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File 2006/1917 'ARABIA: ARAB CONFEDERACY' [65r] (139/603)
The record is made up of 1 volume (295 folios). It was created in Mar 1917-Nov 1917. 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.
ADEN: The political situation in the Hinterland.
1. The military history of the Aden Protectorate since the outbreak of
war with Turkey may be very briefly related. News reached the Aden
authorities on the 1 dth June 191o that Furkish forces were being concen
trated at Mavia, which lies just beyond the border of our protectorate } with,
a view to advancing, via Ad-dareja, upon Lahej, the headquarters of the
principal British protected chief of the Hinterland, the Abdali Sultan, and
situated only about 20 miles from Aden as the crow flies. On the 3rd July
news was received that Lahej was actually threatened by the Turks, who
had routed the Sultan’s levies, and it was decided to send up a British force
lor the protection of the town. The force reached Lahej bu^t was unable to
maintain its position there in the face of superior enemy strength, and was
compelled to retire upon Aden and to leave Lahej to its fate. Two
10-pounder guns, several machine guns, and a considerable amount of ammu
nition and equipment, were abandoned during the retreat. The Turks
followed up their success, and the British troops found it necessary to retire
behind the defences of Aden itself, leaving Sheikh Othman—whence Aden
obtains its water supply—in the enemy’s hands. General Younghusband
was promptly despatched to Aden with reinforcements, and had little
difficulty in driving the Turks out of Sheikh Othman and regaining control
over the water supply ; but he made no attempt—nor has any attempt since
been made—to advance upon Lahej or to clear our protectorate of the
enemy.
• 2. The situation in which we have had to acquiesce during the past two
years is anything but a satisfactory one. It is true that our position at
Aden itself has never been seriously threatened; but we have had the
humiliation of looking idly on, month after month, at the enemy
occupation of our territory, and of presenting to the world a spectacle of
inability to help either ourselves or our friends. There have doubtless
been excellent reasons for this inactivity. But, locally, its political results
have been deplorable; and there is little hope that the political situation
will improve until we are in a position to take effective military action.
So far we have confined ourselves to attempting to induce the local Arabs
(Saiyid, Idrisi, Ac.) to do for us what we have not found it convenient to
do for ourselves, a policy which, naturally, has not been very fruitful in
results. The Arabs have little love for the Turk, but so long as they
are how far we really mean business they will hesitate to commit themselves
irretrievably. They are moreover tom by internal rivalries and dissensions.
Little effective help can be expected from them until we take the field
ourselves.
3. There is one point on which it is desired to lay great emphasis. It is
all important, from the point of view of our future relations with the Arabs,
that we should, before the war ends, ourselves expel the Turks by force of
arms from Lahej and the remainder of our protectorate. Victory elsewhere,
followed by a diplomatic withdrawal on the part of the Turks, will not suffice
for local purposes, and will not serve to re-establish our prestige or the belief
in our ability to protect our own interests and those of our friends. The
Arab, as has frequently been remarked, is impressed only by what passes
before his eyes.
4 It should be added that, according to the Indian military authorities,
there are only about three, or at most four, months in the year (November
to February) suitable, for climatic reasons, for military operations in the
Aden area.
Political Department,
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.
,
August 1917.
S 308
About this item
- Content
The volume comprises correspondence, telegrams, summaries, reports, notes and other papers concerning the support given by Britain to the tribes of South Arabia [present-day Yemen] in 1917, chiefly in relation to Britain’s principal wartime aim of ousting the Turks [Ottoman Empire] from the region and securing the Aden Protectorate.
The papers notably cover:
- British relations with Saiyid Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Idris, the Idrisi [Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alī al-Idrīsī, ruler of the Idrisid Emirate of Asir], including the 1915 agreement with the Idrisi in return for his attacking the Turks; financial assistance (subsidy) for arms, ammunition, hirelings and transport; the Idrisi’s recruitment of Hashid wa Bakil (also spelled Bakill and Bekil in this volume) and British doubts about the loyalty of these ‘mercenary’ (f 259) tribesmen; British concerns over the Idrisi’s effectiveness against the Turks and his predominating enmity towards Imam Yahia bin Mohamed Hamid-ud-Din of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn, also referred to as 'Imam Yahya' in this volume]
- British policy towards the 'Arab Confederacy' of tribes formed around May 1917 (also referred to as the 'Yemen Confederacy' in this volume), including concerns over its potential effectiveness and lack of concrete victories against the Turks; and meetings with various Arab tribal chiefs explaining their intentions or applying for assistance from Britain
- British relations with the ‘neutral’ Imam Yahya, including a concurrently open-door and non-committal policy; avoidance of decisions or actions that could cause the Imam to stop ‘sitting on the fence’ and ally with the Turks; the Imam’s approach to the British in July 1917 offering support in exchange for territory, the removal of the Idrisi, and a position as sole leader in Yemen (the British politely declined the offer)
- Division of opinion between the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in Aden, and the First Assistant Resident in Aden and Government of India, regarding the risks in either supporting or not supporting the Arab Confederacy; the viability and true aims of the Confederacy; and whether or not it was likely the Confederacy would to turn to Italy if Britain prolonged delaying assistance.
The principal correspondents are: Major-General James Marshall Stewart, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , Aden; Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Fenton Jacob, First Assistant Resident, Aden; Saiyid Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Idris, the Idrisi [Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alī al-Idrīsī, ruler of the Idrisid Emirate of Asir]; Imam Yahia bin Mohamed Hamid Ud-Din of Yemen [Yaḥyá Muḥammad Ḥamīd al-Dīn] (also referred to in this volume as Saiyid Yehia bin Mohamed Hamid-ad-Din, Al Mutawakil, the Commander of the Faithful, and as Imam Yahia of San’a / Sana’a [Sanaa] and 'Imam Yahya'); senior officials of the Government of India at Simla [Shimla]; Secretaries of State and diplomats of the Foreign Office and the 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. in London; General Sir Reginald Wingate, British High Commissioner in Egypt; Ronald William Graham, Foreign Office diplomat. Also included are translations and summaries of numerous communications from and between various chiefs of Arab tribes in Yemen.
The enclosures date from 1917 but some include content (mainly printed documents) dating from 1916.
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 (295 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 295; 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. Multiple intermittent additional mixed foliation/pagination sequences are also present. A previous foliation sequence in part of the volume, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.
- 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/10/683
- Title
- File 2006/1917 'ARABIA: ARAB CONFEDERACY'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:8r, 8ar:8av, 9r:23v, 27v, 30v:35v, 37v, 40v:46v, 48v, 50v, 51v:78v, 79v, 81v, 84v:193v, 194v, 195v, 196v, 198v, 200v, 201v, 202v, 203v, 204v, 205v:208v, 210v, 211v, 213v:255v, 256v:265v, 271v:275v, 277v:278v, 280v:283v, 285v, 287v, 288v, 291v:295v, ii-r:ii-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence