'File 61/11 IX (D 159) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [‎105r] (220/391)

4
77/40.
48.
60/2)
British Legation,
Jedda.
ilill
BUSHUTS f^ DgNCV
No-
D;-iU
May 6th,
My Lord,
The Italian monthly review "Oriente Moderno" published in
OctoTDer last a list ox the ?f Ikhwan" settlements or ,, colonies ,,
which had been established in various parts of Nejd, and which
were mentioned in the press reports of^the tribal meeting which
took place at Riyadh in August 1939. The Italian paper's reoort
gave the impression that the Ikhwan movement was still of great
political importance in this country. Mr. de Gaury, however,
went through trie list of settlements and made certain comments
which rnay interest Your Lordship's department, and I now have
the honour to submit a short note on the present position of
the Ikhwan movement in the light of Mr. de Gaury f s report and
such other information as is available. I must however confess
that accurate information from Arab sources on this subject is
almost impossible to obtain.
2. It will be remembered that the religious settlements of
the "Ikhwan 51 (brethren) date from 1912. A general description
of their character and objects is given in !, Pield Notes on Saudi
Arabia", 1935, pages 32 and 33. The original idea was to
establish agricultural settlements throughout the various tribal
areas, peopled by the more fanatical elements of Wahhabi Arabs,
in order not only to break up the existing nomad and tribal
organisation for the benefit of the state, but to retain the
services of the fanatics and divert
by degrees
army. Mr.
and Kuweit,
territorial
of Arabia",
forming them
and national
published in
into
Iraq
them from raids
into the nucleus or a
Philby's book "The Heart
1922, contains many references to
Ikhwan settlements and to the hopes which were then cherished
as to their national,non-tribal, usefulness.
3, Mr. de Gaury, however, now informs me that in the
opinion of many Arabs with v/horn he talked recently at Riyadh
the Ikhwan movement is dead. Appendix IV, page 130, of
"Field Notes" draws attention to the gradual lowering of the
strict religious standards which had been the boast of the
first settlers in "Ikhwan" co:nmunities. It appears that this
deterioration of religious zeal has gone on at an increasing
rate. Such settlements as remain are no longer purely
religious colonies: the increasing tide of^prosperity and
security against tribal raids has resulted in a good deal o~
tribal settlement, and the Ikhwan colonies have become merged,
into, and. swallowed, up by, tribal settlements which nave little
or no connexion with strict Wahhabi tenets. ^ In some cases
Mr. de Gaury knew from personal experience that settlements
Mentioned in the lists no longer exist at all: lor example, ^
the colony called "Ureira" in the Ajraan tribal territory, wuicn
never had more than about four houses, is COin 2 .
deserted. The tendency towards tribal settlement is v ^ .
shown by such schemes as the agricultural aeye opmeno a . ^ ?
about which a separate report has been submiotet .
I have, etc.
(Sgd.) P.H.W. Stonehewer Bird.
i-Sfrt Hon, the Viscount Halifax, K.G.
etc. etc. etc.
GO. •
NT TO
\ vvAACL