Sharif of Mecca


The Sharif of Mecca or Hejaz was the title of the leader of the Sharifate of Mecca, traditional steward of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and the surrounding Hejaz. The term sharif is Arabic for "noble", "highborn", and is used to describe the descendants of Prophet 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 office of the Sharifate of Mecca dates back to the late Abbasid era. Until 1200, the Sharifate was held by a member of the Hawashim clan, not to be confused with the larger clan of Banu Hashim from which all Sharifs claim descent. Descendants of the Banu Hashim continued to hold the position until the 20th century on behalf of various Muslim powers including the Ayyubids and the Mamluks. 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, who 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 overseen the Hajj since that time.

List of Sharifs of Mecca (967–1925)

During the Fatimid Dynasty">Fatimid Caliphate">Fatimid Dynasty (967–1101)

During the Ayyubid Empire">Ayyubid dynasty">Ayyubid Empire (1201–1254)

1250–1301

During the Mamluk Empire">Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)">Mamluk Empire (1254–1517)

EmirReignNotes
Muhammed abul-Nubaj1254–1301First Mamluk Sharif after the fall of Ayyubid Empire
Rumaitha Abul-Rada1301–1346
Ajlan Abul-Sarjah1346–1375
Sharif Ali bin Ajlan Abul-Sarjah1375–1394Later become Sultan of Brunei in 1425.
Hasan ibn Ajlan1394–1425
Barakat ibn Hasan1425–1455
Malik ul-Adil ibn Muhammad ibn Barakat1455–1473
Barakat II bin Muhammed1473–1525Built the first Walls of Jeddah by order of Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri

During the [Ottoman Empire] (1517–1917)

EmirReignNotes
Barakat II bin Muhammed1473–1525Co-reigned with his son Abu Numayy II for the last thirteen years of his rule; first Ottoman Sharif; Hejaz became an Ottoman state after the fall of Cairo to Sultan Selim I.
Abu Numayy II bin Barakat1512–1584Co-reigned with his father Barakat II for the first thirteen years of his rule, and with his son Hassan for the last thirty-one years of his rule; rebuilt the walls of Jeddah in 1525 following the victory over the Portuguese in the Red Sea.
Hassan bin Abu Numayy II1553–1601Co-reigned with his father for the first thirty-one years of his rule.
Abd al-Muttalib bin Hassan1601Reigned for less than a year.
Abu Talib bin Hassan1601–1603Co-reigned with his brother Idris.
Idris bin Hassan1601–1620Co-reigned with his brother Abu Talib for the first two years of his rule, then with his brother Fuhaid for six years and nephew Muhsin for sixteen.
Fuhaid bin Hassan1604–1610Co-reigned with his brother Idris and his son Muhsin.
Muhsin bin Fuhaid1604–1628Co-reigned with his father for the first six years of his rule, and with his uncle Idris for the first sixteen.
Ahmed bin Abd al-Muttalib1628–1629
Masoud bin Idris1629–1630
Abdullah I bin Hassan1630–1631
Muhammed bin Abdullah1631–1632Co-reigned with his first cousin once removed, Zeid.
Zeid bin Muhsin1631–1632First reign, co-reigned with his first cousin once removed, Muhammed.
Namy bin Abd al-Muttalib1632Briefly co-reigned with his cousin Abd al-Aziz.
Abd al-Aziz bin Idris1632Briefly co-reigned with his cousin Namy.
Zeid bin Muhsin1632–1666Second reign.
Saad bin Zeid1666–1672First reign, co-reigned with his brother Ahmed for the last three years of his rule.
Ahmed bin Zeid1669–1672First reign, co-reigned with his brother Saad.
Barakat bin Muhammed bin Ibrahim bin Barakat bin Abu Numayy1672–1682
Said bin Barakat1682–1683
Ahmed bin Zeid1672–1688
Ahmed bin Ghalib bin Muhammed bin Musaid bin Masoud bin Hasan1688–1690
Muhsin bin Hussein1690–1691
Said bin Saad1691Ceded reign to his father Saad.
Saad bin Zeid1691–1696Second reign.
Abdullah II bin Hashim1696Co-reigned with Said.
Saad bin Zeid1694–1702Third reign.
Abdulkarim bin Muhammed1704–1705First reign.
Saad bin Zeid1705Fourth reign, lasted eighteen days.
Said bin Saad1705
Abdulkarim bin Muhammed1705–1711Second reign.
Said bin Saad1711–1717Second reign.
Abdullah III bin Said1717–1718First reign.
Ali bin Said1718
Yahya bin Barakat1718–1720
Mubarak bin Ahmad1720–1723
Yahya bin Barakat1723–1725
Abdullah III bin Said1725–1731Second reign.
Muhammed bin Abdullah1731–1733Co-reigned with his uncle Masoud for the last year of his rule.
Masoud bin Said1732–1752Briefly co-reigned with his nephew Muhammed for the first year of his rule.
Musaid bin Said1752–1759First reign.
Jafar bin Said1759–1760-
Musaid bin Said1760–1770Second reign.
Abdullah IV bin Hussein bin Barakat1770–1771
Ahmed bin Said1771–1773
Surur bin Musaid1773–1788
Abd al-Muin bin Musaid1788First reign, only lasted a few days.
Ghalib bin Musaid1788–1813Co-reigned with his brother Abd al-Muin while Saudis held the city of Mecca.
Abd al-Muin bin Musaid1796–1813Second reign, co-reigned with his brother Ghalib.
Yahya bin Surur1813–1827
Abd al-Muttalib bin Ghalib1827First reign.
Muhammed bin Abd al-Muin bin Awn bin Muhsin bin Abdullah bin al-Hussain bin Abdullah I1827–1851First reign, placed in power by Muhammad Ali Pasha.
Abd al-Muttalib bin Ghalib1851–1856Second reign.
Muhammed bin Abd al-Muin1856–1858Second reign.
Abdullah bin Muhammed1858–1877
Hussein bin Muhammed1877–1880
Abd al-Muttalib bin Ghalib1880–1881Third reign.
Abd al-Ilah bin Muhammed1881–1882Was appointed again in 1908 after the deposition of Ali bin Abdullah, however he died before reaching Mecca.
Awn ar-Rafiq bin Muhammed1882–1905
Ali bin Abdullah bin Muhammed1905–1908
Hussein bin Ali Pasha1908–1916Later King Hussein
Ali Haidar Pasha1916–1917

During the [Kingdom of Hejaz] (1916–1925)

PortraitMonarchReignNotesPrime Minister
King Hussein bin Ali1916–1924Previously Hussein PashaAli bin Hussein
King Ali bin Hussein1924–1925Invaded by Nejd on 19 December 1925Abd Allah Siraj
King Ali bin Hussein1924–1925Invaded by Nejd on 19 December 1925Muhammad at-Tawil

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