Mecca, Sharifate of
Substate | Defunct
968 CE to 1925 CE
The Sharifate of Mecca or Emirate of Mecca is a state, non-sovereign for much of its existence, ruled by the Sharifs of Mecca.
A sharif is a descendant of Hasan ibn Ali, Muhammad's grandson.
In Western sources, the prince of Mecca is known as Grand Sherif, but Arabs have always used the appellation "Emir".
The Sharifate exists from about 968 to 1925.
From 1201, the descendants of the Sharifian patriarch Qutada ruled over Mecca, Medina and the Hejaz in unbroken succession until 1925.
Originally a Zaydi Shi'ite emirate, the Hasanid Sharifs convert to the Shafi'i rite of Sunni Islam in the late Mamluk or early Ottoman period.
Their Husaynid kin who traditionally rule over Medina profess Twelver (Imami) Shi'ism.
Both the Hasanid sharifs in Mecca and Husayni emirs in Medina convert to Sunnism in the Mamluk period, however, Mamluk and Ottoman sources hint towards continued Shia sympathy from among the ruling Hasanids and Husaynids after their conversion to Sunnism.
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