Husayn ibn Ali

Husayn ibn Ali , 1856-1931, Arab political and religious leader. In 1908 he succeeded as grand sherif of Mecca and thus became ruler of the Hejaz under the Ottoman Empire. In World War I, after receiving British assurances that all Arab lands not under French control would be liberated, he began (1916) a successful revolt against the Turks in Arabia and proclaimed himself king of the Hejaz and of all Arabia. Believing that the British had not kept their promises, he refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles. Great Britain lent him no support in his struggle with Ibn Saud , who defeated him in 1924, forcing him to abdicate and renounce his claim to the caliphate. That claim, advanced after the Turkish parliament abolished the Ottoman caliphate in 1924, was based on Husayn's membership in the Hashemite family, a branch of the Quraysh tribe, to which Muhammad the Prophet had belonged. In 1925, Ibn Saud took Husayn's domain, and Husayn lived (1924-30) in exile on Cyprus. He died in Amman, the capital of Transjordan (now Jordan).

Hussein, ibn Ali (1856–1931) Arab political leader. A member of the Hashemite family, he was sharif of Mecca and leader of the 1916 Arab revolt. In 1916 he assumed the title of King of the Arab Countries, but the Allies only recognized him as King of the Hejaz territory. As ruler of the Hejaz (1916–24) he came into conflict in 1919 with Ibn SAUD, the Emir of Najd. He abdicated in favour of his son Ali in October 1924. His son Abdullah became ruler of TransJordan, and another son, FAISAL I, founded the royal line of Iraq.

Hussein ibn Ali (b. 1853?, d. 4 June 1931). King of the Hejaz 1916–25 A member of the Hashemite family, he was made Sherif of Mecca under Turkish rule in 1908. In June 1916 he began the Arab Revolt, proclaiming himself to be King of the Hejaz and, from November 1916, King of the Arabs. He was able to bring most of the Hejaz under his control, though this was less on the basis of his own strength, than on the British policy in Arabia, which restrained his much stronger rival, Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud, from challenging him during the course of World War I. Thereafter, however, his power was steadily eroded by the military advances of Abd al-Aziz. After losing Mecca he abdicated and went into exile. One of his sons, Abdullah, was King of Transjordan (1920–51), while another was made King of Syria (1920) and then of Iraq (1921–33) as Faisal I.