Introduction : the study of state, tribe and colonial rule in Jordan -- Between two empires : transjordan on the eve of Abdullah's arrival -- 'Bedu Amir' or constitutional monarch? : the struggle for the nature of the emirate, 1921-1924 -- The making of a colonial state, 1924-1930 -- Colonialism as a fine art : Glubb Pasha and the desert tribes, 1928-1936 -- State consolidation and tribal participation, 1930-1946 -- Conclusion : towards a appr