Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud
Photograph of Prince Muhammad, 1911
Photo by Captain William Shakespear, 1911
Bornc. 1877
Riyadh, Nejd
Died25 July 1943(1943-00-00) (aged 65–66)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Burial
Al Oud cemetery, Riyadh
Spouse
See list
Issue
See list
Names
Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal
HouseAl Saud
FatherAbdul Rahman bin Faisal, Emir of Nejd
MotherSara bint Jiluwi bin Turki
OccupationMilitary officer • politician
Military career
Service/branchSaudi Arabian Army
Years of service1901–1921
Battles/warsUnification of Saudi Arabia

Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (Arabic: محمد بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود Muḥammad bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; c. 1877 – 25 July 1943) was an Arabian soldier and politician who played a role in the conquests of his half-brother Abdulaziz that led to the formation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Muhammad was the son of the last emir of Nejd, Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, and Sara bint Jiluwi, both from the House of Saud. Muhammad was an early supporter of his half-brother, King Abdulaziz,[1] but they had a falling-out after both attempted to place their sons in line for kingship. This conflict may have led to the death of Muhammad's son Khalid in 1938.[2] Muhammad later became a virtual non-entity in Saudi politics and died in Riyadh in 1943.

Early life

Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman was the son of Abdul Rahman bin Faisal, twice Emir of Nejd, and his cousin Sara bint Jiluwi.[3] His paternal grandfather was Emir Faisal bin Turki,[4] and his maternal grandfather was Emir Faisal's brother Jiluwi bin Turki.[3] He had a number of half-siblings from his father's other marriages;[5] his half-brother Abdulaziz would become the king of Saudi Arabia, while his half-brothers Abdullah, Ahmed, and Musaid would have a role in the Saudi government.[6] Muhammad was said to be particularly close to his half-brother Abdulaziz and his half-sisters Noura and Al Jawhara.[3] Muhammad and Abdulaziz were fond of their sister Noura, and both men were known to say, "I am the brother of Noura."[7][3]

There is some controversy regarding Muhammad's date of birth, with some sources making him older than Abdulaziz, an important factor in his later maneuvering for the succession. In a publication by his family his birth year is given as 1877.[3] It is also stated that he was born in Riyadh[8] and was younger than Abdulaziz.[3] After his father lost power in 1891, the family went into exile in Kuwait.[9]

Activities and career

Muhammad accompanied his brother Abdulaziz on the latter's raid from November 1901 to January 1902, which resulted in Abdulaziz retaking the Masmak Castle and regaining control over Riyadh.[10] Muhammad and his cousin Saud Al Kabeer bin Abdulaziz led the forces which helped Abdulaziz in the battle of Kanzan in 1915.[11] In that battle the Al Ajman tribe wounded Abdulaziz and killed Muhammad's younger half-brother Saad bin Abdul Rahman. The Al Ajman then surrounded Abdulaziz's forces for almost six months before Abdulaziz managed to escape from them with the assistance of Muhammad and Saud Al Kabeer.[11] In 1917 Muhammad went to Hajj being the first Al Saud member who made the pilgrimage after the establishment of the Kingdom of Hejaz in 1916.[12] He headed a group of 12,500 Najdi, and 7,000 of them were armed.[12] In 1920 Muhammad and his nephew Prince Saud, eldest surviving son of Abdulaziz, were sent to capture the Hail Province.[11][13] Next year Muhammad also accompanied Prince Saud against the Al Rashidi forces.[14]

After Abdulaziz took control over most of Arabia and proclaimed himself king, Muhammad was appointed governor of Mecca.[15] He aspired to gain a much more powerful position in the government for himself and his son Khalid.[16][17] To achieve his goals Muhammad attempted to eliminate Prince Saud, son of King Abdulaziz, in 1927 and in 1930, but both attempts were unsuccessful.[17][18] When Saud was made crown prince in May 1933, King Abdulaziz asked the members of the Al Saud to pledge allegiance to Saud. Muhammad did not declare his allegiance and left Riyadh[16][18] and settled in Mecca.[8] However, his son Khalid attended the ceremony to pledge allegiance to Saud.[14]

Prince Muhammad and other senior family members met with King Abdulaziz upon the latter's request in late December 1934 to reaffirm their allegiance to Crown Prince Saud.[14] However, Muhammad and his brothers Abdullah and Ahmed told the king that their allegiance to him was still active, but they did not renew their allegiance to the crown prince.[14] Then they sent a letter to King Abdulaziz explaining the reasons for their views about Crown Prince Saud.[14]

Personal life and death

One of the early palaces following the establishment of the Kingdom was built by Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman outside the walls of Riyadh which is called Atiqah Palace.[19][20]

Muhammad married many times. One of his wives was Hassa bint Ahmad Al Sudairi, who was the mother of Sudairi Seven.[21][22] They had a son, Abdullah bin Muhammad. Another spouse of Muhammad was Munira bint Abdullah Al Shaikh,[3] who was the sister of Tarfa bint Abdullah, mother of King Faisal.[5] Muhammad also married a daughter of Sultan bin Bajad Al Otaibi who was from a leading family in the Ghut Ghut branch of the Otaibi tribe and one of the rebellious Ikhwan leaders.[14] Following his settlement in Mecca in 1935 Muhammad married a daughter of Abdullah bin Hasan Al Sheikh, chief qadi of the country.[16]

Muhammad had twenty-five children: twelve sons and thirteen daughters.[3] His eldest son, Khalid, married King Faisal's only full sister, Noura, in 1934.[23] He was killed in a car crash on the Al Dahna to Kuwait road.[21] One of Khalid's daughters, Al Jawhara, married Abdullah bin Faisal, the eldest son of King Faisal.[24]

