In the turbulent land of the Middle East, such a seemingly small fact but bizarre thing happened - a king was forced to step down after receiving a phone call from his son. This was always bloodshed and death in the history of dynasties in the Middle Ages, has the process of modernization made the transfer of power so civilized and rational? Was that king really a magnanimous, indisputable pacifist? And what kind of thoughts and motives did that son have, so that he could easily take power from his father with just a phone call? It seems that there is a twisted and bizarre story behind this! Let's find out, shall we?
1. The Al Thani family, the Qatari royal family, who was born in the aristocracy
The Al Thani family is Qatar's oldest and most prestigious royal family. Even before Qatar officially became independent in 1971, the family ruled the Qatari region for hundreds of years. After independence, the nascent state of Qatar was naturally led by a member of the Al Thani family, and has always followed the system of absolute monarchy.
The ancestors of the Al Thani family were originally nomadic Arab Bedouins who settled in the northeastern part of the peninsula in the early 18th century. At that time, the Qatar region was only part of the kingdom of Hulissen Ido. The Al Thani family, with their good horse training skills and military superiority, soon rose to prominence in the local area and began to control the affairs of Qatar.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Qatar gradually seceded from the Kingdom of Hulissen Idu and became independent. In 1825, Ahmad bin Mohammed became the first ruler, and the Al Thani family established a hereditary system of rule in Qatar. They held the political, military, and economic power of Qatar in high esteem, and became the de facto rulers of the land.
Generations of members of the Al Thani family have been hereditary on the throne, monopolizing power and adopting extremely authoritarian rule. They severely suppressed their subjects, including imprisonment and execution. Due to the brutality of the ruling methods, there is a deep resentment among the people of Qatar. However, the dictatorial royal family has not woken up, and continues to go its own way, ignoring the people's grievances for a long time.
Until 1971, when Qatar officially became independent and joined the United Nations, the Al Thani family continued the hereditary system of the throne, but with a new name of "king". The throne was given to Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, a member of the Al Thani family and former Governor of the Territory of the Kingdom of Hulisen Idu. Despite his name as king, he is still a new tyrannical tyrannical tyrant.
2. Hamad, the heir to the throne, has returned from school
As the first heir to the throne, Hamad received the best education from an early age. After completing his primary education in Qatar, he was sent to England for further study. At that time, Britain was in the late stages of the Industrial Revolution, with the gradual disintegration of feudal autocracy and the unprecedented rise of bourgeois liberalism.
In 1971, Hamad went to the Royal Army Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, where he specialized in military command and logistics management. In a short period of three years, he not only mastered modern military theories and strategies and tactics, but more importantly, he opened his eyes and accepted the advanced ideas of democracy, freedom, and equality in the West.
At that time, everyone in British society paid attention to individual rights, advocated freedom and democracy, and had an extremely strong sense of citizenship. The growing power of civil society is opposed to authoritarian rule. These social phenomena, which are simply not experienced in Qatar, have left a deep impression on the young Hamad.
In 1979, after returning home after graduating, Hamad was tasked with forming a modern Qatari armed force. At that time, the Qatari army was outdated and outdated, with a chaotic staff, loose discipline, and a lack of a modern war command system. Hamad used what he learned in Britain to modernize his armed forces.
Starting with the establishment of various services, the allocation of equipment, the training system, and leadership and management, he thoroughly reformed the entire army and gave it a rudimentary form of modernization. Subsequently, he invited British military advisers to come to assist, and the modernization of the Qatari army entered the fast lane.
In the process of modernizing the armed forces, Hamad compared the management model of the traditional royal army with the modern military and found that there is a world of difference between the two. The former is barbaric and ignorant, dominated by the rule of man, and has only violence in his hands; The latter is rational and civilized, the rule of law is supreme, and has advanced military capabilities. This made him deeply realize that if the country does not change its course, it will eventually be eliminated by the times.
As a result, Hamad, while in addition to military power, also began to study Western democracy and think about how to implement it in the feudal society of Qatar. He believes that only by completely abandoning the traditional family hereditary autocracy and getting rid of the ignorant way of ruling can Qatar keep pace with the times and catch up with the developed countries in the process of modernization.
However, this series of ideas is at odds with the Ancien Régime mentality of his father, Khalifa. As a member of the royal family, Khalifa has been instilled with the family concept of blood supremacy since he was a child, believing that royal power is sacred and inviolable, and it is a gift from heaven. He firmly believed that dictatorship was the only way to maintain the status of the royal family, and regarded the new ideas put forward by Hamad as heresy and a challenge to the authority of the royal family.
