the hashemites (arabic: الهاشميون, al-hāshimīyūn; also house of hashim) are the ruling royal family of jordan. the house was also the royal family of syria (1920), hejaz (1916–1925) and iraq (1921–1958). the family belongs to the dhawu awn, one of the branches of the hasanid sharifs of mecca – also referred to as hashemites – who ruled mecca continuously from the 10th century until its conquest by the house of saud in 1924. their eponymous ancestor is hashim ibn abd manaf, great-grandfather of muhammad.