The National Library Department, in cooperation with the Jordanian Royal Documentation Center, hosted on Thursday evening a ceremony to launch the book “The High Court (Hashemite Royal Court) and Its Role in Jordanian Public Life (1921–1951)” by Dr. Maen Musa Al-Qallab.
اضافة اعلان
The ceremony was patronized by former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Jordan, Dr. Abdulraouf Al-Rawabdeh. It was attended by a group of intellectuals, political and cultural figures, and others interested in national affairs. Speakers offered intellectual readings and praised the book’s academic and political value, noting its writing combines clarity with scholarly rigor.
The book, which is based on a doctoral dissertation, consists of 313 pages and includes three main chapters and 15 appendices, along with an extensive bibliography and an index of names, followed by detailed documentation of its footnotes.
Poet and visual artist Ghadeer Haddadin, who moderated the ceremony, said writing the history of a state is not merely about documenting events, but involves a deeper examination of the establishment of institutions, the accumulation of experience, and the transformation of early beginnings into an established national journey. She noted that nations that understand their historical memory can better understand their present and move confidently toward the future.
Former Minister of Government Communications and Professor of Modern and Contemporary Arab History, Dr. Muhannad Mubaidin, said the book offers a well-grounded historical narrative and an objective treatment supported by extensive academic research based on the examination of sources, documents and interviews.
He explained that the book goes beyond being a biography of a particular figure, documenting instead the development of governing and state institutions, foremost among them the institution of the High Court, which served as the Hashemite Royal Court. He noted that the book examines its founding budget and the financial allocations designated for governance and leadership, highlighting the work’s distinction in providing unprecedented detail about this vital institution.
Mubaidin stressed that the book, which originated from a doctoral dissertation he supervised, represents a significant research achievement. The researcher examined the High Court and its administration during a period rich in Jordanian political and historical developments. He praised the researcher’s choice of a challenging subject that required exceptional effort, in addition to the efforts of the Royal Documentation Center to provide the content and documents required for the research.
He added that the academic work does not merely trace the institution’s development, but also examines in depth the mechanisms of governance, the relationship between the leadership and the people, and the strong ties with the ruling family and institutions involved in decision-making.
The book is also distinguished by its wealth of rare documents, historical photographs and accounts of pivotal developments, giving it added value and transforming it from a specialized academic study into a documentary book accessible to the public and worthy of appreciation.
Mubaidin said society, libraries and future generations are always eager for the publication of historical works that shed light on subjects that have not previously received sufficient research and documentation. He also highlighted the importance of the book’s extensive footnotes, which explain the main text and reveal historical facts and information in a way that goes beyond the conventional role of footnotes in books.
Former minister and political science professor Dr. Amin Al-Mashaqbeh said the author adopted a rigorous academic methodology combining the descriptive-analytical and historical approaches, enabling him to provide an accurate analysis of the material.
He added that the book constitutes an important Jordanian document chronicling a pivotal period in the establishment of the Jordanian state. He highlighted the central role played by His Highness Prince Abdullah bin Al Hussein, the founding monarch, in institutionalizing the High Court, later known as the Hashemite Royal Court, and in developing the country’s foreign relations with states around the world, as well as organizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular affairs.
Al-Mashaqbeh reviewed the book’s main themes, including the establishment of the High Court, the administrative organization of the Royal Court Presidency, and the responsibilities assigned to it, such as decorations, titles and military ranks. He also revealed that the Court’s budget initially stood at 180,000 dinars.
He noted that the book examines the Court’s oversight of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and educational affairs, highlighting its prominent political role in organizing Arab, Islamic and international relations and shaping foreign policy, particularly after independence. It also examines the organization of judicial and agricultural affairs and the distribution of state-owned lands.
He stressed that the book represents a key reference for anyone seeking to understand the development of the country and examine the quality of documents and correspondence exchanged between kings and leaders.
He also praised the accompanying appendices, which include tables detailing the organization of loans, salaries and subsidies, as well as organizational structures for diplomatic services and the judiciary, in addition to royal decisions.
Dr. Riyad Yassin, head of the Jordanian Writers Association, said he read the book through the lens of the French Annales School, which focuses on critical analysis and interpreting historical phenomena through the interaction of geography, economics and society rather than merely recounting political events.
He added that the book applies the concept of the “longue durée,” despite focusing on the founding period of the Emirate of Transjordan from 1921 to 1951. The author traces the historical roots of the concept of the “diwan” through to the High Court, examining earlier Islamic, Ottoman and Hashemite experiences to connect transformations that unfolded over an extended period.
Yassin explained that the historical perspective extends from the Islamic origins of the concept of the diwan through Ottoman, Egyptian and Hashemite experiences and ultimately to the Emirate of Transjordan. This provides insight into the evolution of the administrative and political functions of the center of leadership and its adaptation to changing circumstances, rather than focusing solely on individual events.
He also addressed the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Court, noting that the author highlighted the political, economic and regional challenges faced by the emirate following the fall of the Faisal government in Damascus.
The book also traces the development and expansion of the Court’s functions, following its transformation from the High Court into the Emir’s Court and then the Hashemite Royal Court after independence in 1946. It documents the gradual expansion of its responsibilities from correspondence and ceremonial affairs to financial, consular and judicial matters and communication with external entities, making it an integral part of the history of Jordanian state-building.
For his part, the book’s author, Dr. Maen Al-Qallab, expressed his pride in the launch of his new work, “The High Court (Hashemite Royal Court) and Its Role in Jordanian Public Life (1921–1951),” saying the book is the product of years of research and examination of historical documents and sources.
Al-Qallab explained that the study was based on the firm conviction that the history of a state cannot be understood through events and personalities alone, but requires examining the established institutions that contributed to shaping that history and tracing their impact on public life.
He added that the study’s findings showed that the High Court was more than simply a correspondence office. It played a vital role in overseeing governance and administration and in linking the leadership with the emerging institutions of the state. He stressed that documenting the history of national institutions is a tribute to the efforts made in building the country and a responsibility to preserve national memory for future generations.
Al-Qallab said the study relied on the descriptive-analytical historical approach and drew on Hashemite documents, the archives of the Jordanian Royal Documentation Center and the National Library, as well as the British archives.
He emphasized that comparing these sources enabled him to develop a rigorous historical interpretation based on analysis, critical assessment and verification of accounts, moving beyond the traditional narrative of major political events.
Source: Petra
