'File 61/11 V (D 95) Hejaz - Nejd, Miscellaneous' [‎195r] (406/530)

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^ C| 63. Mahmud Shalhub.
Director of Finance in Jedda. Comes of a Mecca family, one of whom
described in 1917 as controlling the distribution of Zemzem water, a very
lucrative job. Mahmpd, who must be over 50, was employed in Turkish times as
r a Government clerk in Mecca, and was later chief clerk in Huseyn's financial
^ department. Continued to be employed in Mecca under the new regime and was
appointed to his present post in 1930. A decent seeming man, but plays
important role in a domain in which 'Abdullah Suleyman is supreme.
was
no
64. Mehdi Bey.
armiij Director-General of Police with headquarters in Mecca. Said to be an
hit}. 'Iraqi, formerly employed as an officer in the Turkish army, then in King
Huseyn's. What little is known about him to the Legation is unfavourable. He
asp} appears to be arbitrary and ruthless and to wield considerable authority, not
always deferring even to the Viceroy. This account of him is given with reserve.
tj:; 65. Ibn Mubarak.
A man of this name would appear to be Governor at Burayda, but is only
in^ known to the Legation from a reference to him in a letter from Ibn Sa'ud to the
Sheykh of Kuwait of the 30th December, 1931. The post is important, as it is
the administrative capital of Qasim, not including, however, 'Aneyza, which has
its own Governor, probably hereditary, and depends directly on the King.
tot 65 a. Ibn Mubarak,
Governor of Dhaba. Little known to the Legation, which cannot even trace
kill his first name, but worth mentioning because of the importance of his post in
stall relation to Egypt 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 because he was one of the leaders of the
forces, with advanced base at Dhaba, employed against Ibn Eifada in 1932. Is
possibly a tribal personage rather than an administrative Governor, and may be
of the family of Huseyn ibn Mubarak of the Harb tribe, who was a power at
tejkti Eabigh at the time of the Arab revolt,
r in 111 I
orp 66. Muhammad Khan Ghazi Khan.
^ An actively anti-British Indian, who, like Ismail Ghuznavi, cannot
J!"; appropriately be dealt with at length in this report, but has resided much in
I 1 " 1 Mecca, and has been associated more particularly with the Holy Carpet factory An East India Company trading post.
•; or Dar-ul-Kiswa, a rallying-place for Indian sedition-mongers.
^ 67. Muhammad ibn Sultan.
Commander of Ibn Sa'ud's camelry in the Hejaz. As such, played an
important part in the suppression of the Ibn Rifada rebellion in 1932. Was also
a powerful and much-feared element in the machinery set up to Wahhabise public
morals in Mecca until its rigours were relaxed.
68. Muhammad at-Tawil.
A native of Jedda of Egyptian origin. Got a small post in the customs in
Turkish times and rose to be Director of Customs in Jedda under King Huseyn
Played a leading part in the movement of the Hejazi notables to compel Huseyn's
abdication and the accession of King 'Ali in October 1924. Remained in theory
:: Director of Customs only, but wielded great influence under 'Ali, and was
11 ll described as being cc practically dictator " in November 1925, after his triumph
!1 in a dispute with Ahmed Saqqaf, the Prime Minister, who decided to leave.
Promised at that time to devote to the cause of the Hejaz every penny of
J?; " certain economies " which he had effected while Director of Customs. Left the
^g Hejaz on the fall of Jedda, but returned in 1927 or early in 1928 and started a
l'' motor transport business. Was said in 1928 to have been president of the
Hizb-al-Ahrar al Hijazi, but made his peace with Ibn Sa'ud after an absence at
sts Riyadh, which was described in February 1928 as a deportation. Was slow to
ft receive official employment, and was perhaps considered unsuitable for such
i# employment in the Hejaz, but was in September 1930 placed at the head of a
* ^ commission to study and reorganise the financial and economic situation in Hasa.
Has remained since then in this employment, despite rumours of assassination
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