Arab Revolt

Quick Facts: Who was Arab Revolt?

Subject:

Arab Revolt

Known for:

An armed uprising by Hashemite-led Arabs in the Hejaz against the Ottoman Empire during WWI.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Arab Revolt (Arabic: الثورة العربية al-Thawra al-'Arabiyya), also known as the Great Arab Revolt (الثورة العربية الكبرى al-Thawra al-'Arabiyya al-Kubrā), was an armed uprising by the Hashemite-led Arabs of the Hejaz against the Ottoman Empire amidst the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On the basis of the McMahon–Hussein Correspondence, exchanged between Henry McMahon of the United Kingdom and Hussein bin Ali of the Kingdom of Hejaz, the rebellion against the ruling Turks was officially initiated at Mecca on 10 June 1916. The primary goal of the Arab rebels was to establish an independent and unified Arab state stretching from Aleppo to Aden, which the British government had promised to recognize. The Sharifian Army, led by Hussein and the Hashemites with backing from the British military's Egyptian Expeditionary Force, successfully fought and expelled the Ottoman military presence from much of the Hejaz and Transjordan. By 1918, the rebels had captured Damascus and proclaimed the Arab Kingdom of Syria, a short-lived monarchy that was led by Hussein's son Faisal I. The Arab-majority Ottoman territories of the Middle East were broken up into a number of League of Nations mandates, jointly controlled by the British and the French. Amidst the partition of the Ottoman Empire, the defeated Ottomans' mainland in Anatolia came under a joint military occupation by the victorious Allies.

Career & Major Achievements

This was gradually broken by the Turkish War of Independence, which established the present-day Republic of Turkey. Most Arabs in the Ottoman territories stayed loyal to the local Ottoman authorities, and did not join or support the revolt of Hussein bin Ali. Hussein bin Ali's Arab Revolt army did not play a decisive military role in the war. The liberation was led primarily by British and French forces, with the Arab Revolt forces playing a more limited supporting role. The uprising is conventionally known as the Arab Revolt or the Great Arab Revolt, but its name and the extent of its representative character have been disputed by historians.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Aviel Roshwald argues that the designation Arab Revolt is misleading because the uprising was centred on Sharif Hussein and his Hashemite supporters in the Hejaz, rather than constituting a general rebellion by the Ottoman Empire's Arab population. Nuri Yeşilyurt instead uses the term Hijaz Revolt, arguing that it did not represent an overwhelming expression of Arab or Islamic opposition to the Ottoman Empire, but was primarily a local reaction supported by Britain. The designation Sharifian Revolt is also used in academic literature to emphasise the leadership of Sharif Hussein and the Hashemites. Efraim and Inari Karsh likewise questioned the expanded designation Great Arab Revolt, interpreting the uprising principally as a Hashemite dynastic project rather than as a movement representative of the Arab Ottoman population as a whole. The rise of nationalism in the Ottoman Empire dates from at least 1821.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1821: 1821 Milestone — The rise of nationalism in the Ottoman Empire dates from at least 1821.
2. 1916: 1916 Milestone — On the basis of the McMahon–Hussein Correspondence, exchanged between Henry McMahon of the United Kingdom and Hussein bin Ali of the Kingdom of Hejaz, the rebellion against the ruling Turks was officially initiated at Mecca on 10 June 1916.
3. 1918: 1918 Milestone — By 1918, the rebels had captured Damascus and proclaimed the Arab Kingdom of Syria, a short-lived monarchy that was led by Hussein's son Faisal I.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Arab Revolt

True or False: “The Arab Revolt was a general uprising representing all Arab populations within the Ottoman Empire.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Historians argue that the revolt was primarily centered on Sharif Hussein and his Hashemite supporters in the Hejaz, rather than being a comprehensive rebellion by the entire Arab population.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adriana Caselotti — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): American actress and singer, famed for voicing Snow White in the first Disney feature.
• Ahmed Ben Bella — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): Algerian revolutionary and politician who served as the first President of Algeria.
• Abdul Hamid II — Historical peer (Died in 1918) (1918): Last effective Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, navigating decline and constitutional upheaval.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Born in 1918) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Aleksey Pisemsky — Historical peer (Born in 1821) (1821): A prominent Russian novelist and dramatist, contemporary to Turgenev and Dostoyevsky.
• Arthur Cayley — Historical peer (Born in 1821) (1821): Pioneering English mathematician, instrumental in founding modern algebra and group theory.

Frequently Asked Questions about Arab Revolt