File 53/1915 Part IV 'German War: Turkey; Caliphate etc' [‎240v] (477/481)

Iho religious divergences^ are also not of intense importance, the old
fanatic lire of Wahabi 1’uritanism apparently being on the wane.
In Muscat the case is different, the isolation of Oman from the rest of
Arabia being a strong factor in the situation. In Muscat there is a distinct
quarrel, and the Sultan lias been ousted from In's authority in the land bv a
pretender to religious supremacy. This is a purely local affair and the
exceedingly rigid and primitive form of Islam prevailing in Oman has no
adherents elsewhere. However, the Oman Arabs, the Sultan included h ive
a strong sense of race and breed. ’ e
In I emeu and Assir the large proportion of sedentary and vilhme-
dwellmg Arabs, the long reign and prestige of the Imam, the large number
oi men he can raise and keep in the field tend to produce a more compre
hensible situation Yemen in fact is a nearer approach to a State in the
Iviropean sense than any other part of Arabia. In the Aden hinterland and
Hadhramaut the sedentary ( hiels are too widely scattered and too snnll
to be of any great account. Turkish influence in Yemen is tolerated the
r‘' do - 8 ' ,' U , e to J 3UpP ° r i tile Turks 111 war and collecting his own taxes
I he Shiism oi the Yemen Arabs, has nothing in common with that of tiie
people of Iverbella, which will be referred to later.
The Imam claims to be commander of the faithful in Ids own dominions
and does not regard the Sultan as caliph; his relations with the Sherif of
Meci a aie Ian, and, under given circumstances, there is no reason whv he
should not recognise the latter’s premier position, though lie wemldnaturally
not recognise him as caliph. miuuam
vr i 1 - 11 ,,e i az the situation is influenced by the holy cities of Mecca and
* e hiia, which are large towns which subsist on pilgrimage the Bedouin
sharing m the profits of carriage, traffic, and dues. The Sherif iris a stror"
position m virtue of his character, lineage, financial resources and office a d
few very bitter and no powerful enemies His relation* Avitlt ti i f !-
Simaa Ihn Reshid, Ibn* Sand are good-enonV^rbre't
^“"and't’ cbtivalef, "S
they have suffered considerably in the past. ' * Urk8 ’ ,rom whora
Gnotr If. THE ARABS OF LOWER MESOPOTAMIA
Ueneral Xo ' 2563 Lower
AraK^-^S^.f vm^ S ° f - Tigri ? • fr ° ,n . Fa ° t0 settled
accustomed to regular administration.' I ’ 0sltl0 “ of tenant au(1 Undlonl;
Landlords are mostly local and tribal notables
*- b- K— mi**.
Sheikh—KuraiffGin'npt.ili T’lif'' ‘'T t< ! ntaiu «l bv s u k. e ,-
Section 2, are primitive prechtorv n iipanan population mentioned in
and little politfeal cohesim' 3 " lth h «le attachment to religion,
% >*** •«*
r.iEfsirrs »r;i
pniches „„ T* ."P * 1
nomads. ^ att el-Ghairaf inhabited by pure
:J„Sr',' - 'Sr':;
I rban population of Neief HerbeH \r • i t v
Sfe. £ar