Saudi Arabia History

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History

General History

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 ﷺ 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.

In the 16th Century, the Ottoman Empire ruled over the region (Hejaz, Asir, and Al Ahsa), naming it Ottoman Hejaz. The Ottomans ruled till the end of WWI when the British aided the local Arab tribes in defeating the weakening Ottoman authority. In 1932, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by King Ibn Saud, who fought to unite all four regions of Saudi Arabia, Hijaz, Najd, Eastern Arabia, and Southern Arabia. The kingdom is currently ruled by his descendants.

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.

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 Wahabbi movement is named.
• 1818: The first Saudi state falls to the Ottoman Empire.
• 1902: King Ibn Saud captures Riyadh, marking the beginning of the unification of Saudi Arabia.
• 1916-1918: During World War I, the British support the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire
• 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 Ibn Saud.
• 1953: King Ibn Saud passes away, and his son Saud becomes king.