As a result, the father and son had serious differences and contradictions in their concepts. Hamad advocates reforming democracy, while Khalif's law preserves family rule; Hamad pursues democratic freedoms, while Khalifa believes that rulers can do whatever they want; Hamad sees the army as the force of the state, while Khalifa sees the army as a private armed force to maintain royal power. Differences are accumulating deeper, and it is difficult for the two sides to reach a consensus.
Although Hamad had the military might and could have staged a coup d'état, he did not do so out of respect for the royal bloodline. Instead, he decided to take a step-by-step approach to change in Qatar. He first did some work in secret, such as promoting people who were inclined to him, winning over his forces, and expanding his influence. However, the process of reform was slow and tortuous, and was greatly hampered by Khalifa.
Between the upper echelons and the crown prince, Hamad is caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, he is young and strong, advanced in thought, and eager for comprehensive change. On the other hand, he had to respect his father's authority as the current king in accordance with royal rules. So it wasn't until 1995, when Khalifa went on vacation to Switzerland, that Hamad really found an opportunity to seize power.
3. Hamad, who has his own military and financial power
Although Hamad and his father, Khalifa, have great differences in their governing philosophy, he has de facto control over the team, finances, and diplomacy. This laid a solid foundation for Hamad's eventual seizure of power in the future.
In terms of military power, Hamad has been vigorously modernizing the Qatari army since 1979 with the military theories he learned while studying in the United Kingdom. He readjusted the strength of the armed forces, promoted a number of new personnel, reformed the training system, strengthened the building of discipline, and enhanced combat capability.
By 1995, the Qatari army had initially modernized and possessed a strong military force. More importantly, the supreme command of the military is effectively controlled by Hamad. As the crown prince, he has the right to issue military orders and direct the actions of the army. This gives Hamad a strong military advantage in the future power struggle.
In terms of financial power, it is Hamad's wife Moza who is in charge. Moza was born in Palestine in 1959, the daughter of a refugee wanted for his involvement in the armed struggle. Later, the family was driven to Qatar, where they lived in abject poverty.
In 1977, 18-year-old Moza was wooed by Hamad, and the two finally married after a few months of passionate love, which was a rarity in Qatari society at the time. Soon after their marriage, Hamad began to support Moza and put her in the financial management of Qatar.
With his superior intelligence and ability, Moza took control of Qatar's finances in a short period of time. She conducted a comprehensive audit of the state's fiscal revenues and expenditures, cleared out a large number of corrupt elements, and put the fiscal order back on the right track. At the same time, she also established a sound financial management system and improved financial transparency.
Since Qatar is a major exporter of oil and gas, its fiscal revenue is continuous. With the financial power in his hands, Moza can independently dispose of and control the use of financial funds, creating favorable conditions for Hamad to seize power in the future.
As for foreign power, it is in the hands of Hamad's cousin Jassim. Jassim, who trained as a diplomat in Britain and later served in Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is Hamad's right-hand man in the diplomatic field.
In 1992, Jassim was promoted by Hamad to be Qatar's foreign minister. With this important position, he led Qatar's foreign relations and created a favorable international environment for Hamad to come to power in the future. For example, he vigorously pursued a diplomatic policy of "dialogue rather than confrontation" in the Middle East, which eased the contradictions between Qatar and neighboring countries; Another example is that he advocated the concept of openness and reform in international forums, which created a positive influence on Hamad's future rule.
It can be said that in the three important areas of military power, financial power, and diplomatic power, Hamad already has its own kingdom. As long as the time is ripe, he is fully capable of overthrowing the rule of his father Khalifa with these power resources in his hands. And in June 1995, Khalifa went on vacation to Switzerland, creating a golden opportunity for Hamad to take power.
Fourth, Hamad's clever tricks have touched on power
On June 27, 1995, King Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar went on vacation to Geneva, Switzerland, creating the perfect opportunity for Crown Prince Hamad to seize power. Hamad began with a series of covert operations to lay the groundwork for his rise to power.
First, Hamad took advantage of his father's absence to quickly freeze all bank accounts and funding sources of Khalifa and his cronies in Qatar, cutting off their financial support in the country. It was undoubtedly a punch that left Khalifa powerless to fight back outside of Switzerland.