Muhammad's second eldest son was Fahd (1904–?) who married King Abdulaziz's daughter Sheikha and was the governor of Al Qassim Province[21] who was appointed to the post on 29 June 1969.[25] One of Fahd's daughters is Al Jawhara who is a member of the Consultative Council. Muhammad's grandson Fahd bin Abdullah bin Muhammad was deputy defence minister.[26]

One of Muhammad's great-grandsons, Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid, was a high-ranking official at the ministry of foreign affairs.[21] The daughter of Khalid bin Saud is married to Saud bin Khalid, son of Khalid bin Faisal, governor of Mecca Province.[27] Other great-grandchildren of Muhammad are directors of the King Faisal Foundation.[21] For instance, as of 2012 Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud was the deputy managing director of the foundation.[28]

Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman died in Riyadh on 25 July 1943[21][8] and was buried in Al Oud cemetery there.[3]

References

  1. ^ Mai Yamani (January–March 2009). "From fragility to stability: a survival strategy for the Saudi monarchy". Contemporary Arab Affairs. 2 (1): 91. doi:10.1080/17550910802576114. JSTOR 48599662.
  2. ^ James Wynbrandt (2010). A Brief History of Saudi Arabia. New York: Facts on File. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-8160-7876-9.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Faisal Al Saud (PDF). Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman and Family Charitable Organization. pp. 55–56. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud (1)". King Abdulaziz Information Source. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014.
  5. ^ a b Alexei Vassiliev (2013). King Faisal: Personality, Faith and Times. London: Saqi. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-86356-761-2.
  6. ^ Christopher Keesee Mellon (May 2015). "Resiliency of the Saudi Monarchy: 1745-1975" (Master's Project). American University of Beirut. Beirut. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  7. ^ "King Abdulaziz' Noble Character" (PDF). Islam House. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  8. ^ a b c "Amir Mohamet, Kin of King Ibn Saud". The New York Times. London. 28 July 1943. ProQuest 106667906. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  9. ^ Joel Carmichael (July 1942). "Prince of Arabs". Foreign Affairs. 20 (4): 719–731. doi:10.2307/20029188. JSTOR 20029188.
  10. ^ Lawrence Paul Goldrup (1971). Saudi Arabia 1902 - 1932: The Development of a Wahhabi Society (PhD thesis). University of California, Los Angeles. p. 25. ProQuest 302463650.
  11. ^ a b c Talal Sha'yfan Muslat Al Azma (1999). The role of the Ikhwan under 'Abdul'Aziz Al Sa'ud 1916–1934 (PhD thesis). Durham University. pp. 65, 151.
  12. ^ a b Joshua Teitelbaum (2020). "Hashemites, Egyptians and Saudis: the tripartite struggle for the pilgrimage in the shadow of Ottoman defeat". Middle Eastern Studies. 56 (1): 40. doi:10.1080/00263206.2019.1650349. S2CID 202264793.
  13. ^ Mohammad Zaid Al Kahtani (December 2004). The Foreign Policy of King Abdulaziz (PhD thesis). University of Leeds. p. 10.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Alexander Blay Bligh (1981). Succession to the throne in Saudi Arabia. Court Politics in the Twentieth Century (PhD thesis). Columbia University. ProQuest 303101806.
  15. ^ Michael Herb (1999). All in the Family: Absolutism, Revolution, and Democracy in Middle Eastern Monarchies. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-7914-4168-8.
  16. ^ a b c Alexander B. Bligh (1985). "The Saudi religious elite (Ulama) as participant in the political system of the kingdom". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 17: 37–50. doi:10.1017/S0020743800028750. S2CID 154565116.
  17. ^ a b عورات آل سعود المستورة الانقلاب الأول. Sasa Post (in Arabic). 30 May 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  18. ^ a b Muhammad bin Ali Al Kubaisi (18 February 2018). آل سعود .. البيت المتصدع. Al Sharq (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  19. ^ "Murabba Palace: The historical divan of King Abdul Aziz". McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Jeddah. 24 September 2012. ProQuest 1065122513.
  20. ^ Mashary A. Al Naim (December 2013). "Urban Transformation in the City of Riyadh: A Study of Plural Urban Identity". Open House International. 38 (4): 70–79. doi:10.1108/OHI-04-2013-B0008. ProQuest 456297.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Sabri Sharaf (2001). The House of Saud in commerce: A study of royal entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. New Delhi: I.S. Publications. ISBN 81-901254-0-0.
  22. ^ "Prince Fahd bin Abdullah appointment". Gulf States Newsletter. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  23. ^ As'ad Abukhalil (2011). The Battle for Saudi Arabia: Royalty, Fundamentalism, and Global Power. New York: Seven Stories Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-60980-173-1.
  24. ^ وفاة الأميرة الجوهرة بنت خالد آل سعود. Al Sharq Al Awsat (in Arabic). 16 November 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  25. ^ Gary Samuel Samore (1984). Royal Family Politics in Saudi Arabia (1953-1982) (PhD thesis). Harvard University. p. 261. ProQuest 303295482.
  26. ^ "Bin Salman and the end of Saudi's consensus rule". Al Jazeera.
  27. ^ الأمير خالد الفيصل يحتفل بزواج ابنه الأمير سعود من كريمة الأمير خالد بن سعود. Al Riyadh (in Arabic). 5 March 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  28. ^ "Statement". King Faisal Foundation. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.

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