Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa

Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Emir of Bahrain
Reign	16 August 1971 – 6 March 1999
Predecessor	Position established Himself (as Hakim)
Successor	Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Prime Minister	Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Hakim of Bahrain
Reign	2 November 1961 – 16 August 1971
Coronation	16 December 1961
Predecessor	Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Successor	Position abolished Himself (as Emir)
Prime Minister	Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Born	(1933-06-03)3 June 1933 Jasra, Bahrain[a]
Died	6 March 1999(1999-03-06) (aged 65) Manama, Bahrain[b]
Burial	Al Rifa'a Cemetery
Spouse	Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa
Issue	Hamad Sheikh Rashed Sheikh Mohammed Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Ali Sheikha Munira Sheikha Maryam Sheikha Shaikha Sheikha Nora
Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Mother	Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa
Religion	Sunni Islam

Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (

until 16 August 1971).

Born in

.

Early life and reign

Isa was born in Jasra to Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa (1933-2009), the daughter of Hamad ibn Abdullah Al Khalifa, and succeeded his father as emir upon his death in November 1961. He was installed on 16 December.^[1][2]

Isa visited Ayetollah Mohsin Al Hakim in Najaf in 1968 to indicate his keenness to reinforce relationships with the Shia.^[3]

During his reign, Bahrain gained independence from the

]

During his reign there was an arrangement between him and his brother, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman,^[7] whereby the Emir was assigned a diplomatic and ceremonial role, while Khalifa controlled the government and economy as Prime Minister.^[7]

Isa was one of the founders of the

Marriage and children

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Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa had one wife, his cousin Sheikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa (1933–2009), daughter of Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa. They married on 8 May 1949. They had five sons and four daughters:

• Hamad bin Isa (1950–), current king
• Rashed bin Isa (–17 December 2011)
• Mohamed bin Isa, Commander of the National Guard (1997–2008)
• Abdullah bin Isa, Vice President of the Higher Committee for the
  Horseback riding
  club
• Ali bin Isa, Minister of the Royal Court Affairs (1955–)
• Munira bint Isa
• Maryam bint Isa
• Shaikha bint Isa
• Noura bint Isa

Legacy and death

During his 38 years as Emir, the economic transformation of Bahrain into a modern nation and a key financial centre in the Persian Gulf area took place. Nevertheless, critics note that he also dissolved Parliament, taking on absolute power.

Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa died of a heart attack on 6 March 1999 at the

, which took place less than a month before his death.

US President Bill Clinton expressed "deep sadness", as did Graham^{[clarification needed]} at the news of the emir's death calling him "a good friend of peace". UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also expressed "great sadness", and described the emir as "a force for stability" in the region. He was buried at the Al-Rifa'a cemetery.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.^[9]

Foreign honours

•  Spain: Grand Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (4 December 1981)^[10]
•  Egypt: Grand Collar of the Order of the Nile
•  
  Legion of Honor
•  Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
•  Iran: Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi
•  Kingdom of Iraq:
  • Order of the Two Rivers 1st Class (x/5/1968, 2nd Class 3 April 1952)
  • King Faisal II Installation Medal (2 May 1953)
•  Jordan:
  • Grand Cordon with Collar of the
    Order of al-Hussein bin Ali
  • Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance
•  Kuwait: Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait
•  
  Order of the Cedar
  (2nd Class, 1958)
•  Morocco: Collar of the Order of Muhammad
•  Oman: Civil Order of Oman, 1st Class
•  Qatar: Collar of the Order of the Independence of the State
•  South Africa: Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope (1995)^[11]
•  
  Order of Umayyad
•  Tunisia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Independence
•  UAE: Order of Al-Nahayyan 1st Class
• Empire of Iran: Commemorative Medal of the 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14 October 1971).^[12][13]
•  United Kingdom:
  • Honorary Knight Commander (KCMG, 14 July 1964) and Honorary Knight Grand Cross (GCMG, 15 February 1979) of the Order of St Michael and St George
  • Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB, 10 April 1984)
  • Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (2 June 1953)

Titles

• 1933–1942: Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
• 1942–1961: His Excellency Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
• 1961–1964:
  Hakim of Bahrain
• 1964–1971: His Highness Sheikh Sir Isa II bin Salman Al Khalifa, Hakim of Bahrain, KCMG
• 1971–1999: His Highness Sheikh Isa II bin Salman Al Khalifa,
  Emir of Bahrain

See also

• 1990s uprising in Bahrain
• Al Khalifa

References

1. ISBN 978-0-313-26213-5
   .
2. ^ "Chronology for Shi'is in Bahrain". UNHCR. 2004. Archived from the original on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
3. ^ Al Jimri, Mansoor (November 2010). "Shia and the State in Bahrain" (PDF). Alternative Politics (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
4. ^ ^{a b} Jehl, Douglas (7 March 1999). "Sheik Isa, 65, Emir of Bahrain Who Built Non-Oil Economy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
5. ^ Wright, Stephen (June 2006). "Generational change" (PDF). Durham Middle East Papers. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
6. ^ "Democratic test ended". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Manama. AP. 28 August 1975. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
7. ^ ^{a b} Wright, Steven (2008). "Fixing the Kingdom: Political Evolution and Socio-Economic Challenges in Bahrain" (PDF). CIRS. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
8. ISBN 978-1-118-46524-0
   .
9. ^ ^{a b} "Bahrain's ninth al Khalifa". BBC. 6 March 1999. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
10. ^ "Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
11. ^ "1995 National Orders awards". INFO. 18 September 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
12. ^ "Badraie". Badraie. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
13. ^ "Badraie". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2014.

Notes

1. ^ Bahrain was under the Persian Gulf Residency as a British protectorate state at the time of Hamad's birth.
2. ^ Bahrain was officially known as the State of Bahrain at the time of Hamad's death.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

• Lawson, Fred (1990). "Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifah". In Bernard Reich (ed.). Political Leaders of the Contemporary Middle East and North Africa: A Biographical Dictionary.
  ISBN 978-0-313-26213-5
  .

Regnal titles
Preceded by Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa	Emir of Bahrain 1961–1999	Succeeded by Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa