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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [20r] (44/898)
The record is made up of 1 volume (445 folios). It was created in 13 Mar 1924-18 Mar 1931. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
^ In spite of the supposed preparatory work of the Haj Commission and the
Viceroy’s visit of the 10th November to Jedda to put the finishing touches, there
was much unpreparedness and the usual alarms and excursions. Pilgrims who
had landed in the morning were still penned in the customs late at night. The
rice they had brought—and being daintily stomached the Javanese bring large
quantities of their own—was subjected without warning to an import duty, a
hitherto unheard-of imposition. A few days later the tax had to be repealed.' but
was replaced by a new poll-tax of 5 piastres exacted from the pilgrims indirectly
Uhrough the mutawifs, or pilgrim brokers. Shortly afterwards the brokers
banded together to defeat the virtual monopoly in motor transport which the
Government has this year secured to itself and sent all their pilgrims to Mecca
by camel. They were immediately disbanded and suspended from their pro
fessions by a Royal decree, which was only annulled to be replaced by another
ordaining that all pilgrims must hereceforth visit the Holy Places by motor car.
A sop of 5 per cent., however, has since been cast to the camel drivers, who are
now making common cause with the carpenters, the traditional hirers of camel
littors, to induce the Government to meet the debts which they have contracted by
their preparations for normal pilgrimage custom.
The position as to the dues and taxes payable by this year’s pilgrims is still
officially obscured. The Hejaz-Nejd Government have been pressed for the
tariff, but have not yet thought fit to communicate it. The truth of course is
that it is still in a state of flux. Opportunist measures are being taken at the
eleventh hour to minimise as much as possible the effects of what is now foreseen
to be a disastrously poor pilgrimage, and a fixed tariff is unlikely to be published
until the extra burden which can be placed on such pilgrims, as do come, has
been calculated by trial and error.
VIII.— Slavery.
31. During the period under review four slaves were manumitted by the
Legation and repatriated to the Sudan, and two were manumitted locally. With
a view to preventing runaway slaves from reaching Jedda, orders have been
issued in the interior requiring all negroes to carry travel permits from a
recognised authority whenever they wish to move.
IX.— Miscellaneous.
32. Bibliography.
The “ Umm-al-Qura ” has been interesting itself in the history of Nejd
and published on the 5th September a list of old Arabic historians and historical
documents. It also stated that one Abdullah-al-Anqari has been commissioned
by Ibn Sand to write a modern history of Nejd. The paper has also been
publishing Sheikh Yusuf Yasin’s journal of the 1929 rebellion in weekly
instalments.
Mr. Philby’s “Arabia,” published in September in Benn’s “Modern
World ” series edited by Mr. H. A. L. Fisher, is not so much a history of Arabia
as a detailed and biased account of Wahhabism; as such it is excellent.
33. Reuter.
Reuter’s agents in Jedda, Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey and Co., have been
examining the possibility of introducing a daily news-service for the Hejaz.
News from the outside world at present drifts in with the mails at irregular
weekly or ten-day intervals. 34
34. Legation Personnel.
Captain Thacker, archivist to the Legation for three years, left Jedda on
the 21st September on the termination of his engagement. The Indian vice-consul,
Munshi
A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf.
Ihsanullah, returned from leave on the 5th November, and the British
pro-consul, Mr. Seager, on the 9th November. The Malay pilgrimage officer,
Haji Abdul Majid, arrived on the 28th November for his pilgrimage season.
About this item
- Content
The volume mostly contains printed copies of despatches from HM Agent and Consul, Jeddah, to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, enclosing reports on the situation in the Hejaz (also spelled Hedjaz in the file) [now a region of Saudi Arabia], from January 1924 to December 1930, and related enclosures to the reports. These despatches were sent to the Under-Secretary of State for India by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The volume also includes India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Political and Secret Department minute papers, which include comments on the reports, and indicate that the reports had been seen by the Under-Secretary of State for India and the Political Committee of the Council of India.
The reports are monthly for January to August 1924, May 1925, September 1925 to March 1927, June 1927 to June 1930, and December 1930. Reports between these dates cover shorter periods, except July and August 1930, which are both covered by one report, and September, October and November 1930, which are also covered by one report.
The reports discuss matters including the actions of King Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi of the Hejaz, including his attempts to gain recognition as Caliph, and the military and financial situation in the Hejaz during the war between the Hejaz and the Saudi Sultanate of Nejd [Najd]. They report on events of the Hedjaz-Nejd war including: the capture of Taif (September 1924) and Mecca (October 1924) by Nejd; the departure of the ex-King Hussein from Jeddah; the fall of Medina and Jeddah and the surrender of the Hejaz to Sultan Abdul Aziz of Nejd [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd, also known as Ibn Saud] (December 1925); and the formal assumption of the title of King of the Hejaz and Sultan of Nejd and its Dependencies by Ibn Saud (8 January 1925).
The reports following the annexation of the Hejaz by Nejd cover internal affairs, including prohibitions introduced for religious reasons, the Hejaz Railway, the financial situation of the Hejaz-Nejd Government, and the Hejaz Air Force. They also report on foreign relations, including: the publication of an agreement, dated 21 October 1926, between Ibn Saud and Sayyid Hassan-el-Idrisi, establishing the suzerainty of Ibn Saud over Asir; relations between Ibn Saud and Imam Yahya of the Yemen; the situation on the frontiers between Nejd and Iraq, and Nejd and Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan ; and the Treaty of Jeddah between Hejaz-Nejd and Great Britain (20 May 1927). They also report Ibn Saud being proclaimed King of the Hejaz, Nejd and its Dependencies (4 April 1927).
In addition, other frequently occurring topics in the reports are: the Pilgrimage [Hajj], including the arrival of pilgrims in the Hejaz, from India, Java and elsewhere, arrangements for the pilgrimage, the welfare of pilgrims, and the repatriation of pilgrims; and the slave trade and slavery in the Hejaz, including the manumission and repatriation of slaves.
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (445 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
The subject 1707 (Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)) consists of one volume only.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 447; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-444; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/1115
- Title
- File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:88v, 90r:104v, 106r:108v, 110r:124v, 126r:128v, 129v:132v, 133v, 134v:137v, 139r:145r, 146r:161v, 162v:180v, 183r:205v, 206v:267r, 269r:271v, 273r:288v, 291r:308v, 309v, 310v, 311v, 312v, 313v, 314v, 315v, 316v, 317v:321r, 324r:335r, 337r:378v, 379v:381v, 383v:389v, 391r:393v, 395v:397v, 399r:400r, 402r:446v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence