House of Thani
The House of Thani is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Adnanite Banu Tamim tribe. Currently, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani leads the house.
Officially, the House of Thani rules Qatar as a constitutional monarchy, but the wide powers retained by the emir and his family have it bordering an absolute monarchy and autocracy.
History and structure
The Al Thani family can be traced back to Mudar ibn Nizar, a claimed descendant of the Biblical figure Ishmael. The tribe moved from the Najdi town of Ushaiger, a settlement north-west of Riyadh, and settled at the Gebrin oasis in southern Najd before they moved to Qatar. They settled in Qatar around the 1720s. Their first settlement in Qatar was in the southern town of Sikak, and from there they moved north-west to Zubarah, Al Ruwais and then to Fuwayrit. They settled in Doha in the 19th century under their leader Mohammed bin Thani. The group was named after his father Thani bin Mohammed.The family is made up of three main branches: the Bani Ali, Bani Hamad, and Bani Khalid. As of the early 1990s, the family numbered an estimated 20,000 members.
The family and their relatives and associates own significant properties in the Mayfair district of London, with an estimated quarter of Mayfair's 279 acres, including two of the area's best known luxury hotels—The Connaught and Claridge's. The area has acquired the nickname "Little Doha".
Rulers
List of rulers:- Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani, ruler of Qatar
- Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, ruler of Qatar
- Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Thani, ruled Qatar between 1898 and 1905 until he was killed in 1905, to be replaced again by Jassim
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani, ruler of Qatar
- Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, ruler of Qatar
- Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani, ruler of Qatar
- Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani, ruler of Qatar, first to bear the title "emir"
- Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, emir of Qatar
- Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, emir of Qatar
- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, emir of Qatar
Family tree
Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani branch
- Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, founder of modern Qatar
- * Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani I
- * Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani
- * Sheikh Thani bin Jassim Al Thani, Sheikh of Al Gharafa
- * Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sheikh of Al Wakra
- * Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, former Sheikh of Al Rayyan, Ruler of Qatar
- * Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani
- * Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani, Sheikh of Umm Salal Mohammed
- ** Sheikh Jassim bin Muhammed bin Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Faisal bin Fahad Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Hamad bin Fahad Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Abdullah bin Fahad Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Nasir bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Nasir Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Nasir Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Nasir Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Nasir Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Nasir Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Khalid bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Khalid Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Hamad Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Hamad Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdullah Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdullah Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdullah Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Abdullah Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Jassim bin Khalifa Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Thani
- **** Sheikh Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Thani
- **** Sheikha Najla bint Khalifa Al Thani
- **** Sheikha Reem bint Khalifa Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Salman Bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Salman Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Salman Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Salman Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Saud Bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Saud Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Saud Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Saud Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Saud Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, married
- *** Sheikh Faysal bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? bin Faysal Al Thani
- *** Sheikh Hasan bin Jassim Al Thani
- **** Sheikh ??? Hamid Mohammed
- *** Sheikha Noor bint Jassim Al Thani, married
- *** Sheikha Rowdha bint Jassim Al Thani, married to Abdullah bin Ahmad Bin Abdullah
- *** Sheikha Amna bint Jassim Al Thani, married to Khalid bin Hamad bin Abdullah
- *** Sheikha Al-Anoud bint Jassim Al Thani, married, with two sons and two daughters
- *** Sheikha Tamather bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Fatma bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Muna bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Jawaher bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Sheikha bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Maha bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Moneera bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Khowla bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Leena bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Loolwa bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Mariam bint Jassim Al Thani
- *** Sheikha Noora bint Jassim Al Thani
- * Sheikh Ghanim bin Jassim Al Thani
- * Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani II, Sheikh of Umm Salal Ali
- * Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani II
- * Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani III, Sheikh of Al Khiesa, settled in Rumeliah and Adba
- * Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani, Sheikh of Al Markhiya
- * Sheikh Salman bin Jassim Al Thani
- * Sheikh Idris bin Jassim Al Thani
- * Sheikh Mubarak bin Jassim Al Thani
- * Sheikh Salman bin Jassim Al Thani II, Sheikh of Dukhan
- * Sheikh Nasser bin Jassim Al Thani, Sheikh of Nasiriya
- * Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, Sheikh of Umm Al Amad
- * Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, Sheikh of Al Khor
- ** Sheikh Khawar bin Ahmed Al Thani, Emir of Al Khor since 1996
- *** Sheikh Fahad bin Khawar Al Thani
- *** Sheikha ??? bint Khawar Al Thani
- *** Sheikha ??? bint Khawar Al Thani
- *Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, founder of Modern Qatar
- **Sheikh Muhammed bin Jassim Al Thani, de facto ruler
- ***Sheikh Jassim bin Muhammed bin Jassim Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Saoud bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Thamir bin Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Ghanim bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Thani bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Musa'id bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Falih bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Jabor bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikha Fatima bint Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikha Sarah bint Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikha Loulwa bint Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikha Hessa bint Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikha Sheikha bint Mohammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikha Noura bint Mohammed Al Thani
- **Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani
- **Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, ruler
- ***Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani, ruler
- ****Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani, emir
- *****Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Ahmed Al Thani, ex-crown prince
- ****Sheikh Muhammed bin Ali Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Hassan bin Abdullah Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Sultan bin Hassan bin Abdullah Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Sultan bin Hassan Al Thani
- ******Sheikh Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
- ******Sheikha Sara bint Abdulrahman Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, crown prince
- ****Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Saud bin Ahmed Al Thani, former Qatari footballer
- ****Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Hamad Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Saud bin Abdelaziz bin Hamad Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Hamad bin Khalid Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Suhaim bin Hamad Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani
- ******Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, emir
- *****Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifah Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, emir until 25 June 2013
- ******Sheikh Mishaal bin Hamad Al Thani, heir apparent
- ******Sheikh Fahad bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
- ******Sheikh Jasim bin Hamad Al Thani, heir apparent
- ******Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, emir from 25 June 2013
- ******Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani
- ******Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani
- ******Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani
- ******Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, deputy emir
- ******Sheikha Alanoud bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
- ******Sheikh Thani bin Hamad Al Thani
- ******Sheikh Khalfa bin Hamad Al Thani
- **Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Jassim bin Fahad Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Saud bin Fahad Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Hassan bin Fahad Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Mubarak bin Fahad Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Faleh bin Fahad Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Nasser bin Fahad Al Thani
- **Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
- **Sheikh Thani bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani
- ***Sheikh Muhammed bin Thani Al Thani
- ****Sheikh Thamir bin Muhammed bin Thani Al Thani
- *****Sheikh Hamad bin Thamir Al Thani