'File 61/13 I (D 133) Wahabis and Pilgrimage to Hedjaz' [‎181v] (374/431)

27. The rial remained fairly steady this year. It fluctuated between 23 rials,
and at the height of the Haj, 20 rials to the gold pound, but later appreciated to
15 rials for a variety of reasons, which are not altogethei cleai.
28. Prices of food-stuft's in rials remained about the same as last year, and
the general purchasing power of pilgrims was still very low. I he Jedda munici-
pality opened a stall, after the Haj, for the sale of food-stuffs to the public at
standard prices. . . .. • i • i ^ j j
29. Security on the roads was again maintained at its high standard. Oases
of pilferage again occurred at Mecca, Arafat, Mina and Muzdalfa. A lemaikable
feat of daring was reported of three unarmed Hejazi Bedouin camelmen who
killed two armed Nejdi soldiers, on patrol near laif.
30. The King, as usual gave his annual pilgrimage dinner on the
11th March. Unlike last year, the Indian vice-consul was invited, but was
prevented from leaving Jedda by pressure of work in connexion with incoming
pilgrims. The only foreign representative present was the Afghan Minister in
Cairo, who also represents his government at the court of Ibn Sand. Among the
speakers, the ex-King Amanuliah of Afghanistan caused much comment, for
having spoken on the importance of Islamic unity, attempted twice to approach
some further topic (thought to be slavery), but at the repeated gesture of appeal
of Ibn Sand, desisted. The Royal discourse was, as usual, chiefly devoted to the
necessity of co-operation among Moslem Powers, and concluded with an appeal
for help to the Islamic world.
31. As a result of a private visit to Medina, in the autumn of 1934, the
Indian vice-consul resported the desirability of certain reforms in the condition of
the pilgrimage, both in the city itself and on the Medina road. No opportunity,
however, presented itself of pursuing the matter.
32. The pilgrimage this year was attended by an unprecedented number of
highly-placed Indian personages. Among them were—
His Highness the Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. of Bahawalpur, with a large suite and an
elaborate train of motor cars; and her Exalted Highness the Badhsha- Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage.
of Hyderabad, representing the Ruling Princes and Princesses of India;
Major-General Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Sir Omar Hayat Khan Tiwana, hon. A.D.C. to His
Imperial Majesty; Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Bahadur Dr. Sir Muzamilullah Khan, K.C .I .E.,
O.B.E., Ll.D., of Aligarh; Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Wali-un-Dowlah Bahadur of Hyderabad
(Deccan), who died at Medina of pneumonia; Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. Sir Nizamat Jung
Bahadur of Hyderabad (Deccan); Lady Waqalat-ul-Umra. step-mother of the
Nizam; Khan Bahadur Hafiz Hidayet Husseyn, C .I .E., M .L .C., of Cawnpore.
and Khan Bahadur Allama Yusuf Ali, C.B.E., I.C.S. (retired).
Besides these there was also a large number of other high Government officials,
non-officials, intellectuals and tribal chiefs of the North-West Frontier Region of British India bordering Afghanistan. .
33. In addition, other distinguished pilgrims this year were ex-King
Amanuliah of Afghanistan, the Glaoui, representative of Moroccan Grand Kaids,
who came and went unostentatiously, Sheikh Muhammad-bin-Saqar, brother of
the Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikh Juma'-bin-Makhtum, brother of the Ruler of
Dibai, and the chief of the Hadendown tribe of the Sudan, while conspicuous
among pilgrims of many nationalities were four Japanese Moslems, who success
fully performed the Haj. One English Moslem lady from Egypt, a Miss
Wentworth Fitzwilliam, also made the pilgrimage.
34. Apart from Hasrat Mohani (paragraph 26 of 1934 report), Azad
Sobhani, Moin L'ddin of Ajmere, Abdur Rahim of Peshawar, Mufti Muhammad
Nasem of Ludhiana and Ismail Ghuznavi were the only Indian agitators to
perform the pilgrimage this year. Muhammad Khan Ghazi Khan, mentioned in
paragraph 26 of last year's report, succeeded in getting employment in the Saudi
Ministry of Finance, in the capacity of the Superintendent' of the Pilgrimage
Propaganda Bureau.
35. Arrangements for the dispersal of the pilgrimage worked satisfactorily
this year. No compensation was payable by the shipping company to the pilgrims
for detention at Jedda, as the ships for return journev were available within the
prescribed time.
36. H.M.S. Penzance (Commander R. H. Bevan, R.N.) visited Jedda for
Haj week. She stayed from the 12th March to the 17th March
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