'Summary of the Hejaz Revolt' [‎81r] (13/30)

grandson of the first Abadilah Emir (.died in 1858) and of the Quraiah •
Emirate of Mecca by the Turkish An<rlophil Grand Visjier, Kiamii Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , in
Constantinople. Hussein was appointed as a man uf pacific character.
Sherif Hussein ibn Ali,
tribe, was nominated to the
1908 after a long residence
likely both to serve the Porte 's purposes aad also to keep on good'terms with oursulves. In 1910 he took
up arms for the Turks against the Asiri revolt under Jdrisi, and succeeded in relieving Kbha and seriously
reduced Idrisi's power. In the same year he sent an expedition to Qasim to assert the rights of tiU
Ateibah ; and though, through the detection of Ibn Kashid, he had to retire content with an arrangement
with Ibn Saud under which the Ateibah were to remain free of the letter's taxes, and the Meccan Treasury
merely asserted its right to a considerable contribution from Qasim, his influence had been extended to
Central Arabia.
Hussein, however, under the stimulus of his second sofat and reputed successor-designate. Abdullah,
had cherished from the first the design of emancipating the Meccan Emirate from its dependence on the
Porte; though he himself does not seem to have desired the Khalifat, Abdullah has been accredited with
i hat amhifion. His early pro-Ottoman expeditions bad afforded the opportunity of organizing a bedouin 1
force which he could use at need. From 191^ Shenf Hussein began to follow an anti-Ottoman policy,
opposing the extension of the Hejaz Kail way. and supporting the Harb tribesmen in their resistance to this and
other Turkish projects. From U>e outbreak of the present war he steadily refused to help the Turks to
recruit in the Hejaz, but had to give way so far as to allow his son Ali to raise an irregular regiment of
bedouins at Medina for service in Sinai; he continued to organize such of the Hejaz tribes as acknowledged
his authority, with a view to insurrection at the proper moment, and reconciled iiimself witli IdrisiJ trying
to unite him and the Imam Yahya of Yemen in a common anti-Ottoman aim. His third son, Feisal. was
despatched to Constantinople early in 1915, and on his returrt to Syria got into communication with the
Pan-Arabists. Though Feisal's policy and actions at that time are not clear it seems that he secretly
furthered his father's designs by promoting disaffection, and though obliged to accompany Enver Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
to Medina in February 1916 he returned to Syria to continue the same work. In 1915 Abdullah, the
second son. was sent to Central Arabia to make peace with the Emirs of Hail and Riadh and to enforce the
rlaims of the Meccan treasury on Qasim and Sedeir. This peace, however, was not observed on either side
for long. {See Appendix B.)
By the Spring of 1916 Hussein had Income the de fucto power in Hejaz, with wide influence outside,
extending in Asir to Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hi*hah and northward to the Southern Anazah tribes. Both in Mecca and
Medina (in which last city he kept his eldest son, Ali. as his representative) he had reduced Turkish
authority to a low ebb. and even in Jeddah his agents wielded most influence. But the Porte maintained its
garrisons in spite of temporary interruptions of railway conuminication, and under their protection the
Ottoman officials held b?i to their posts. In May 1916 a strict naval patrol of the Ilejaz coasts was enforced
by the British authorities in order to support the Emir by demonstrating to the Arabs the inevitable results
of further submission to Ottoman occupp.tion, and early in June an iniiurrection of tribes from the Juheinah
in the north to the borders of Asir in the south, including both Harb and Ateibah, broke out under the
leadership of the Knair and his sons.
On the 2nd Muharrem (29th October, 1916) Colonel Wilson, Chief Pilgrimage Officer, received at Jeddah
a telegram, sent by Sherif Abdullah, as Foreign Secretary, notifying Ilis Majesty's Government that Sherif
Hussein Ibn Ali had on that day been recognized by the Assembly of the Ulema at Mecca and " according
to the wish of the public" as King oj the Arab nation, an<i religious Chief "until the Moslems are of one
opinion concerning the Islamic Khalifat," Colonel Bremond, head of the French Mission in Jeddah received
an identical telegmm. Both he and our representative (Colonel Wilson) contented themselves with
acknowledging receipt, and proceeded forthwith to ask instructions from their respective Governments. It
was learnt later that the French Moslem Mission at Mecca had been summoned to the Assembly at which the
acclamation had taken place, but without being forewarned of the object of that assembly.
Though in conversation with Mr. Storrs in October Sherif Abdullah had broached tentatively the
question of his father assumihg some higher title than Emir, the above definite announcement somewhat
startled those immediately concerned with Uejaz affairs, and Colonel Wilson was asked to sound Sherit"
Abdullah regarding the motives for this step. Meanwhile, His Majesty's Government were informed ttiai
the Allied (iovernmcuts and some neutrals had been directly notified ot the above proceeding by telegram
(in which only the title of King was mentioned, and no allusion was made to religious chiefship) and were
informed that the u coronation " would take place on the 4th or 5th November, 1916.
The reasons given by Abdullah and the Emir were, briefly, these, that;—
1. Recognition of the new title by His Majesty's Government would clear us, in the minds of the Arabs,
from any suspicion of designs on the Holy Places, and thus free our hands to send troops to the King's
assistance.
* The Arabian tribe from which Mahommed was descended. The Sherif of Mecca is always of the
Quraish tribe, but ever since the extinction of the Abbaside Khalifahs, the Sultans of Turkey have held the
office of Khalifah, who aie not of this tribe.
f The sons of King Hussein in order of birth are Ali, Abdullah, Feisal and Zeid.
X IdrifU —After much pressure and assistance in munitions and money, Idrisi began operations against
the Turks early in 1918 and in February had succeeded in capturing Loheiya and Atn. In April the
Turks, having collected men from all directions, advanced on his position east of the above towns and
defeated his forces, but weie, at the time, unable to follow up their success. On the 7th June, they however
again attacked, and on the hth captured various outlying villages. On the 10th they occupied Atn, an
important village containing the main water supply for Loheiya, which Idrissi's forces evacuated without
firing a shot. As a result of the loss of his water supply, Idrissi was compelled to evacuate Loheiya a few
days later, and this he accomplished with the loss of a few guns, some of which were rendered unserviceable
by British Naval landiri^ party. Idrisi, when last heard of, had retired to Habl, SO miles north of Loheiya,
and it was considered unlikely that he would be able to undertake any further offensive operations tor
some time.
(61U-19)
B Z