Launch of the book "The High Headquarters (The Royal Hashemite Court) and its Role in Jordanian Life (1921-1951)"

The book, which stems from a doctoral thesis, consists of 313 pages and contains three main chapters and 15 appendices, in addition to a long list of references, an index of names, and precise documentation of the footnotes.

The ceremony's moderator, poet and visual artist Ghadeer Haddadin, said that writing the history of the state does not mean merely documenting events, but is a deep reading into the establishment of institutions, the accumulation of experiences, and the transformation of beginnings into a solid national journey, noting that nations that know their memory understand their present with deeper awareness and move toward their future with steady steps.

Former Minister of Government Communications and Professor of Modern and Contemporary Arab History, Prof. Dr. Muhannad Mubaidin, said that the book provides a sober historical narrative, and addresses the subject objectively, supported by intensive scientific effort based on tracking sources, documents, and interviews.

He pointed out that the book is not limited to being a biography of a specific personality, but goes beyond that to document the journey and development of governing and international institutions, foremost among them the institution of the "High Headquarters" of the Royal Hashemite Court. The book highlights the establishment budget and the financial allocation for governance and leadership, noting the work's distinction in studying this vital institution by providing unprecedented, precise, and detailed information.

He emphasized that the subject of the book, which stems from a doctoral thesis he supervised, represents a research achievement in which the researcher focused on the High Headquarters and its management of an era rich in Jordanian historical and political events. He stressed the researcher's efforts in choosing this difficult topic, which required exceptional efforts added to the efforts made by the Royal Documentation Center to provide the content and documents required by this research.

He added that this scientific effort does not only track the path of the institution, but deeply monitors the mechanisms of governance, the relationship of the leadership with the people, and the strong ties with the ruling family and institutions partnering in decision-making. The book is also distinguished by its richness in many rare documents, historical photos, and the narration of pivotal milestones, which gives it added value that elevates it from a mere specialized scientific study to a documentary book available to the public, deserving of all appreciation and praise.

He explained that society, the library, and generations are always waiting for the launch of historical books that unveil topics unprecedented in research and historiography, pointing to the important content covered by the book's footnotes, which explained the text and revealed historical facts and information that made them different from the prevailing idea of footnotes in books.

Former Minister and Professor of Political Science, Dr. Amin Al-Mashaqbeh, explained that the author adopted a sound scientific methodology that combined the descriptive-analytical method with the historical method, which enabled him to provide an accurate analysis of the content.

He added that the book constitutes an important Jordanian document that records a pivotal stage in the stages of establishing the Jordanian state, highlighting the pivotal role played by His Highness the Prince (the Founding King) Abdullah bin Al-Hussein in institutionalizing the "High Headquarters" (the Royal Hashemite Court), developing the state's foreign relations with countries of the world, as well as organizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Consular Affairs.

Dr. Al-Mashaqbeh reviewed the most important contents that the book focused on, such as the emergence of the High Headquarters, the administrative organization of the Court Presidency, and the roles assigned to it, such as medals, titles, and military ranks, revealing in numbers the Court's budget, which began at 180,000 dinars.

He pointed to what the book addressed regarding the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Education affairs, highlighting the prominent political role of the Court in arranging Arab, Islamic, and international relations and formulating the features of foreign policy, especially after independence, in addition to organizing judicial affairs, agricultural affairs, and the distribution of state lands.

He emphasized that the book represents an essential reference for anyone who wants to understand the history of the country's development and view the quality of documents and correspondence exchanged between kings and leaders. He praised the attached appendices, which included tables for the formation and organization of loans, salaries, and subsidies, in addition to the organizational structures of the diplomatic corps, the judiciary, and royal decrees. The President of the Jordanian Writers Association, Dr. Riyad Yassin, said that he read the book from the perspective of the "French Annales School," which cares about critical analysis and interpreting historical phenomena through the interaction of geography, economy, and society, without being satisfied with merely narrating political events.

He added that the book employed the idea of "long duration" despite its focus on the period of the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan (1921-1951 AD), as the author traced the historical roots of the development of the "Diwan" idea up to the High Headquarters, reviewing previous Islamic, Ottoman, and Hashemite experiences to link transformations extending over time. He reviewed the idea of "the Diwan and the long duration," noting that the historical aspect extends to the Islamic roots of the Diwan idea, passing through Ottoman, Egyptian, and Hashemite experiences, leading to the Emirate of Transjordan, which allows for understanding the development of administrative and political functions of the leadership center and its adaptation to circumstances, without being limited to monitoring individual events. He also touched on the "circumstances surrounding the emergence of the Diwan," pointing out that the author highlighted the political, economic, and regional challenges that the Emirate faced after the fall of the Faisal government in Damascus, noting the "development of the Diwan's functions and the expansion of its roles," as the book traced the transformation of the institution from the High Headquarters to the Amiri Diwan, then the Royal Hashemite Court after independence in 1946 AD, revealing a gradual transition in which functions expanded from correspondence and protocol to following up on financial, consular, and judicial affairs, and communicating with external parties, as an integral part of the history of building the Jordanian state.

For his part, the author of the book, Dr. Maan Al-Qallab, expressed his pride in the launch of his new book "The High Headquarters (The Royal Hashemite Court) and its Role in Public Jordanian Life (1921–1951)," noting that the book represents the fruit of years of research and excavation in historical documents and sources.

Al-Qallab explained that the study started from a firm conviction that the history of the state is not understood through events and personalities alone, but necessarily requires studying the established institutions that contributed to making this history and tracking their impact on organizing public life. He added that the results of the study showed that the "High Headquarters" was more than just an office for correspondence; it played a vital role in following up on the affairs of governance and administration and linking the leadership with the emerging state institutions, emphasizing that documenting the history of national institutions represents loyalty to the efforts of construction and a responsibility to preserve the national memory for future generations.

Al-Qallab pointed out that the study relied on the descriptive-analytical historical method, based on Hashemite documents, the archives of the Royal Jordanian Documentation Center, and the National Library, in addition to the British Archives. He emphasized that the comparison between these sources allowed for building a sober historical reading that relies on analysis, criticism, and verification of narratives, to move away from the mere traditional narration of major political events.