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The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Amman, the capital city of the modern kingdom of Jordan used to be known as Rabbah Ammon, the capital of the ancient Ammonite Kingdom. The Ammonite kingdom existed between the 13th century BC and the 6th century BC. Other kingdoms -- Edom, Moab and Gilead -- were also founded in the same area. Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and the Romans in their turn over ran the area. In 636 AD Muslim Arabs captured Jordan from the Byzantine Empire. Between 1517 and 1918, Jordan was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.

Jordan was wrested from the Ottomans during World War I in 1918 and was made a British mandate by the League of Nations. Under the British mandate, the territory was named Transjordan. In reward for his help in ousting the Ottomans, the British selected Abdullah ibn Hussein as emir of Transjordan in 1921. In February 1928 Transjordan signed a treaty with Britain giving it independence but still within the British mandate. Transjordan became a member of the Arab League in 1945. The British gave up their mandate on March 22, 1946 and Transjordan became a sovereign state. In May 1946 Abdullah ibn Hussein was proclaimed king of Transjordan.

In April 1949 Transjordan was renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. On April 24, 1950, amid strong opposition by other Arab nations, King Abdullah merged all of Arab-held Palestine with Jordan and granted citizenship to West Bank residents.

On July 20, 1951, King Abdullah was assassinated by a Palestinian opposed to Jordanian tolerance of Israel. His son, Talal I, succeeded him, but was soon diagonized to be mentally ill and was deposed on August 11, 1952 by the Jordanian parliament. Talal's son Hussein I succeeded to the throne the same day. His rule was under a regency until May 2, 1953 when he turned 18 years of age.

The current king of Jordan is Abdullah bin al-Hussein (Abdullah II). He succeeded his father King Hussein I who died in February 1999.