Emirate of Jabal Shammar

The Emirate of Jabal Shammar is a nation located South of the Kingdom of Jordan and the Maharajahnate of Mesopotamia and North of the Sultanate of Saudi Arabia. The Emirate is a Puppet State of the Italian Empire and was since it was annexed after it's loss in the Arab Revolts.

## History

### Origin

The Emirate of Jabal Shammar was established in 1836 and spent most of its existence in a feud with the House of Saud over control of Nejd. The Rashīdis, rulers of Jabal Shammar, had succeeded in ousting the Saudis from Riyadh in 1891 following the Battle of Mulayda. This resulted in the abolition of the Second Saudi State, the Emirate of Nejd, and incorporation of its territory into Jabal Shammar. As the Saudis were out of the picture, exiled in Kuwait, the House of Rashīd sought friendly ties with the Ottoman Empire to its north. This alliance became less and less profitable during the course of the 19th century as the Ottomans lost influence and legitimacy.

In 1902, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud succeeded in recapturing Riyadh for the House of Saud, and began a campaign to reconquer the region – a campaign which turned out to be highly successful for the Saudis. After several clashes, the Rashīdis and Saudis engaged into a full scale war over the region of Qassim, which resulted in a painful defeat for the Rashīdis and the death of the Rashīdi emir Abdul Aziz ibn Mitaab al-Rashīd.

### Creation as a Puppet State

During the Arab Revolts the Emirate joined the side of the Ottomans and the British as they then tried to suppress the Arab rebels and kill them. Sadly for the Emirate their master state was defeated as the British were defeated as both were annexed by the German Empire. The Emirate was annexed as an Italian Puppet State as it was forced to obey an Empire that beaten it like a boss and cooperate with the people who hate it and defeated it. The Emir was also forced to becoming a Constitutional Monarch as he was ruling with Ahmet Tevfik Pasha (who lost his home of the Ottoman Empire) as Praetor.

## Government

The Government of Jabal Shammar is a Constitutional Monarchy ruled by an Emir who is of the Rashid Dynasty who rules as a ceremonial figurehead of the Emirate. He rules with a Praetor who appoints members of the Royal Diet of the Senate which consists of the leaders of the tribes. The Tribal leaders then elect a Prime Minister who is appointed by the Praetor and the Emir both as the Prime Minister rules with the Praetor and Emir as Autocrats with the Tribal leaders.

Jabal Shammar's tribal government cannot be compared to civilized nations' administrative systems. Instead of appointed ministers, the Emirate is dominated by the Rashidi dynasty, which consists of hundreds of individuals. Nepotism is more than common, but the Rashidis also occassionally fight among themselves, with rivalries, conspiracies and parricide (at least in the past) happening frequently. As with many Arab ruling dynasties, the lack of an accepted rule of succession is a recurrent problem for the Emirate. The internal dispute normally centered on whether succession to the position of Emir should be horizontal (i.e. to a brother) or vertical (to a son) and often were resolved violently.

Because of this the Emirate is considered to be the least stabilized Puppet State of the Italian Empire.

## Military

Jabal Shammar's military is a diminutive alliance of tribal militias who want the Italians to keep their nation sovereign and not merge it with the Saudis or Hashimites. These tribesmen, while fierce, as mostly loyal to their clans and lieges, rather than to the Emir himself. However, these forces may very well be the building blocks for the Army that will, at last, reunite Arabia.

## Foreign Relations

* Colonial Relations with the Italian Empire
* Great Relations with the Ottoman Sultanate and the Kingdom of Egypt.
* Bad Relations with the Sultanate of Syria, the Kingdom of Jordan, the Maharajahnate of Mesopotamia and the Sultanate of Saudi Arabia.