سياسة الشيخ قاسم بن محمد آل ثاني في الحكم 1878-1913 م

Abstract EN

Birth and Early Life: There is no collective agreement among historians on his birth, he was born between (1798 - 1826).

He grew up in his father's house in an environment of literature, ethics and religion.

He was educated by the scholars of his time mainly in religion, literature, politics and other sciences, and thus, became a jurisprudent in religion and a scholar in Arabic language and as such became qualified to be an eloquent preacher, a fair judge, and poet of glory.

Sheikh Qasem bin Mohammed was one of the leading merchants of pearls in the Arabian Gulf.

This trade had generated him large amounts of money.

He had been known for his generosity and charity for the good.

He helped the needy and spent a lot of money on science students and Imams, building mosques and Koranic schools.

In addition, he funded publishing of selected Islamic books and distributed them among Muslims inside and outside Qatar.

In politics, he became the de facto ruler of the country in 1989 due to his father's age.

Following the death of his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani, on December 18, 1878, he took over power and continued to rule until his death on 17 July 1913.

Sheikh Qasem adopted a wise policy at the local and foreign levels.

At the local level, he worked to unite tribes and groups of people under his rule through a policy based on justice and equality among citizens in rights and duties.

On the external or international level, he tried not to interfere in the affairs of others and not to allow interference in his country's internal affairs.

Sheikh Qasem preferred the alliance with the Ottoman Empire and the use of its forces to defend his country against any threat, and therefore, allowed the entry of Ottoman forces into the country in 1871.

The Ottoman forces had remained in the Country until Sheikh Qasem’s death.

These forces left Qatar during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah bin Qasem in 1915, due to the British pressure on the Ottomans in the First World War.

Sheikh Qasem's rejection of British protection and his preference for Ottoman protection was one of the reasons that made Britain create border problems with his neighbors, especially with Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.

But with the help of God, his strong personality, and his people’s support he had been able to confront and defeat those challenges.

Sheikh Qasem, despite his acceptance of the Ottoman alliance, he did not allow the Ottomans to interfere in the affairs of the Country.

When the Ottomans tried to intervene in the affairs of the Country, he fought and defeated them in 1893, in a battle known as “Al Wajba”.

Sheikh Qasem had maintained and protected his country's independence and sovereignty, and as such, he deserved to be considered the founder of the State of Qatar in modern history.

So, the date of his assumption of power on December 18 has become Qatar’s National Day celebrated by the State, government and people.