Mithqal Al-Fayez

Mithqal Sattam Fendi Al-Fayez (1885-1967) was a historical Jordanian political and clan figure, who helped establish the Hashemite Jordanian state, and was one of the prominent sheikhs of Bani Sakhr. He assumed the leadership of the Touqa, who represented half of the Bani Sakhr tribe in the early twentieth century, which consisted of a number of clans, including Al-Ghabeen, Al-Amer, Al-Haqish and their allies from Al-Kaabna and Al-Salaita. He also headed his clan Al-Fayez.

Mithqal Sattam al-Fayez was born into a family of prominent sheikhs in the Bani Sakhr Tribe Confederation circa 1880. For two generations, his immediate family led this tribal alliance, one of the largest and most powerful Bedouin tribal groups in the Syrian desert. Thus, he spent his childhood preparing for the title and position of sheikh, and chief of the tribe.

The Arab sheikh had to highlight the virtues of wisdom, charisma, generosity and courage, achieve victory in battle, and develop an accurate knowledge of the desert. He would have to hone his bargaining skills to represent the tribe vis-à-vis other tribes and government officials and would need to secure economic resources for himself and the rest of the clan. At the conclusion of this long process of training and learning, this boy is still expected to compete with his brothers, cousins ​​and nephews for leadership of the Bani Sakhr tribe.

Mithqal’s childhood coincided with a period of great change in the desert. A decade before his birth, the Ottoman Empire began incorporating the southern regions of its Syrian territory east of the Jordan River into its central rule. The tribes, accustomed for a long time to their local rule and autonomy, suddenly had to adapt to sharing power with the Ottoman government. The success of Mithqal Fendi’s grandfather and father Sattam in adapting to this new political reality was crucial. Their legacy paved the way for Mithqal’s special status at a time of great geopolitical shifts. It also shaped the future leader’s vision of a world that will guide him throughout his life.

Rise to power

Mithqal had exceptional military skills that he acquired while still with the Rolla. On his return to Bani Sakhr he had many opportunities to offer. Mithqal soon made a name for himself as a raid leader. Although there are no specific details of the actual battles in which he participated, some information clarifies the relationship between his military role in the Bani Sakhr tribe and the reputation that he gained as a result. Ultimately, his success and courage earned him wide acceptance, as would be expected from a member of a respected family of elders, providing him with a springboard to a position of leadership.

Mithqal had another advantage as he made his way. The fact that his older brother, Fawaz, was the leader of Bani Sakhr, which greatly strengthened his political position. Although there was some tension between the brothers at first, they soon reconciled, and Mithqal became Fawaz’s right arm. A press report from 1913 indicated that the two sheikhs were working as partners in the leadership of Bani Sakhr under Ottoman patronage. But at that time the two brothers faced internal opposition due to their being known for their friendship with the government. When a famous warrior outlaw from Bani Sakhr wanted to challenge the government, he set fire to the lands of Mithqal and Fawaz and stole their cattle.

Perhaps Fawaz’s reliance on Mithqal was a result of affection for his younger brother, consideration for his military skills, or fear of his strength and potential competition. Regardless of the reason, Mithqal was an asset to Fawaz as a military leader, especially in light of the precarious relations between the tribes and the Ottoman government and the imminent threat of the Young Turks to limit their independence.

After Fawaz’s death in the summer of 1917, Mithqal saw himself as the new leader and made his first attempts to become the sheikh of the sheikhs of Bani Sakhr. Mithqal was mentioned in a British intelligence report as Fawaz’s successor. However, Mithqal lost to his seventeen-year-old nephew Mashhour. The tribal council preferred the young Mashhour, who had graduated from a school in Damascus, over the illiterate Mithqal, even though the latter was more mature and experienced.

Abdullah’s first decisions regarding tribal affairs had a major impact on Mithqal’s career. Abdullah recognized Mithqal as the sheikh of the new elders of Bani Sakhr. This announcement came right after the death of Sheikh Mashhour in an inter-tribal fight and was apparently a natural and unquestioned choice. With this appointment, Mithqal’s title matched his actual situation and achieved the goal he had been striving to achieve for years.

Mithqal Pasha and King Abdullah I

Prince Abdullah I has a personal, political and commercial relationship with Mithqal. Their first meeting was in 1920, when the Pasha accepted the Emir’s invitation to meet in Ma’an, and agreed to ally with the Emir as the sheikh of the sheikhs of Bani Sakhr and invited him to Amman. With the support of Mithqal and his father-in-law, Said Pasha Khair, Amman became a focal point for the Hashemites in Jordan. Mithqal was Abdullah’s most important and strongest ally in Jordan, and in return he exempted Abdullah Mithqal and his family from taxes and re-granted them the land confiscated by the Ottomans to build the Hejaz Railway and gifts such as the car he gave Mithqal.

In 1930, Bakr Mithqal, Sultan, died of illness, Mithqal refused to leave his grave after the funeral. To after Prince Abdullah persuaded him.

In 1924 Mithqal and Prince Abdullah together went to Mecca to perform the Hajj. Mithqal publicly supported the emir in his attempt to unify the country, and this helped solidify the emir’s position in Jordan, which was still tribal at the time. Mithqal’s support for Prince Abdullah (and later kings) is also cited as one of the reasons for Jordan’s relative stability and sovereign integrity, with King Faisal Al Saud noting that “without Bani Sakhr, our borders would have reached Palestine.”

Mithqal’s interest in agriculture in Jordan

Mithqal inherited his father Satam al-Fayez’s interest in agriculture, and continued to develop and cultivate land in Jordan for barley, wheat, lentils, olives, and other vegetables. Mithqal’s role in Jordanian agriculture was crucial to the country’s prosperity, as he was the first person to import a mechanical tractor and plow in the country’s history. The effect of this purchase helped the country out of a famine stricken by poverty in the mid-1930s as wheat production barely increased from 40,000 tons and 16,000 tons in 1936 to 113,000 tons and 53,000 tons in 1937; This effectively tripled the Earth’s food supply and helped feed its inhabitants. This increase in production also tripled Jordan’s food exports during those years, unlocking much-needed revenue for the poverty-stricken Transjordan region at the time.

The ambush in the thirties

That was during the winter, when Bani Sakhr migrated east towards Wadi Sirhan. Mithqal was riding his horse in the desert, accompanied by another man. He and his companions were surprised by an ambush set by members of an enemy tribe. Mithqal was shot in the side of his head, which almost killed him, and he was also hit in the shoulder. The two men managed to drive off the attackers by shooting at them, but Mithqal was seriously wounded. His companion tied a piece of cloth around his bleeding shoulder, put it on his horse, and ran to seek help. They arrived at the nearby gathering of a member of the Bani Sakhr tribe and asked for his help in bringing a car to take Mithqal to the hospital. He sent one of his men on camel back to the camp of Sheikh Haditha al-Khuraisha, who in turn sent a messenger to Amman. A car finally arrived, but in the meantime Mithqal was suffering from blood loss and severe pain.

Mithqal spent twenty days in a hospital in Amman. He survived this incident, but the damage inflicted on him could not be overcome. For the rest of his life, he could hardly use that arm, which hung from his shoulder.

his last years

In 1962 Mithqal’s health quickly began to deteriorate shortly after the death of his favorite wife, Adoul, Akef’s mother, which dealt him a severe blow. He experienced a gradual deterioration in his health in the last five years of his life. Although he was fortunate enough to receive excellent medical treatment in Cairo, Beirut and Europe, diabetes and other age-related diseases caused his death in his late 80s in April 1967.