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Succession In A Time Of Uncertainty: Revisiting The Past? (Part I)

vying for the throne?

Sa'd bin Abd al-Rahman seemed a natural candidate for succession, being Abd al-Aziz' only full brother. He was a key military commander, distinguishing himself in early battles, and was bound by marital ties. Additionally, the personal bond between the brothers was close. Sa'd was killed, however, fighting the Ajman tribe at Kinzan in 1916.

The next suitable contender was brother Muhammad, who had spent his childhood with Abd al-Aziz in exile. He was among the companions on the famous Riyadh raid of 1902, and later a major military figure in his own right, personally leading the campaign against the Rashid in 1921. Muhammad married into the Shammar tribe (to which the Rashid belonged) to ensure the loyalty of influential families, and in recognition of his services was named Governor of Makkah in October 1924. But he remained in the post only 17 months, before Abd al-Aziz dismissed him for what seemed spurious reasons. Muhammad's status as something of a partner in rule and possible successor to his half brother was thrown into jeopardy.

Relations only deteriorated further, as Muhammad found his political and military appointments constrained, and he began to actively resist Abd al-Aziz' attempts to monopolize power, advocating for the candidacy of his own son, Khalid (which was entirely legitimate if, as Muhammad's supporters claimed, he was in fact older than his brother). This gave Khalid a strong claim to succeed, if only by virtue of birth, since he had not notably distinguished himself otherwise. Muhammad allied himself by marriage with the shaykh of the Utaybah, hoping for the support of that powerful tribe, and further counted on the backing of some prominent family members who opposed Abd al-Aziz. The conflict moved closer to an open revolt.

Matters came to a head in 1927, when Khalid was alleged to have tried to kill his cousin and the apparent heir-in-waiting, Abd al-Aziz' eldest son Saud. He apparently tried again a few years later, but instead shot a servant. Khalid died in 1938 while on a hunting trip near Riyadh, under mysterious circumstances. Muhammad became despondent and abandoned any thoughts of succession, dying alone and nearly forgotten in 1943.

The next notable brother was Abdallah, who took part in the military operations of 1929-30 against the Ikhwan. He acted as an influential advisor at court, but it was a largely ceremonial function without any real influence and he was never considered a possible successor. Of the other surviving brothers, none were suitable contenders - Saud (who likewise married into the Rashid) and Abd al-Muhsin were contemporaries in age, but do not seem to have taken an active role in affairs. The others, including Khalid, Ahmad and Musa'id, were much too young, being in some cases junior to Ibn Saud's own children, though this did not preclude them from being, as in the case of Musa'id, statesmen and arbiters of family disputes.

Of the cousins of Abd al-Aziz, one stood out above all others - Abdallah bin Jiluwi, from a so-called cadet branch of the family that had at one time held power itself. Abdallah had been one of the companions on the 1902 Riyadh raid, and was rewarded with the governorships of al-Qasim and then al-Ahsa province. Yet, as the son of a concubine (maternal lineage was important), he could not be considered for succession. There was also Saud al-Kabir, a nephew of Ibn Saud's father, and leader of a group of distant relatives named the Ara'if. Having become estranged from their cousins, they went into open revolt with the support of the Ajman tribe, only to be defeated in 1912. Saud, however, was pardoned and welcomed back into the fold, becoming a court advisor and taking his place as ceremonially second in protocol. But given the realities of the situation, succession for anyone but the sons of Abd al-Aziz was now effectively ruled out, and attention turned to the king's plans for his own offspring.

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