Interregnum (Transjordan)

[2] British High Commissioner for Palestine Herbert Samuel wrote that the area was "left politically derelict";[3][4] the region was extremely poor, sparsely populated, and widely considered ungovernable.

With the declared goal of liberating Syria from French rule, he built alliances with Arab nationalists who fled Damascus following Maysalun and local tribes.

[5] Having established himself in Amman, Abdullah agreed with British Colonial Secretary, during the March 1921 Cairo Conference, on a six months trial, which was later extended indefinitely.

Britain's support to establishing Arab monarchies led by sons of Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca in former territories of the Ottoman Empire, became known as the "Sharifian Solution".

[ii] On 6 August 1920, British Foreign Secretary Earl Curzon wrote to newly appointed High Commissioner Herbert Samuel regarding Transjordan, stating: "I suggest that you should let it be known forthwith that in the area south of the Sykes-Picot line, we will not admit French authority and that our policy for this area to be independent but in closest relations with Palestine.

"[16][17] Samuel replied to Curzon, "After the fall of Damascus a fortnight ago...Sheiks and tribes east of Jordan utterly dissatisfied with Shareefian Government most unlikely would accept revival,"[18][19] and asked to put parts of Transjordan directly under his administrative control.

[20][iv] Curzon was in the process of reducing British military expenditures and was unwilling to commit any significant resources to an area considered to be of marginal strategic value.

Herbert Samuel's proclamation in Salt , on 21 August 1920 in the courtyard of the Assumption of Our Lady Catholic Church . Samuel was admonished a few days later by Curzon, who instructed that: "There must be no question of setting up any British administration in that area". [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ]