House of Thani

Ruling dynasty of Qatar From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The House of Thani (Arabic: آل ثاني, romanised: Āl Thānī) is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Adnanite Banu Tamim tribe.[2] Currently, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani leads the house.

Parent houseAl-Maadeed[1]
CountryQatar
Foundedc. 1847
FounderMohammed bin Thani
Quick facts House of Thani آل ثاني, Parent house ...
House of Thani
آل ثاني
Parent houseAl-Maadeed[1]
CountryQatar
Foundedc. 1847
FounderMohammed bin Thani
Current headTamim bin Hamad
Titles
TraditionsSunni Islam
Close

Officially, the House of Thani rules Qatar as a constitutional monarchy,[3][4] but the wide powers retained by the emir and his family have it bordering an absolute monarchy[5][6] and autocracy.[7][8]

History and structure

The Al Thani family can be traced back to Mudar ibn Nizar, a claimed descendant of the Biblical figure Ishmael.[9] The tribe moved from the Najdi town of Ushaiger, a settlement north-west of Riyadh, and settled at the Gebrin oasis in southern Najd (present-day Saudi Arabia) before they moved to Qatar.[10] They settled in Qatar around the 1720s. Their first settlement in Qatar was in the southern town of Sikak, and from there they moved north-west to Zubarah, Al Ruwais and then to Fuwayrit.[11] They settled in Doha in the 19th century under their leader Mohammed bin Thani.[10] The group was named after his father Thani bin Mohammed.[10]

The family is made up of three main branches: the Bani Ali, Bani Hamad, and Bani Khalid.[12][13] As of the early 1990s, the family numbered an estimated 20,000 members.[13]

The family and their relatives and associates own significant properties in the Mayfair district of London, with an estimated quarter of Mayfair's 279 acres, including two of the area's best known luxury hotels—The Connaught and Claridge's. The area has acquired the nickname "Little Doha".[14]

Rulers

List of rulers:

Family tree

'Genealogical table of the Ruling Āl Thāni (Ma’ādhīd) Family of Dōhah in Qatar', produced in 1915
House of Thani
Muhammad
bin Thani
(1)
r. 1847–1878
Jassim
bin Muhammad
(2)
r. 1878–1913
Abdullah
bin Jassim
(3)
r. 1913–1949
Ali
bin Abdullah
(4)
r. 1949–1960		Hamad
bin Abdullah
Ahmad
bin Ali
(5)
r. 1960–1972		Khalifa
bin Hamad
(6)
r. 1972–1995
Hamad
bin Khalifa
(7)
r. 1995–2013
Tamim
bin Hamad
(8)
r. 2013–present

Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani branch

The Ahmed bin Muhammed Al Thani branch

The Jaber bin Muhammed Al Thani branch

  • Sheikh Jaber bin Muhammed Al Thani (1878–1934)
    • Sheikh Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani
      • Sheikh Yousif bin Jassim Al Thani
      • Sheikh Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani
      • Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani
      • Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani (1959), Foreign Minister of Qatar (1992–2013), Prime Minister of Qatar (2007–2013)
        • Sheikh Jabor bin Hamad Al Thani
        • Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani
        • Sheikh Fahad bin Hamad Al Thani
        • Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
        • Sheikh Falah Bin Hamad Al Thani
        • Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad Al Thani
      • Sheikh Falah bin Jassim Al Thani
      • Sheikh Mansoor bin Jassim Al Thani
      • Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim Al Thani (jailed for six years)[18]
    • Sheikh Muhammad bin Jabr Al Thani (1916–1983)
      • Sheikh Jaber bin Muhammad Al Thani

See also

References

External links

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