Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani ( ar, محمد بن ثاني; c. 1788 – 18 December 1878), also known as Mohammed bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir ( ar, محمد بن ثاني بن محمد آل ثامر), was the first
Hakim (ruler)
of the whole
Qatari Peninsula, following his predecessor, his father, tribal leader Sheikh
Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir. He is known for being the father of Sheikh
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founder of Qatar and who fended off the Ottoman army in the late 19th century.
Early life and governance
Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani was born in
Fuwayrit
Fuwayrit ( ar, فويرط; also spelled as Fuwairat) is a coastal village in Qatar, located in the municipality of Ash Shamal approximately 90 km north of the capital Doha. It is an important site for Qatar's oil industry. Archaeological evi ...
, Qatar, by his father and predecessor to the throne, Sheikh
Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir (born in
Zubarah
Zubarah ( ar, الزبارة), also referred to as Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah, is a ruined and ancient fort located on the north western coast of the Qatar peninsula in the Al Shamal municipality, about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha. ...
),
with Sheikh Mohammed being the second eldest son of his father, along with his four siblings:
# Sheikh Thamir bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir
# Sheikh Eid bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir
# Sheikh Ali bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir
# Sheikh Ahmad bin Thani bin Mohammed Al-Thamir
After living a lengthy life in Fuwayrit, the
Al Thani
The House of Thani ( ar, الثاني , translit=Al Thani) is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Banu Tamim tribal confederation.
History and structure
The Al Thanis can be traced back to Mudar bin Nizar. The tribe w ...
family finally moved in 1847 from Fuwayrit to
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...
, the capital city and state of Qatar, under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed, who was 59 at the time.
His father later died in 1860, when he succeeded to the throne. By the early 1860s, Sheikh Mohammed emerged as the most important figure in Qatar and an important government official in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
. He abdicated, due to old age, as emir of Qatar in 1876, turning the throne over to his eldest son Sheikh
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani.
Events during his reign
* Sheikh Mohammed extended his influence throughout the whole Qatari Peninsula and strengthened his position externally by making an alliance with Faisal Bin Turki, the emir of the second
Saudi state, who himself paid a visit to Qatar in early 1851.
* On 12 September 1868, Sheikh Mohammed signed a treaty with Colonel Lewis Pelly, a British resident in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
, which recognized the independence of Qatar.
* In 1871, Sheikh Mohammed made a plea for protection against any external attack to the
Ottomans at Al Hasa. However, the Ottomans were the ones who displayed hostility to the Qataris in the same decade of his plea.
Children
Sheikh Mohammed had 8 children: six sons (listed below) and two daughters, both with unknown names.
Death
Sheikh Mohammed died two years after abdicating from his throne in 1876. He died a natural death on 18 December 1878. As remembrance, it is a national day in Qatar.
References
External links
Shaikh Mohammed Bin Thani :: Amiri DiwanAl Thani Tree, offered in ArabicOfficial Page in Al Thani Tree, offered in Arabic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thani, Mohammed
Emirs of Qatar
Mohammed
1788 births
1878 deaths
Qatari Muslims
19th-century Arabs