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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [293r] (590/898)
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.
E 367/367/91]
Acting Consul Jordan to Sir Austen Chamberlain.—{Received January 18, 1926.)
(No. 125. Secret.)
^ r ’ Jeddah, December 31, 1925.
1 HAVE the honour to enclose a report on the situation covering the period
the 28th November to the 31st December.
2 . Copies of this despatch and of its enclosure are being sent to India, Egypt,
Khartum (through Port Sudan), Jerusalem, Bagdad, Beirut (for Damascus) Aden
Singapore, Bushire, Koweit, Bahrein and Muscat.
I have, &c.
S. R. JORDAN.
[January 18. 1926. |
O 0 r% f
O O \j Section 3.
Enclosure in No. 1 .
Report for the period November 28 to December 31, 1925.
(Secret.)
DURING the period under report events have succeeded each other with
kaleidoscopic rapidity, and the Hejaz has at last surrendered to His Highness the
Sultan Abdul Aziz of Nejd.
2 . Medina capitulated on the 5th instant, and as it was realised that the fall
of Medina would also mean the end of All’s regime, Jeddah was expected to
capitulate soon after.
3. Events, however, rendered the situation at Jeddah very critical, and I am
pleased to be able to report that owing to the efforts of His Majesty’s Government
to prevent bloodshed many apparently unsurmountable difficulties were overcome, and
Jeddah eventually fell into Wahabi hands without any regrettable incidents on the
21st instant. Yambo and Wedj followed suit, and now the whole of the Hejaz
is under Wahabi domination.
4. Ibn Saud entered Jeddah on the morning of the 23rd December, and a
reception for foreign representatives and notables was held.
I 5. The last days of King All’s reign were particularly eventful and trouble -
jsome, and the fact that trouble was avoided is entirely due to the prestige of and
Itlifftrust placed in His Majesty’s Government by the people of this country.
6 . Since the revolts of the fighting forces mentioned in my last report a further
series of demonstrations and protests have been held, and on the 29th November a
number of Palestinian troops barricaded themselves in the main mosque of Jeddah
and refused to leave unless their demands w 7 ere granted.
The events leading up to this were as follows : On the afternoon and evening
of the 28th November the whole of the forces defending Jeddah decided to combine
and loot the town the following morning. The King, hearing rumours to this effect
about midnight on the 28th-2hth, immediately sent for the sheikhs of the Yemeni
and Hejazi tribes and begged them to dissuade their troops from this action. The
sheikhs were successful, but the Palestinian and Syrian forces were not contented,
and so took action as mentioned above. The mosque was immediately surrounded
by the King’s bodyguard and armed slaves, and fearing that the Government were
preparing to take offensive action against the demonstrators, who were peacefully
inclined, I, with my Italian colleague, temporarily charged with French interests,
protested against force being employed against the nationals of our respective
mandated territories, in view of the possibility of trouble in the town and also in
view of the legitimacy of the soldiers’ protest. This action on our part was
successful, and the slaves and troops were withdrawn, the men given food and water,
and eventually, after much discussion, the King persuaded them to return to the
trenches, promising to repatriate them within seven days.
7. During this period the Hejaz Government, driven to desperation, obtained
a fetva from a certain sheikh named Shengetti authorising the army to bomb the
[1172 s—3]
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