Transjordan (region)

Transjordan, the East Bank, or the Transjordanian Highlands (Arabic: شرق الأردن‎‎), is the part of the Southern Levant east of the Jordan River, mostly contained in present-day Jordan.

The region, known as Transjordan, was controlled by numerous powers throughout history. During the early modern era, the region of Transjordan was included under jurisdiction of Ottoman Syrian provinces. During World War I, Transjordan region was taken by the British, who had temporarily included it in OETA. Initially, the area was directly governed by the British, who decided to divide Transjordan region into 3 administrative districts - Ajloun, Balqa and Karak, with only Ma'an and Tabuk granted under direct rule of the Hashemites; however shortly the Hashemite ruler Abdullah was granted nominal rule over all districts. Central government was established in Transjordan in 1921 and in 1922 the region became known as the Emirate of Transjordan, receiving full autonomy in 1929. In 1946, the Emirate achieved independence from the British and in 1952 the country changed its name to the "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan".

The prefix trans- is Latin and means "across" or beyond, and so "Transjordan" refers to the land on the other side of the Jordan River. The equivalent term for the west side is the Cisjordan - literally, "on this side of the [River] Jordan".

The Tanakh's Hebrew: בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ‎, translit. be·êv·er hay·yar·dên miz·raḥ hash·shê·mesh, lit. 'beyond the Jordan towards the sunrise'‎, is translated in the Septuagint to Ancient Greek: πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου, translit. péran toú Jordánou, "beyond the Jordan", which was then translated to Latin: trans Iordanen, lit. 'beyond the Jordan' in the Vulgate Bible. However some authors give the Hebrew: עבר הירדן‎, translit. Ever HaYarden, lit. 'beyond the Jordan'‎, as the basis for Transjordan, which is also the modern Hebrew usage. Whereas the term "East" as in "towards the sunrise" is used in Arabic: شرق الأردن‎, translit. Sharq al ʾUrdun, lit. 'East of the Jordan'‎.

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