At the San Remo Conference, Allied powers agreed that Britain would receive the League of Nations mandate for “Palestine” and France would receive the mandate for Syria and Lebanon. This decision set the international framework within which the territory east of the Jordan River would later be organized separately as Transjordan.
French forces defeated the short-lived Arab Kingdom of Syria, ending Hashemite rule in دمشق (Damascus). The collapse of this government created political uncertainty in the areas east of the Jordan River and influenced Abdullah’s decision to move north into Transjordan.
Abdullah bin Hussein arrived in Ma’an (southern Transjordan) with a force and began contacting local leaders and Syrian nationalists. His arrival helped turn a patchwork of local administrations into a political project aimed at creating a stable Arab government under Hashemite leadership.
British officials met in Cairo and Jerusalem to decide postwar governance across the region. A key outcome was the “Sharifian Solution,” under which Abdullah would administer Transjordan under British oversight, aligning local rule with Britain’s mandate system and security goals.
A new central government was set up under Emir Abdullah, marking the practical start of the Emirate of Transjordan. This created a single administrative authority east of the Jordan River, rather than multiple local councils, and made Amman the political center.
The League of Nations approved the Mandate for Palestine, providing the legal basis for British administration. Article 25 of the mandate later became the key clause used to apply a different administrative regime east of the Jordan River (Transjordan).
Britain submitted a memorandum explaining how it would implement Article 25 by separating Transjordan from certain mandate provisions. The League of Nations Council approved it, confirming that Transjordan would be administered under the mandate framework but on different terms than territory west of the Jordan.
Britain formally recognized Transjordan as a state under Emir Abdullah while maintaining overarching supervision through the mandate system. This step signaled a shift from ad hoc military administration toward a recognized local government with a defined relationship to Britain.
Britain and Ibn Saud signed the Treaty of Hadda, shaping the boundary between Transjordan and Nejd and giving Transjordan a small outlet on the Gulf of Aqaba. This was part of a broader effort to stabilize frontiers after raids and conflict in the region.
Britain and Transjordan concluded a treaty that expanded local autonomy but left Britain with significant control over key areas such as foreign relations, defense, communications, and finances. The treaty became a central reference point for later negotiations over full sovereignty.
The Organic Law (a constitutional framework) set rules for government and created a consultative legislature under the emir. It helped standardize governance across the territory and provided institutional continuity that carried into independence-era constitutional development.
The United Kingdom and the Emirate of Transjordan signed a treaty in London outlining independence and a new alliance relationship. Although Britain retained military and financial influence, the treaty set the legal path for ending the mandate relationship and elevating Transjordan’s international status.
At one of its final meetings, the League of Nations recognized that Transjordan was moving to full independence under the new treaty arrangements. This was an important international step, signaling acceptance of Transjordan as a sovereign state in the post-mandate order.
Transjordan’s parliament ratified the Treaty of London and redesignated the ruler from emir to king, creating the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan. This change marked a clear political endpoint to the emirate period and framed the new state as a monarchy with greater international standing.
The treaty’s ratifications were exchanged in Amman, bringing the agreement fully into force and ending the mandate-era legal framework for Transjordan. This moment is commonly treated as the point at which Transjordan achieved full independence in formal legal terms.
Formation and international recognition of the Emirate/Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan (1920–1946)