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Jordan History
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The area forming the kingdom of Jordan was occupied by the independent Nabataeans from the 4th century BC and perhaps earlier, until AD 106 when it became part of the roman province of Arabia. It was included in the Crusaders' kingdom of Jerusalem 1099-1187. Palestine ( the West Bank of present-day Jordan) and Transjordan ( the present-day East Bank) were part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire until its dissolution after World War I. Both were then placed under British administration by the League of Nations.
Transjordan acquired greater control of its own affairs than Palestine and separated from it in 1923, achieving full independence when the British mandate expired in 1946. In 1953 Hussein ibn Talal came to the Jordanian throne at the age of 17 . In 1958 Jordan and Iraq formed an Arab Federation, which ended five months later when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown.
King Hussein has kept control of Jordan's affairs as well as played a central role in Middle East affairs. Relations with his neighbors have fluctuated, but he has generally been a moderating influence. After Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, Hussein played a key role in attempts to bring peace to the area, establishing a relationship with Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader, Yasser Arafat. By 1984 the Arab world was split into two camps, with the moderates represented by Jordan, Egypt, and Arafat's PLO, and the militant radicals by Syria, Libya, and extreme wing of the PLO.
In 1985 Hussein and Arafat put together a framework for a Middle East peace settlement. It would involve bringing together all interested parties.Hussein tried to revive the search for peace by secretly meeting the Israeli prime minister in France and persuading Yasser Arafat to renounce publicly PLO violence in territories not occupied by Israel. The role of Jordan, through King Hussein, could be vital in any future peacemaking moves. Jordan attended the historic Middle East conference in Spain in Nov.1991. After the assassination of Mr. Rabin of Israel, King Hussein lost his vital partner in Peace. Mr. Natanyahu came to power with more extreme position objecting to fulfill his obligation as a peace partner. The king is very concerned of this official Israeli position .
In response to mounting unrest within Jordan in 1989, Hussein promised greater democratization and in Nov. elections to an 80-member parliament were held. Soon afterward the veteran politician Mudar Badran was made prime minister; he announced the lifting of martial law Dec. 1989.
Following the Iraqi invasion and annexation of Kuwait in Aug 1990, under popular pressure from his own country, Hussein unsuccessfully attempted to act as a mediator.Some Gulf States claimed that the king has sided with Saddam Hussein, as a result of this, Jordan economy and its political position with those countries have been affected. Meanwhile the UN trade embargo on Iraq and the exodus of thousands of refugees into Jordan strained Jordan's resources.
