Chechens of Jordan are Chechens who have inhabited Jordan since the expulsion of North Caucasians in the 19th century. Chechens have played an important role in the foundation of

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

as a modern state.

History

Expulsion

In the second half of the 18th century, the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

was fighting the peoples of the Caucasus in an expansionist war, known as the

Caucasian War The Caucasian War () or the Caucasus War was a 19th-century military conflict between the Russian Empire and various peoples of the North Caucasus who resisted subjugation during the Russian conquest of the Caucasus. It consisted of a series o ...

. One of the outcomes of the war was that many native peoples of the Caucasus were forcefully expelled to the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. An estimated 5,000 Chechen families were expelled to the Ottoman Empire. In March 1903, the Ottoman authorities sent the first 700 Chechen families to the region of Transjordan. The Chechen settlers chose to settle non-populated areas most suitable for agriculture and close to water sources. These settlers founded Zarqa, Jordan's second largest city.

Foundation of the Emirate of Transjordan

In October 1920, after establishing the

Emirate of Transjordan The Emirate of Transjordan (), officially the Amirate of Trans-Jordan, was a British protectorate established on 11 April 1921,United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

mobilized a "mobile force" under the command of Captain Frederick Gerard Peake to defend the territory against both internal and external threats. The Mobile Force was based in Zarqa. 80% of its men were drawn from the local Chechen community.

Military and political representation

Chechens are heavily represented in the

Jordanian armed forces The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (, romanized: ''Al-Quwwat Al-Musallaha Al-Urduniyya''), also referred to as the Arab Army (, ''Al-Jaysh Al-Arabi''), are the military forces of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They consist of the ground forces, ...

and intelligence apparatus since the foundation of the

Emirate of Transjordan The Emirate of Transjordan (), officially the Amirate of Trans-Jordan, was a British protectorate established on 11 April 1921,Circassians The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe (Adyghe language, Adyghe and ), are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in t ...

are mandated 3 seats in the Jordanian house of representatives, currently two of those seats are held by Chechens.

Organizations

* The largest Chechen organization in Jordan is the Chechen Charity Society, founded in 1958. The headquarters of the company is located in the city of Zarqa. The society has branches in places where significant numbers of Chechens live. * The sports club ''Caucasus'' was founded in 1932 by Chechens from Zarqa, and has made a significant contribution to the development of football, table tennis, handball, and swimming in Jordan. * In 1981, the Women’s Chechen Charity Society was established, the organization is active among the Chechen community and holds regular cultural and charitable events.

Notable Chechens from Jordan

* Ahmad Aladdin (Yakam) — major general in the Royal Jordanian Army, and two times Hero of Jordan recipient. * Muhammed Bashir Ismail Ash-Shishani — major general in the Jordanian Army, former minister of Agriculture, mayor of Amman and director of Military intelligence. * Abdul-Baqi Jamo — influential person among the Chechen community in Jordan, minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and Religious Affairs of Jordan. * Ahmad Ramzi — general in the

Jordanian Armed forces The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (, romanized: ''Al-Quwwat Al-Musallaha Al-Urduniyya''), also referred to as the Arab Army (, ''Al-Jaysh Al-Arabi''), are the military forces of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They consist of the ground forces, ...

, minister of Interior of Jordan. He was also a friend of the first Jordanian King. * Abdul-Khaliq Bino — general in the

, He was also a friend of Jordanian King. * Mohammad Omar Shishani — football player, striker for Al-Faisaly.

References

{{Demographics of Jordan Ethnic groups in Jordan Chechen diaspora Ethnic groups in the Middle East