Second, Hamad ordered the redeployment of the military, tightened its grip on the palace and government institutions, and covertly arrested and expelled a number of Khalifa's henchmen. This is tantamount to clearing the country of the Khalifa's potential threat.
Third, Hamad asked his wife, Moza, to intervene and issue an "emergency decree" authorizing Hamad, as acting prime minister and acting defense minister of Qatar, to take full control of government functions and command of the army. This is undoubtedly legitimizing Hamad's power.
Finally, Hamad asked Foreign Minister Jassim to issue a statement that Qatar would undergo a "cabinet reshuffle", suggesting that a regime change had taken place, which attracted great attention from the outside world.
While these clandestine operations were quietly underway, Khalifa suddenly received bad news in Switzerland: his bank accounts and sources of funds were frozen. This undoubtedly gave him a slap in the face and left him at a loss. Soon after, he learned that the army had been redeployed, his cronies had been arrested, and his son, Hamad, had announced that he had taken over power.
Faced with the sudden change, Khalifa became anxious, but helpless. He could only make a televised speech through the media, announcing his resignation from the king's office. At the same time, he also denounced Hamad's actions as "illegal".
Inside Qatar, Hamad took immediate action, announcing the arrest and extradition of some of his father's cronies. Immediately afterward, he made a televised speech across the country, officially announcing his assuming the duties of the king.
"I have decided to take over the national power of Qatar...... This is to safeguard the rule of law, stability and security on the mainland and to seek benefits for the people. Hamad said.
Although Khalifa still refuses to acknowledge his deposition in Switzerland, news of Hamad's takeover of power has spread rapidly around the world. Many countries have said they will recognize Hamad as the new king of Qatar.
In this way, in what appeared to be a "palace coup", Hamad, with remarkable wisdom and determination, succeeded in seizing the supreme rule of Qatar. As the representative of the old royal power, although Khalifa cried bitterly, he finally had to bow to his son's wonderful game and officially handed over the crown.
Fifth, Hamad started the modernization reform of Qatar
Immediately after seizing power in June 1995, Hamad embarked on a comprehensive modernization of Qatar. His main goal is to build this small country dependent on oil and gas exports into a modern, open and wealthy country.
The first is the reform of the political system. Hamad realizes that a modern democracy cannot be established if the old royal family system remains hereditary. As a result, he promulgated a provisional constitution in 1999, abolishing the absolute monarchy.
In 2003, Hamad pushed for the adoption of Qatar's permanent constitution, establishing the separation of powers and establishing a consultative body directly elected by citizens called the Council of Advisers. This marked the beginning of Qatar's transition to a constitutional monarchy.
On the judicial front, Hamad has issued decrees guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary from government interference. It has also introduced the western legal system for civil and commercial matters and strengthened the construction of the rule of law. In addition, he issued decrees protecting freedom of speech and the press.
In terms of economic reforms, Hamad has vigorously developed Qatar's tourism, financial and other modern service industries to reduce its dependence on oil and gas. At the same time, in order to further attract foreign investment, he has established a number of special economic zones in Doha and other places.
After gradually opening up and liberalizing the political and economic fields, Hamad has extended its reform tentacles to the social and cultural fields. He supported equality between men and women and increased the status of women in social life. At the same time, he also vigorously developed the modern education system and attached importance to talent training.
In addition, Hamad promotes multiculturalism, allowing for the establishment of other national and religious sites within Qatar, where different cultures and beliefs can coexist and prosper. In terms of sports, he has also spared no effort and has successfully bid for a number of large-scale international events.
It can be said that after years of systemic reform, Hamad has almost completely changed the situation of complacency, backwardness and ignorance in Qatar in the past. He has developed this small country that was once untouched into the epitome of modern civilization.
Qatar's reforms are in full swing, but Hamad also faced a lot of opposition in the early days of reform. After all, the reform ideas he pursued involved traditional customs and touched the interests of some people. In this regard, Hamad did not take a hard hand, but patiently explained the pros and cons to win the hearts and minds of the people.
"Change always brings criticism. But we must embrace new ideas and embrace change, otherwise we will be abandoned by the times. Hamad once said.
With his outstanding political wisdom, coupled with his bold reform and continued openness during his administration, Hamad has won the support of the Qatari people and won widespread praise from the international community.
Until his abdication in 2013, his 18-year reign catapulted Qatar from a small and obscure country to one of the most dynamic and influential countries in the Middle East. Today, Qatar is a modern, open, wealthy and diverse Arab emerging country.