Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa | |
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1st Emir of Bahrain 13th Hakim of Bahrain |
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Isa bin Salman in 1998
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Reign | 2 November 1961 – 6 March 1999 |
Coronation | 16 December 1961 |
Predecessor | Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
Successor | Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa |
Born |
Jasra, Bahrain |
3 June 1933
Died | 6 March 1999 Manama, Bahrain |
(aged 65)
Burial | Al Rifa'a Cemetery |
Spouse | Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa |
Issue |
King Hamad Sheikh Rashed Sheikh Mohammed Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Ali Sheika Munira Sheika Maryam Sheika Shaikha Sheika Nora |
House | Al Khalifa |
Father | Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa |
Mother | Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa |
Religion | Sunni Islam |
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (Arabic: عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة; 3 June 1933 – 6 March 1999) was the 1st emir of Bahrain from 1961 until his death. Born in Jasra, he became emir upon the death of his father, Salman ibn Hamad.
Isa was born in Jasra to Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa, and succeeded his father as emir upon his death.
Isa's reign began in December 1961 since his father Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa died in November. His mother was Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa. Isa visited Ayetollah Mohsin Al Hakim in Najaf in 1968 to indicate his keenness to reinforce relationships with the Shia.
His term saw Bahrain gain its independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. While the government initially considered joining the United Arab Emirates, Isa had his country withdraw (along with Qatar) over his dissatisfaction with the proposed constitution. He then attempted to introduce a moderate form of parliamentary democracy, and men (though not women) were given the vote in parliamentary elections in 1973. In August 1975, however, he dissolved Parliament because it refused to pass the government-sponsored State Security Law of 1974. The parliamentary system was never restored and forced the emir to contend with occasional protests from the leftist and Islamist camps, which reached their peak in 1994 (see: History of Bahrain).