9781422284377

J ORDAN 14

places; unlike surrounding lands, Jordan never hosted an urban area that flourished continuously for a long period. The Islamic cul- ture that dominated this region for more than 1,000 years was linked by cities, but Jordan had none of particular importance. When the European countries turned their imperial gaze to the Middle East in the 19th century, they overlooked the Jordan region. There seemed to be no reason for colonial powers to establish them- selves in this territory. D IVIDED P EOPLE The people of Jordan were not, historically, a united population. Before the 20th century, the scattered villagers and tribesmen of northern Jordan considered themselves part of Greater Syria; the tribal people of southern Jordan considered themselves part of the Hejaz (spelled “Al-Hijaz” in Arabic), now part of western Saudi Arabia; and people in the villages and towns of western Jordan con- sidered themselves part of Palestine (roughly the area of modern- day Israel and the West Bank). From the seventh century on, these

Words to Understand in This Chapter

Bedouin— a member of an Arab tribe of the desert regions of North Africa or the Middle East who traditionally lived in tents and led a nomadic life following their herds. hajj— the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every devout Muslim is supposed to try to make at least once in his or her life- time. Hashemite— a clan tracing its ancestry to Muhammad, whose members at one time had responsibility for the holy sites in Mecca and who founded the Hashemite dynasty in Jordan. Hejaz— a region in the western part of modern-day Saudi Arabia that contains the Muslim holy cities of Medina and Mecca, and that was the original home of the Hashemite clan. nomadic— having no permanent home but rather moving from place to place, often seasonally and within a defined territory. sheikh— an Arab chief or tribal leader. Transjordanians— residents of the area east of the Jordan River, or descended from those people.