Jordan Colonial Records

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Colonial Records

Ottoman Empire Colonization (1516-1918)

The Ottoman sultan Salim I conquered historical Greater Syria (encompassing modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Palestine/Israel, and parts of Jordan and Türkiye) in 1516. The region of modern Jordan remained on the Empire's frontier and was loosely under Ottoman control, leaving powerful local tribes to vie for power. In 1918, Ottoman rule over the region officially ended with the success of the Great Arab Revolt, which defeated the Ottoman forces in Greater Syria during World War I. This brief independence ended at the close of the War, when Great Britain was granted oversight of Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq and the Emirate of Transjordan was organized.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records
Nüfus Registers	1883-1917	Census & population registers	Ottoman Turkish	These Ottoman census registers were taken in 10 districts in what is now Palestine/Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. For more information, see FamilySearch Catalog, Palestine Census, and Palestine, Ottoman Census and Population Registers. Names are currently searchable only in Arabic and dates are displayed using the Ottoman Rumi calendar. The Turkish website Türk Tarih Kurumu can be used to convert dates from the Rumi to the Gregorian calendar.

British Colonization (1922-1946)

British control of modern Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq was mandated by the League of Nations shortly after the close of World War I. The Emirate of Transjordan was subsequently established as a British protectorate in 1921 with Emir Abdullah bin Hussein at its head and Amman as its capital. in 1946, the emirate achieved full independence and was renamed The Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan, with Emir Abdullah as its first king.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records