(AOZO) The history of Saudi Arabia, as a state, began with its foundation in 1933 by Abdulaziz Al Saud, although the history of what was to become Saudi Arabia goes back to the beginnings of human habitation in Arabia up to 20,000 years ago. The region has twice in world history had a global impact. The first was in the 7th century when it became the cradle of Islam. The second was from the mid-20th century when the discovery of vast oil deposits propelled it into a key economic and geo-political role. At other times, the region existed in relative obscurity and isolation, although from the 7th century the cities of Mecca and Medina had the highest spiritual significance for the Muslim world, Mecca being the destination for the Hajj annual pilgrimage. For much of its history most of the region has been controlled by a patchwork of tribal rulers. The Al Saud (the Saudi royal family) were originally minor tribal rulers in Najd in central Arabia. From the mid-18th century, imbued with the religious zeal of the Wahabbi Islamic movement, they became aggressively expansionist. Over the following 150 years, the extent of the Al Saud territory fluctuated. However, between 1902 and 1927, the Al Saud leader, Abdulaziz, carried out a series of wars of conquest which resulted in his creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. Since 1932, Abdulaziz, and, after his death in 1953, five of his sons in succession have ruled Saudi Arabia as an absolute monarchy. His immediate successor Saud, facing opposition from the rest of the royal family, was replaced by Faisal in 1964. Until his murder by a relative in 1975, Faisal presided over a period of growth and modernization fueled by oil wealth. Saudi Arabias role in the 1973 oil crisis and, the subsequent rise in the price of oil, dramatically increased the countrys political significance and wealth. The reign of his successor, Khalid, saw the first major signs of dissent with the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by Islamist extremists in 1979. Fahd became king in 1982 and, during his reign, Saudi Arabia became the largest oil producer in the world. However, internal tensions increased when the country allied itself with the United States, and others, in the Gulf War of 1991. In the early 2000s, the Islamicist opposition to the regime carried out a series of terrorist attacks. Abdullah succeeded Fahd in 2005 and has instituted a number of mild reforms to modernize many of the countrys institutions and, to some extent, has increased political participation.
Posted on: Thu, 01 May 2014 22:40:47 +0000
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