The Great Arab Revolution

The Great Arab Revolt was a military revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which began in Hejaz when Sharif Hussein bin Ali fired one shot from his rifle on the ninth day of Sha'ban 1334 AH - June 10, 1916 AD in Mecca. The sound of that shot echoed in Jeddah, Taif, and Medina.

The revolution continued against the Ottomans after their expulsion from Hejaz until it reached the Levant, overthrowing Ottoman rule there, and in Iraq as a result of Ottoman policy during World War I, which included conscription, confiscation of property and assets, followed by famine in 1915, and the oppressive policies of Jamal Pasha, the military governor of the Syrian provinces, in addition to the complex relationship between Arabs and Turks since the mid-19th century until the Paris Conference in 1913.

The revolution aimed, as stated in the Damascus Covenant, and in the correspondence between Hussein and McMahon based on the covenant, to overthrow Ottoman rule and establish an Arab state or a union of Arab states that includes the Arabian Peninsula, particularly Hejaz and Nijd, and the Levant except for the province of Adana, which was considered part of Syria in the Damascus Covenant with respect for "British interests in southern Iraq," which is the geographical area starting from Baghdad and ending at the northern coast of the Persian Gulf.

The Great Arab Revolt Army led by Faisal bin Hussein, in cooperation with tribal fighters, achieved military victories and broke through the Ottoman army along a line of combat extending from Medina to Damascus. They were able to cross the Aqaba and speed up their advance after the British Army led by General Edmund Allenby entered Sinai into Palestine and then along the coastal line until the district of Alexandretta in September 1918, when the Turks withdrew from Damascus and accepted the Armistice of Mudros, followed by the final surrender in the Treaty of Sèvres, relinquishing their possessions in Nijd, Hejaz, the Levant, Iraq, Cilicia, and Egypt.

In the post-war period, there was a trend towards establishing an Arab union or alliance instead of a single Arab state, with the Hashemites at its head, with Sharif Hussein bin Ali as King of the Arabian Peninsula, Prince Faisal as King of Syria, and Prince Abdullah as King of Iraq. However, the French opposition to Prince Faisal prevented him from achieving his goal, so he crowned himself King of Iraq, while Prince Abdullah was able to seize the Jordanian crown as "Southern Syria" and continued to demand the Greater Syrian project until his death. As for Sharif Hussein bin Ali, his kingdom in Hejaz was abolished in 1926 by Sultan Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud.

The Great Arab Revolt is considered one of the most prominent manifestations of modern Arab nationalism, marking the end of the Arab Renaissance in the 19th century and a pivotal station in the region's history and consciousness. The colors of the Great Arab Revolt flag are still the basis for the flags of many Arab countries and political movements.

Causes

The policy of Turkification played a crucial role in igniting the revolution, as Turkish nationalists were able to reach power with the leadership of the three pashas and persecuted non-Turkish nationalities, particularly Arabs. The Ottoman officer Tahsin Ali described this persecution:

On the other hand, the economic downturn and Arab renaissance during the second half of the 19th century contributed to the emergence of an Arab movement for independence from the Turks.

The principles of the Great Arab Revolt were agreed upon by agreement between Hussein and McMahon based on the Damascus Covenant.