Mohammed bin Thani facts for kids

Styles of The Emir of Qatar
Reference style	His Highness
Spoken style	Your Highness
Alternative style	Sheikh

Mohammed bin Thani (born around 1788, died December 18, 1878) was a very important leader in Qatar. He was the first official ruler, or Hakim, of the entire Qatari Peninsula. Before him, his father, Sheikh Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir, was a tribal leader. Mohammed bin Thani is also famous for being the father of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani. Jassim is known as the founder of modern Qatar and bravely defended his land against the Ottoman army in the late 1800s.

Early Life and Becoming a Leader

Mohammed bin Thani was born in a place called Fuwayrit, in Qatar, around 1788. His father, Sheikh Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir, was the leader before him. Mohammed was the second oldest of five brothers:

1. Sheikh Thamir bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir
2. Sheikh Eid bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir
3. Sheikh Ali bin Thani bin Mohammed Al Thamir
4. Sheikh Ahmad bin Thani bin Mohammed Al-Thamir

The Al Thani family lived in Fuwayrit for many years. Then, in 1847, when Mohammed was 59 years old, he led his family to move to Doha. Doha is now the capital city of Qatar.

Mohammed's father passed away in 1860. After his father's death, Mohammed became the new ruler. By the early 1860s, Sheikh Mohammed was the most important person in Qatar. He was also a key leader in the Persian Gulf region. In 1876, because he was getting older, he decided to step down as the ruler, or emir, of Qatar. He passed the leadership to his oldest son, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani.

Important Events During His Rule

During Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani's time as ruler, several big things happened:

• Growing Influence: Sheikh Mohammed made his power stronger across the whole Qatari Peninsula. He also built important connections with other leaders. For example, he made an alliance with Faisal Bin Turki, the emir of the second Saudi state. Faisal Bin Turki even visited Qatar in early 1851.
• Signing a Treaty: On September 12, 1868, Sheikh Mohammed signed a special agreement with Colonel Lewis Pelly. Pelly was a British official in the Persian Gulf. This treaty was very important because it officially recognized Qatar as an independent area.
• Seeking Protection: In 1871, Sheikh Mohammed asked the Ottomans for help. He wanted their protection against any outside attacks. However, it turned out that the Ottomans themselves later caused problems for the Qataris in the same decade.

His Children

Sheikh Mohammed had eight children. He had six sons and two daughters. The names of his daughters are not known. Here are his sons and their roles:

His Passing

Sheikh Mohammed passed away naturally on December 18, 1878. This was two years after he had given up his throne to his son. His death is remembered as a national day in Qatar.