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==Online Resources==
==General History==
*[https://www.tota.world/culture/arab/#overview Arab Culture] - TOTA, gives general information about Arab Culture
Saudi Arabia is situated on the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia at the crossroads of Asia and Africa. The region has been home to human cultures for millennia and contains some of the earliest traces of human activity in the world<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "History of Saudi Arabia," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saudi_Arabia, accessed 12 December 2024.</ref>. While ancient Saudi Arabia did host some permanent cities and civilizations, many of its people throughout history lived as nomads and kept limited written records.


==History==
In the early 7th century CE, Saudi Arabia was the birthplace of Islam, now the world's second-largest religion. It began with the prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah '''<big>ﷺ</big>''', a merchant living in Mecca in the western Hejaz region of the Arabian Peninsula, whose spiritual yearnings led to divine communications with the angel Gabriel. His teachings emphasized carrying for the socially underprivileged and submission (literally ''islām'' <big>إِسْلام</big> in Arabic) a loving and omnipotent God. Despite severe persecution, Muhammad '''<big>ﷺ</big>''' and his followers successfully laid the foundations of a the new religion, following in the Abrahamic tradition of Judaism and Christianity. By the time of Muhammad's '''<big>ﷺ</big>''' death in 632 CE<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Muhammad," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad, accessed 12 December 2024.</ref>, most of the Arabian Peninsula had accepted Islam. In the decades and centuries that followed, the religion spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, reaching regions as distant as the Iberian Peninsula, India, and Central Asia. Islam has played a undeniable role in shaping not just Saudi Arabia but all of the Middle East. From a genealogical perspective, many prominent Arab tribes trace their lineage back to Muhammad '''<big>ﷺ</big>''' and his family.
Most of the terrain of Saudi Arabia consists of arid desert, lowland and mountains. As of October 2018, the Saudi economy was the largest in the Middle East and the 18th largest in the world. The territory that now constitutes Saudi Arabia was the site of several ancient cultures and civilizations. The prehistory of Saudi Arabia shows some of the earliest traces of human activity in the world.


The world's second-largest religion, Islam, emerged in modern-day Saudi Arabia. In the early 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad united the population of Arabia and created a single Islamic religious polity. Following his death in 632, his followers rapidly expanded the territory under Muslim rule beyond Arabia, conquering huge and unprecedented swathes of territory from the Iberian Peninsula in the West to modern day Pakistan in the East in a matter of decades.
Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, including the holy cities of Medina and Mecca, remained marginally in the control of large Islamic Empires while the nomadic tribes of the interior maintained a large degree of independence. From the 10th century on, the Hashemite Sharifs, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad '''<big>ﷺ</big>''' and caretakers of the two holy cities, maintained a quasi-independent state that eventually comprised much of the Hejaz region<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "History of Saudi Arabia," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saudi_Arabia, accessed 12 December 2024.</ref>. This status quo stayed the same after the Ottoman Empire gained control of the region in 16th century.  


The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of mainly four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia and Southern Arabia beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia has since been an absolute monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamist lines. The ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called "the predominant feature of Saudi culture", with its global spread largely financed by the oil and gas trade. Saudi Arabia is sometimes called the Land of the Two Holy Mosques in reference to Mecca) and in Medina, the two holiest places in Islam. The state's official language is Arabic.
The first Saudi kingdom arose in 1727 near Riyadh and expanded rapidly after its leader and the emir of Diriyah, Muhammad ibn Saud, joined forced with Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of the Wahhabi Islamic movement. This first state came to an end after the Ottoman Empire, with the use of Muhammad Ali Basha's Egyptian forces, re-affirmed control in 1818. In 1902, the Al Saud family and their forces, under the leadership of King Abdulaziz, returned from exile and began retaking large portions of the Peninsula. By 1932, King Abdulaziz had gained control of what became Saudi Arabia, with him as the state's first king. The Kingdom continues to be ruled by members of the Al Saud family.  


Petroleum was discovered on 3 March 1938 and followed up by several other finds in the Eastern Province. Saudi Arabia has since become the world's second largest oil producer, behind the U.S. and the world's largest largest oil exporter, controlling the world's second largest oil reserves and the sixth largest gas reserves. The kingdom is categorized as a World Bank high-income economy with a high Human Development Index and is the only Arab country to be part of the G-20 major economies. The state has attracted criticism for its treatment of women and use of capital punishment. An autocratic monarchy, the kingdom has the world's third-highest military expenditure and, was the world's second largest arms importer from 2010 to 2014.
In 1938, the fortunes of Saudi Arabia changed dramatically when large oil reserves began to be discovered within its borders. Since then, Saudi Arabia has used the wealth and prestige awarded by its oil and natural gas resources to rapidly develop and establish one of the highest standards of living in the world<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Saudi Arabia," ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia, accessed 12 December 2024.</ref>.  
 
==Timeline==
 
* '''1744''' The foundation of the first Saudi state by the Emir of Diriyah, Muhammad ibn Saud and Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, after which the Wahhabi movement is named.
* '''1818''' The first Saudi state falls to the Ottoman Empire.
* '''1902''' King Abdulaziz ibn Saud captures Riyadh, marking the beginning of the unification of Saudi Arabia.
* '''1924-1925''' King Ibn Saud conquers and unites the Hejaz region, including the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
* '''1932''' The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is officially established by King Abdulaziz ibn Saud.
* '''1938''' Petroleum reserves are first discovered on Saudi Arabian territory.
 
==Resources==
===Online Resources===
*''Tārīkh mulūk Āl Saʻud'' by Ibn Hadhlūl, SaʻūdAmīr. al-Riyāḍ:Maṭābiʻ al-Riyāḍ, 1961. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/nyu_aco001390 New York University]; History of kings of Saudi Arabia
**.تاريخ ملوك آل سعود .الأمير سعود بن هذلول الرياض:مطابع الرياض ,1961
*''Muqaddimat tārīkh al-ʻArab al-ḥadīth 1500-1918'' by Gharāybah, ʻAbd al-Karīm Maḥmūd. Dimashq:Maṭbaʻat Jāmiʻat Dimashq, 1960. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/nyu_aco001050 New York University]; Modern history of the Arabs, with focus on Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula
**.مقدمة تاريخ العرب الحديث 1500-1918 .عبد الكريم محمود الغرايبة دمشق:مطبعة جامعة دمشق ,1960
*''Anṭākīyah al-Urthūdhuksīyah, aw, tārīkh al-Ābā’ Baṭāriqat Anṭākiyah'' by Burayk, Mīkhāʼīl. al-Qāhirah:al-Maṭba‘ah al-Tijārīyah, 1903. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/aub_aco000353 New York University]; History of the Patriarchs of Antioch
**.انطاكية الارثوذكسية، أو تاريخ الآباء بطارقة انطاكية .مخائيل بريك القاهر:المطبعة التجارية ,1903
*''‘Unwān al-majd fī tārīkh Najd v.1'' by ʻUthmān ibn ʻAbd Allāh ibn Bishr. Baghdād:Maṭba‘at al-Shābandar, 1910?. '''''Online at:''''' [https://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/book/aub_aco001264 New York University]; History of Saudia Arabia
**.عنوان المجد في تاريخ نجد .عثمان ابن عبد الله ابن بشر بغدا:مطبعة الشابندر ,1910?
 
== References ==
<br>
<br>
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia]
==Timeline==
1744 - The first Saudi state established in the area around Riyadh, rapidly expanded and briefly controlled most of the present-day territory of Saudi Arabia, sacking Karbala in 1802 and capturing Mecca in 1803<br>
1932 - The two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia<br>
1938 - Vast reserves of oil were discovered in the Al-Ahsa region along the coast of the Persian Gulf, and full-scale development of the oil fields began in 1941 under the US-controlled Arabian American Oil Company<br>
[[Category:Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Histories]]

Latest revision as of 21:59, 11 August 2025

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General History

Saudi Arabia is situated on the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia at the crossroads of Asia and Africa. The region has been home to human cultures for millennia and contains some of the earliest traces of human activity in the world[1]. While ancient Saudi Arabia did host some permanent cities and civilizations, many of its people throughout history lived as nomads and kept limited written records.

In the early 7th century CE, Saudi Arabia was the birthplace of Islam, now the world's second-largest religion. It began with the prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah ﷺ, a merchant living in Mecca in the western Hejaz region of the Arabian Peninsula, whose spiritual yearnings led to divine communications with the angel Gabriel. His teachings emphasized carrying for the socially underprivileged and submission (literally islām إِسْلام in Arabic) a loving and omnipotent God. Despite severe persecution, Muhammad ﷺ and his followers successfully laid the foundations of a the new religion, following in the Abrahamic tradition of Judaism and Christianity. By the time of Muhammad's ﷺ death in 632 CE[2], most of the Arabian Peninsula had accepted Islam. In the decades and centuries that followed, the religion spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, reaching regions as distant as the Iberian Peninsula, India, and Central Asia. Islam has played a undeniable role in shaping not just Saudi Arabia but all of the Middle East. From a genealogical perspective, many prominent Arab tribes trace their lineage back to Muhammad ﷺ and his family.

Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, including the holy cities of Medina and Mecca, remained marginally in the control of large Islamic Empires while the nomadic tribes of the interior maintained a large degree of independence. From the 10th century on, the Hashemite Sharifs, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and caretakers of the two holy cities, maintained a quasi-independent state that eventually comprised much of the Hejaz region[3]. This status quo stayed the same after the Ottoman Empire gained control of the region in 16th century.

The first Saudi kingdom arose in 1727 near Riyadh and expanded rapidly after its leader and the emir of Diriyah, Muhammad ibn Saud, joined forced with Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of the Wahhabi Islamic movement. This first state came to an end after the Ottoman Empire, with the use of Muhammad Ali Basha's Egyptian forces, re-affirmed control in 1818. In 1902, the Al Saud family and their forces, under the leadership of King Abdulaziz, returned from exile and began retaking large portions of the Peninsula. By 1932, King Abdulaziz had gained control of what became Saudi Arabia, with him as the state's first king. The Kingdom continues to be ruled by members of the Al Saud family.

In 1938, the fortunes of Saudi Arabia changed dramatically when large oil reserves began to be discovered within its borders. Since then, Saudi Arabia has used the wealth and prestige awarded by its oil and natural gas resources to rapidly develop and establish one of the highest standards of living in the world[4].

Timeline

  • 1744 The foundation of the first Saudi state by the Emir of Diriyah, Muhammad ibn Saud and Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, after which the Wahhabi movement is named.
  • 1818 The first Saudi state falls to the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1902 King Abdulaziz ibn Saud captures Riyadh, marking the beginning of the unification of Saudi Arabia.
  • 1924-1925 King Ibn Saud conquers and unites the Hejaz region, including the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
  • 1932 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is officially established by King Abdulaziz ibn Saud.
  • 1938 Petroleum reserves are first discovered on Saudi Arabian territory.

Resources

Online Resources

  • Tārīkh mulūk Āl Saʻud by Ibn Hadhlūl, SaʻūdAmīr. al-Riyāḍ:Maṭābiʻ al-Riyāḍ, 1961. Online at: New York University; History of kings of Saudi Arabia
    • .تاريخ ملوك آل سعود .الأمير سعود بن هذلول الرياض:مطابع الرياض ,1961
  • Muqaddimat tārīkh al-ʻArab al-ḥadīth 1500-1918 by Gharāybah, ʻAbd al-Karīm Maḥmūd. Dimashq:Maṭbaʻat Jāmiʻat Dimashq, 1960. Online at: New York University; Modern history of the Arabs, with focus on Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula
    • .مقدمة تاريخ العرب الحديث 1500-1918 .عبد الكريم محمود الغرايبة دمشق:مطبعة جامعة دمشق ,1960
  • Anṭākīyah al-Urthūdhuksīyah, aw, tārīkh al-Ābā’ Baṭāriqat Anṭākiyah by Burayk, Mīkhāʼīl. al-Qāhirah:al-Maṭba‘ah al-Tijārīyah, 1903. Online at: New York University; History of the Patriarchs of Antioch
    • .انطاكية الارثوذكسية، أو تاريخ الآباء بطارقة انطاكية .مخائيل بريك القاهر:المطبعة التجارية ,1903
  • ‘Unwān al-majd fī tārīkh Najd v.1 by ʻUthmān ibn ʻAbd Allāh ibn Bishr. Baghdād:Maṭba‘at al-Shābandar, 1910?. Online at: New York University; History of Saudia Arabia
    • .عنوان المجد في تاريخ نجد .عثمان ابن عبد الله ابن بشر بغدا:مطبعة الشابندر ,1910?

References


  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "History of Saudi Arabia," Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saudi_Arabia, accessed 12 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Muhammad," Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad, accessed 12 December 2024.
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "History of Saudi Arabia," Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saudi_Arabia, accessed 12 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Saudi Arabia," Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia, accessed 12 December 2024.
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