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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [443r] (890/898)
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.
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[February 19.]
Section 1,
1924- J
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
\E 1532/424/91] No. 1.
Consul Bullard to Mr. MacDonald.—[Received February 19.)
(No. 9. Secret.)
r i Jeddah, January 29, 1924.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith the Jeddah report for the period
the 1st to the 29th January.
Copies of this despatch and report are being sent to Cairo, Bagdad, Jerusalem,
j Delhi, Aden and Beyrout (for communication to Damascus).
I have, &c.
R. W. BULLARD.
Enclosure in No. 1
Jeddah Report, January 1-29, 1924.
(Secret.)
THE absence of King Hussein has not brought to his people the sense of relief
that might have been expected, for to a system as centralised as that of Louis XIV (and
worked with as much indifference to the eventual deluge), King Hussein adds an
instrument which Louis XIV never knew—wireless telegraphy. Mecca and Jeddah are
full of spies, the wireless works indefatigably ; and there is no doubt that the King is
keeping himself well informed on Hedjaz affairs during his absence. This facility of
communication, however, does not make it possible to get anything done, and, after a
few half-hearted efforts, we have postponed until the King’s return all questions of
importance. Many ludicrous instances are reported of the unwullingness oL Hedjaz
officials to take any responsibility upon themselves. Perhaps the most absurd was
afforded by the Commandant of Jeddah, who refused to restore to its position a survey
stone which we had seen being rolled away by Arabs from its place not far from the
barracks, but said that if we would put the stone back he would go so far as to put a
sentry over it.
Bin Baud.
The Wahabi wave is undoubtedly spreading. To the north Kheibar has been in
their hands for some time and there have been several attacks on the railway line. In
the Taif area hostilities, though on a small scale, are of frequent occurrence. Taif
has been surrounded with a ring of forts which King Hussein has garrisoned with a
considerable force—said to be 7,000 men—composed of the best of such fighting
material as the Hedjaz can produce. The Wahabis are even believed to be in possession
of Sufainah and Suwairkiyah on the Mecca-Medina road. The normal position on the
railway line is that the Hedjaz garrisons cannot venture out of the stations for fear of
the Wahabis, and the Wahabis cannot capture the stations for lack of guns and
machine guns. At present the balance of forces on the railway is in King Hussein’s
favour, because of the considerable force he has organised for the recapture of Kheibar.
It seems possible that Kkeibar may not be attacked at present, as Bin Saud, in deference
to the known wishes of His Majesty’s Government, has ordered his people not to attack
the Hedjaz, and King Hussein has been persuaded, since he arrived at Amman, to
promise not to attack the Wahabis unless he is provoked. The King has also been
persuaded to appoint the Amir Zaid to represent him at the Koweit Conference,
though at present with the fantastic condition that each Arab ruler (except, of course,
the Sherif of Mecca) should be restored to his pre-war boundaries. I his involves,
with other things, that Hail should be restored to the Rashid family, i.e., that Bin Saud
should restore to King Hussein’s influence a prize for which he has fought ever since
he became Amir of Nejd.
The appointment of Hamzah-al-Ghauth as one of the Nejd representatives at the
Koweit Conference led to a revival by the Irak delegates of the charge that Hamzah
was guilty of the theft of valuable articles from the Prophet’s tomb at Medina. This
charge has never been believed in the Hedjaz ; it was probably trumped up by King
Hussein because of political differences. The best proof of this view is that the Amir
Eaisal retained Hamzah in a position of importance at Damascus long after his father had
[526 t—1]
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)’ [443r] (890/898), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1115, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100084998363.0x00005b> [accessed 6 April 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