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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [72r] (148/898)
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.
5
f4 ^ ■ On the 5tli December His Highness the Emir Feisal officially opened a new
it ski | eservoir which has been built in Mecca to store the waters of the spring known as
•, 1 Ain /nhmHa J? 11 rm • °
a new
cisto., J ^ in ^ u ^ el ^ a an( i keep them free from pollution. This reservoir will contain
itas rf J a Ppro x i ma tely 10,000 tons of water, which will be available for the pilgrims during
iyeJ; ta e Haj. It will not suffice to remove all difficulties concerning the supply of water
of ffiutwdl certainly be of great benefit during the rush period. Thiee further
jl ji; yvoirs are being built along the road to Muna. At Muna itself two new roads
,] have been opened in order to facilitate the pilgrim traffic.
d ^ . ac fi n 8 Egyptian consul, has, he states, succeeded in reaching an
^ agreement with the local authorities, who have now waived their objections to the
t 7 despatch of an Egyptian medical mission during the forthcoming pilgrimage, and
7 he is also satisfied with an assurance which he has received regarding the’ free
tl% importation of medical stores (June report, paragraph 27).
27. There is an idea on foot in Mecca of suggesting to the King that the
- kt Mahometan world should be farmed out to the mutawwifs by auction, every
111 ® Mahometan district being assigned for pilgrimage purposes to the exclusive
J' j ■ Gxpffiik&tion of the mutawwif who bids highest. The system is a pernicious one,
kifc although it is calculated to bring in a greatly increased revenue to the Government’
M as it would place the pilgrims at the mercy of the mutawwif and would expose them
> pr»: to various forms of extortion.
mil: 28. Money is now flowing into the country in a steady stream, but the Govern-
illtak ment has much leeway to make up, and it is ever on the look out for means of
imposing fresh taxation. A municipal tax is being collected at Mecca and Jedda
ill ofiei of 2 per cent, on rent, and a small further charge of anything up to one pound a year
tatt is payable by shopkeepers.
in®ct 29. With the approval of the King, a “ Committee for the Study of Projects
enresti of Reform ” has been constituted, and has published a notice inviting the services
estak of foreign experts (i) to survey for minerals in areas to be selected, and (ii) to submit
n w |5 plans, giving estimates of expenditure, for the construction of an up-to-date quay
appai and a customs house at Jedda. Applications are to be addressed to the committee
jdg g at the Department of Finance, Mecca.
30. On the 27th December the Rotterdam-Lloyd steamship cc Madeon,”
asK carrying pilgrims, ran ashore on the Mismari reef, thus illustrating once again the
necessity for beacons to indicate the approaches to Jedda. She was subsequently
Upjl floated off with her bows badly damaged.
31. During the period under review, one male slave, of Sudanese origin, took
gslor refuge in this Legation and applied for manumission and repatriation. He was
j g ^ sent to his home via Suakin.
32. The status of the British
agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
at Jedda was raised on the 21st December
3 E to that of a Legation, and Mr. W. L. Bond was appointed His Majesty’s Charge
,v 1 d’Affaires, pending the selection and appointment of a Minister. His Majesty’s
approval has also been obtained for the proposed establishment of a Hejaz-Nejd
7' Legation in London.
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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