Sharif Hussein's Revolt

Sharif Hussein's Revolt is a revolt that is different from the other revolts in our history. The revolt occurred in a geography away from Anatolia and Istanbul; it erupted during the World War I; and it ended along with the end of the war. The Ottoman Empire experienced its biggest territorial loss in its history during this revolt. The missionary activities in the Ottoman Arab geography during the 18th and the 19th century, and the Arab nationalism that developed along with it are important in starting the revolt. The Ottoman Empire wanted to establish its central power across the Arab lands through with its project of the Hejaz Railway. Sharif Hussein, the emir of Mecca in 1908, was annoyed by this project being extended to Mecca, and he tried to persuade the government by sending his sons to Istanbul that the project must stop in Medina. The Sharif, fooled by the promises of the British, started the revolt in Mecca against the caliph on June 10, 1916. Sharif Hussein's personal ambitions was a great factor in starting the revolt though he showed some unsatisfactory reasons for the revolt. The British promised the French and the Zionists the same lands as Sharif Hussein during the war. The British, exploiting this revolt, captured the important cities in the Middle East. The revolt ended up with the discharge of the Ottoman state from the Arab geography. After the revolt, Sharif Hussein understood increasingly better every passing year that he had been exploited by the British. The Paris and the San Remo conferences were organized in order to share the Middle East, which was contrary to Sharif's expectation. The British replaced Sharif Hussein at the end of the war with Ibn Saud backed by them, who was his past and the biggest rival. Three out of the seven states founded after the World War I in the Ottoman Arab geography were founded by the sons of Sharif Hussein. Arab nationalists also experienced the shock that Sharif Hussein suffered, and they were not able to prevent the foundation of small Arab states, instead of a great Arab state, under the mandate of the British and the French. Sharif Hussein could stay in Hejaz after the revolt for six years, and was exiled in the end to the island of Cyprus as instructed by the British. His sons, who were kings, could not let Sharif in their own countries, who was feeling deep regrets in the last years of his life. He could return to Jordan in his last year of life with the permission of the British after his disease's deterioration.