House of Khalifa
| House of Khalifa آل خليفة | |
|---|---|
| Royal house | |
 | |
 | |
| Parent house | |
| Country | Bahrain |
| Founded | 1766[a] |
| Founder | Khalifa bin Mohammed[1] |
| Current head | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa |
| Titles | King of Bahrain Emir of Bahrain Hakim Sheikh Crown Prince of Bahrain Prime Minister of Bahrain |
| Connected families | House of Sabah |
The House of Khalifa (Arabic: آل خليفة, romanized: Āl Khalīfah) is the ruling family of the Kingdom of Bahrain. They profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe.[2] Some members of this tribe joined the Utub alliance which migrated from Najd in central Arabia to Kuwait, then ruled all of Qatar, more specifically Al Zubarah, which they built and ruled over before conquering Bahrain in 1783.[3] The Khalifa family repressed the indigenous Baharna population in Bahrain.[3][4]
The family currently heads an authoritarian regime where political and civil freedoms are substantially curtailed.[5][6] The current head of the family is King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999 and proclaimed himself King of Bahrain in 2002, in fact becoming a constitutional monarch.
As of 2025, roughly half of the serving cabinet ministers of Bahrain were members of the Al Khalifa royal family,[7] while the country's Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, is also from the Al Khalifa family and is the son of the current King.
History
[edit]Bahrain fell under the control of Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khalifa in 1783, following the defeat of Nasr Al-Madhkur who ruled the archipelago as a dependency of Persia (see Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain). Ahmed ruled Bahrain as hakim until 1796, but was based in Zubarah (in modern-day Qatar) and spent summers in Bahrain. Ahmed was the first hakim of Bahrain and the progenitor of the ruling Al Khalifa family of Bahrain. All of the Al Khalifa rulers of Bahrain are his descendants.
Ahmed had four children. Following his death in 1796, two of his sons, Salman and Abdulla, moved to Bahrain, and co-ruled it as feudal estates and imposed taxes on the indigenous Baharnah population. Salman settled in Bahrain Island and Abdulla in Muharraq Island, each ruling independently. The Al Khalifa soon became split into two branches, Al-Abdulla and Al-Salman that engaged in open conflict between 1842 and 1846.[b] The Al-Salman branch was victorious and enjoyed complete rule of Bahrain.
In 1861, the Al Khalifa family entered into an agreement with Britain whereby Bahrain would become a British protectorate. In exchange, the Al Khalifa family were recognized by the British as the ruling tribe of Bahrain.[9]
Until 1869, Bahrain was under threat of occupation by various external powers including the Wahhabis, Omanis, Ottomans, Egyptians and Persians, yet the Al Khalifa managed to keep it under their control.[10][11] The Al-Abdulla branch continued to be a rival until 1895.[12] Today, Abdulla ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa's descendants live in Qatar, while Salman ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa's descendants live in Bahrain.
List of Al Khalifa rulers of Bahrain
[edit]Since 1783, the Al Khalifa have been rulers of Bahrain.
Hakims of Bahrain (1783–1971)
[edit]The Arabic title of the Hakim, as transliterated, was Hakim al-Bahrayn (English: Caretaker/Ruler of Bahrain). The Hakim also held the honorific title of sheikh.
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheikh Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khalifa |
1783 – 18 July 1795 | Leader of the 1783 Arab invasion | |
| Sheikh Salman bin Ahmad Al Khalifa |
1795 – 1825 | As co-regent | |
| Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa |
1795 – 1843 | As co-regent | |
| Sheikh Khalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa |
1825 – 1834 | As co-regent with Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa | |
| Sheikh Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
1834 – 1842 | First reign as co-regent with Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Khalifa | |
| Sheikh Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
1843 – 1868 | Second reign | |
| Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
1868 – 1869 | ||
| Sheikh Muhammad bin Khalifa Al Khalifa |
1869 | Third reign | |
| Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Khalifa |
September – 1 December 1869 | Deposed and exiled to India. Confined at Asirgarh Fort, but later removed to Chunar Fort, near Benares, where he died in 1877. | |
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Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa (1848–1932) |
1 December 1869 – 26 May 1923 | Abdicated |
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Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (1872–1942) |
27 May 1923 – 20 February 1942 | |
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Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (1894–1961) |
20 February 1942 – 2 November 1961 | |
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Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (1931–1999) |
2 November 1961 – 16 August 1971 |
Emirs of Bahrain (1971–2002)
[edit]The Arabic title of the Emir, as transliterated, was Amir dawlat al-Bahrayn (English: Chief of the State of Bahrain). The Emir also held the honorific title of sheikh.
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
| 3 June 1931 – 6 March 1999 (aged 67) | 16 August 1971 | 6 March 1999[13] | Son of Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa | Khalifa | |
| Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
| 28 January 1950 | 6 March 1999 | 14 February 2002 (title changed)[14] | Son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa | Khalifa | .jpg) |
King of Bahrain (2002–present)
[edit]The Arabic title of the King, as transliterated, is Malik al-Bahrayn (English: King of Bahrain). The King also holds the honorific title of sheikh.
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
| 28 January 1950 | 14 February 2002 | Incumbent | Son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa | Khalifa | .jpg) |
Family tree
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Ruling Family Council
[edit]Decisions pertaining to the Al Khalifa family, as well as disputes between family members are arbitrated by the Ruling Family Council (Arabic: مجلس العائلة الحاكمة).[15][16][17] The council attends to internal family disputes particularly those related to appropriation of land, sale of real estate, and other properties. Members of the ruling family are not allowed to refer these or other disputes to ordinary law courts.[15]
Relations between the political leadership and the rest of the "rank and file" members of the Al Khalifa ruling family have been formally managed by the council since 1932. However, on the eve of the 1973 parliamentary elections, the then Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa issued a decree restructuring the Ruling Family Council to become a formal organ of the state, and giving the administrative head of the council the rank of Minister.[15]
The Ruling Family Council is chaired by King Hamad,[18] its deputy chairman is Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa,[19] and the director general is Ibrahim bin Khalid bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.[20]
The King appoints the members of the board of the Ruling Family Council as recognized representatives of various kingship lines and factional alliances within the Al Khalifa family.[15]
Cabinet ministers
[edit]As of 2024, 4 out of 25 serving cabinet ministers of Bahrain were members of the Al Khalifa royal family.[21]
- Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister, The Crown Prince, and Deputy Supreme Commander
- Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister
- Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior
- Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy
Notable people
[edit]- Sheikha Dheya bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, royal family member and President of the Riyada Group of Companies
Controversies
[edit]The King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was responsible for attacks on protesters during the Arab Spring. The king and the government were condemned both locally and overseas. They later enlisted the help of nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.[22]
- Bahrain Police and protesters clash violently on 13 March 2011.
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See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ The year the family settled in Zubarah. The first ruler from the family took over in 1783.
- ↑ Inter-Al Khalifa conflicts within Bahrain began in 1828 and lasted until 1869.[8][better source needed]
References
[edit]- ↑ "History of the Ruling Family of Bahrain". Archived from the original on 10 November 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
- ↑ Meijer, Willem (30 May 2026). "A History of Bahrain". Ephyia Publishing. Retrieved 21 July 2026 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 Jones, Marc (2020). Political Repression in Bahrain. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–3. doi:10.1017/9781108558822. ISBN 978-1-108-55882-2.
- ↑ Shehabi, Ala’a (2022), "The Authoritarian Topography of the Bahraini State:Political Geographies of Power and Protest", in Cavatorta, Francesco; Mekouar, Merouan; Topak, Ozgun (eds.), New Authoritarian Practices in the Middle East and North Africa, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 51–72, ISBN 978-1-4744-8943-0
- ↑ Jones, Marc (2020). Political Repression in Bahrain. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108558822. ISBN 978-1-108-55882-2.
- ↑ "Bahrain: Freedom in the World 2025 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ↑ Bahrain Shia demand cabinet change, Aljazeera.net, 5 March 2010
- ↑ Baumgartner 2008, p. 20.
- ↑ Alsaadi, Salam (2026). "Unconditional Loyalty: The Survival of Minority Autocracies". American Political Science Review. 120 (1): 189–206. doi:10.1017/S0003055425000218. ISSN 0003-0554.
- ↑ Khuri 1980, pp. 24–31.
- ↑ Littlefield 1964, pp. 6–7.[better source needed]
- ↑ Farah 1985, p. 87.
- ↑ Jehl, Douglas (7 March 1999). "Sheik Isa, 65, Emir of Bahrain Who Built Non-Oil Economy". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ↑ Cite error: The named reference
kingdomwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - 1 2 3 4 Abdulhadi Khalaf. Contentious Politics in Bahrain, From Ethnic to National and Vice Versa. The Fourth Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies: The Middle East in a Globalizing World, Oslo, 13–16 August 1998. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ↑ Dominic Moran (7 February 2007). "Sectarian tensions simmer in Bahrain". International Relations and Security Network.
The trio's relationship to their primary political support base, the wider royal family, is managed by the Family Council.
- ↑ Hassan Ali Rahdi (2003). Judiciary and Arbitration in Bahrain: A Historical and Analytical Study. BRILL. p. 130. ISBN 978-90-411-2217-9.
- ↑ "HM King Hamad Chairs Ruling Family Council". Bahrain News Agency. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ↑ "Royal Order No. 23 of the Year 2004 on the Appointment of the Deputy Chairman of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 22 May 2004.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Amiri Order No. 69 of the Year 2000 on the Appointment of the Director General of the Ruling Family Council". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 20 December 2000.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Cabinet". Government of Bahrain. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ↑ "Bahrain mourners call for end to monarchy". Theguardian.com. 18 February 2011.
Works cited
[edit]- Baumgartner, Andreas (October 2008). Bahrain – a showcase for political reform in the Middle East? (PDF) (MSc thesis). University of Vienna. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- Farah, Talal Toufic (1985). Protection and politics in Bahrain, 1869-1915. American University of Beirut. ISBN 978-0-8156-6074-3.
- Khuri, Fuad Ishaq (1980). Tribe and state in Bahrain: The transformation of social and political authority in an Arab state. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-43473-5.
- Littlefield, Richard E. (1964). Bahrain as a Persian Gulf State: With References to Its Relations with Great Britain and the Province of Al-Hasa (MSc thesis). Beirut: American University of Beirut.
External links
[edit]- Bahrain: The Ruling Family of Al Khalifah, A. de L. Rush, Archive Editions, 1991
- Cabinet of Bahrain
- Genealogy of the Al Khalifa
- Rulers.org – Bahrain List of rulers for Bahrain
- "Royal Family of Bahrain Website". Royal Families of the World. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
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