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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [266r] (536/898)
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.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
EASTERN (Arabia) .
CONFIDENTIAL.
[June 21, 1926.]
Section 2 .
DOS
WE 3790/367/91] No / L
. Vice-Consul Jordan to Sir A usten Chamberlain.-Weceived June 21)
(No. 75. Secret.)
Sir
; I HAVE the honour to forward herewith my report^the’sftuTtion'ffthe
Hejaz during the period the 1st to the 31st May, 1926. P situation m the
q • i t> ?P les this report are being sent to Egypt, Jerusalem S2i Rap-dad A dpt,
Simla, Beirut (for Damascus), Khartoum (throuf^Port SudS/and sfugapofe ’
I have, &c.
S. R. JORDAN.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
(Secret) Jeddah Report for the Period May 1-31, 1926.
niW?N ING 1° i the f riYal P f m ?- n y Piigrims in the Hejaz for the approaching
pilgrimage and also of a number of delegates to attend the conference called by Ibn
baud to discuss ways and means of ensuring peace in the Hejaz and the comfort and
safety of pilgrims to the Holy Land, the political situation both internal and
external during the period under report has been interesting.
zi l 5 i In ^ rnall y the situation presents certain difficulties the chief of which is no
doubt the dissatisfaction of many of the more fanatical tribes of the Heiaz at the
model ate policy adopted by Ibn Sand towards the questions of tomb worship, smokino*
and other such things which are rigorously excluded from the Wahabi faith as
such were not practised by the Prophet.
3. Ibn baud s brother Mohammed, who is a fanatical Wahabi and married to
the daughter of Ibn Bajaid the Sheikh of the Ghut-Ghut, the most fanatical tribe
m the Arabian peninsula, recently left Mecca in great anger and ioined his father-
in-law.
4. In order to appease these unruly elements which are actually his main
power and support, Ibn baud was obliged to adopt a more drastic policy, and so sent
the Grand Kadi of the Hejaz, a certain Sheikh Abdullah Bileihed, to Medina to
attend to the destruction of the tombs of the Prophet’s family.
5. The Grand Kadi eventually persuaded seventeen of the ulama of Medina
to issue a fetva in which they set out that tomb worship is forbidden, and thereupon
the tombs were destroyed. I attach hereto a copy of the fetva with the names of the
signatories, as published in the Mecca newspaper t£ Umm-al-Kura,” together with a
long article on the same subject by the editor,* but inspired, if not actually written,
by Ibn Saud himself.
6. Information from Medina would indicate that a certain amount of
dissatisfaction is manifesting itself amongst the population of that town, and many
people have left for Yambo and other centres. The ulama who refused to sign the
fetva are naturally in disgrace, and it is considered possible that they may be
prevented from continuing their religious functions.
7. Smoking has also been forbidden, in public, as has also the playing of music
and other such pastimes, as they are considered injurious to the body and a waste
of time when devout Moslems should be calling upon Allah instead of amusing
themselves.
8. The Wahabi contentions in this respect has recently received a great set
forward on account of a fetva issued by the religious heads in Cairo in respect of the
Mahmal.
Ibn Saud again forced by his fanatics was not prepared to allow the Mahmal
to come to the Hejaz from Egypt unless certain formalities entailed by his beliefs
were complied with. They were as follows :—<
(1.) No music to accompany the Mahmal after Jeddah.
(2.) No smoking in public.
(3.) No circumambulating or worship of tombs.
* Not printed.
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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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [266r] (536/898), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1115, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100084998361.0x000089> [accessed 26 March 2025]
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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