'Summary of the Hejaz Revolt' [‎82r] (15/30)

help the Arab cause in general.
' st * te dependence on i
1 he Emir did nor mean his new
ices, and he loyally held to all
ah. he would demonstrate it by
'g a '• Kin- of the Arab nation."
mch recog-mtion. wa^ very fur
actual treaties and a^reetnente
ted to g-ive what amounted to
ing that this title was a matter
ent) had to take place, before anv
ions to other Moslem princes and
d Oolonel Wilson merely to send
by His Majesty's Governmeut
be addrestec! as " His Majesty "
id sought the recognition of His
►gnition would benefit his cause
tente lowers in Arab countries,
fctiog they were much touched
s forwarded to the High Oom-
Graafar Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. (sec Appendix D.h
ad for the cause of the liberation
•ab pe(>ples in their struggle for
ics Ottoman violence. But tl e
! to be no doubt that practically
jpages to Hussein and his sons,
known, but the first information
, when Hussein forwaided 10 the
d. Hussein left the answer to
r to the Turks should be that the
emissary bearing a letter from
nstructed by his Government to
ing Hussein had telegraphed to
reviou-s peace overtures, i.e.. that
erif Feisal replied at once to this
'his may merely have indicated »
i from the Emirate of Mecca and
f Abd el Mutailib, Emir, i^oi-56.
Abadilah. AH Haidar proceeded
n proceeded tf> Medina where he
ibe against Hussein for having
ting: him to take measures against
edina.
and made good his return to
King Hussein was contemplated
It was to go down to Medina
.ms to Hussein in the name of
icrjties as it was realized that
ing' through, and no member is
ed home. Uhe Grand Mu ti o
than his colleagues ihe siate
3aud said tn be of the Hasawh
^nv,.rt ®»de l.y
s „itb his sword tliat W»liab.sa.
uRst afield. Between 17M a"' 1
od KerbeU .eJMted txd.uWfrom
rdina driving out the
■xtension ol the aia , ^ u | f
nascus, whilst baud s so , -
.except Yemen .nd the dWrie"
_ The Turks then turned to the Khedivial family for assistance, and the Wahabi conquests were check«ti
t series of expeditions from Egypt led either by Mohammed All himself or his sons Tahsin and Ibrahim
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . However in 1817 Ibrahim overran Qasim, and in 18!1« tho Wahabi Emir, Abdullah bin Sand, wat
sent a prisoner to Constantinople, where be was beheaded. Wahabi authority was established at Riadb in
1848, but in 1871 Turkish troops reoccupied Hasa, and Abdullah bin Feisal Ibn Sand accepted the title of
Kaimakam of Nejd.
The basis of the Nejdean Emir's power is both religions and socniar. Hf? is the recognized champion of
Wahabism and he commands the population of the most thickly inhabitpo settled districts in Central Arabiu
For the past century the history of the interior of the Arabian Peninsula has centred round the nvalrv
between the Emirs of Northern and Southern Nejd, Ibn Rashid and Ibji Sand. When Abdul Aziz, the present
representative of the house of Saud was a boy of lo, the power of the Rashid touched its zenith; the great
Emir, Mohammed {see Appendix C), drove the Saud into exile and occupied their capital. Kiadh. .For
11 years Ibn Saud wandered in exile, seeking refuge for a time in the Syrian desert, in the tents of the great
Anazah tribe, with whom he claimed kinship, but in 1902 the Sheikh of Koweit gave the yonng Emir hia
chance of recovering his capital. With a force of some 80 camel riders supplied by Ko'weit, Ibn Saud
surprised the Rashid garrison of Riadh and proclaimed his own accession from the recaptured city. In a
contest renewed year after year Ibn Saud recovered the territories of his fathers, and in 1:913 seized the
Turkish province of Hasa, formerly an appanage of Riadh. ejected the Ottoman garrisons and estabTished
himself on the seaboard of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , but in May. I'.'i-l, accepted the title of Vali of Nejd. He wus
already on terms of personal friendship with Captain Shakespear, British Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Koweit. In
the winter of 1914-15 Captain Shakespear made his way for the second time into Nejd and joined Ibn Saod,
who was marching north to repel the attack of Ibn Uashid engineered and backed by the Turks. The two
forces met towards the end of January m an indecisive engagement in which Captain Shakespear. though
he was present as a non-combatant, was killed.
On the 2r)th December, 1915, Ibn Saud entered into a treaty with the Indian Govemntent, which was
ratified on the IHth July, 1916.
At the outl reak of the Sht rifs revolt in the summer of 1916, Ibn Saud wrote that he
considered Ibn Rashid should be obliterated and his name effaced. In September, 191G, Ibn Saud
was either unable or perhaps unwilling to attack Hail without assistance, and possibly was
mindful of his treaty with the Tirks of May, 1914. On the lith November, 1916, Sir P. Cot met
Ibn aiaud at Uqair. Saud pointed out the impossibility of co-operating with the Sherif on a large scale,
but was prepared to send one of his sons with a few men as a token of his identification with the Sherif's
cause; with certain assistance he would demonstrate against Ibn Rashid. Ibn vSaud accompanied Sir P. Cox
to Bahrein and Koweit, where he was decorated with the K.C.l.E. on the 2uch December and made an
animated pro-British and anti-Turk speech, eulogising the action of the Sherif. He then accomp.-tnied
Sir P. Cox to Basra, where he detailed the assistance necessary to commence operations against Ibn Rashid.
viz., 3.0U0 rities ami some machine £ruus and the necessary ammunition; the question of •ub.-idy Was also
raised, \fter his return to Riadh, he forwarded to Sir P. Cox about th" end of the year a letter ail Iressed
to his father on the loth November, lyiG, by the Sherif, who signed as King of Ai-a'ian Countries Ibn Sand
considered this a clear justilication of sugf-icions regarding the Sherif which he had previously expressed. On
the 24th January Ibn Saud left Riadh for Qasim and commenced operate ns apraiust Ibn Rashid and claimed
to have killed 40 men and captured 20o hordes about the end of February or the beginning of March. Ou
the ^th May he reported to Sir P. Cox that Ibn Rashid had asked for peace, but staled he had replifd he
could uot comply without ascertaining our wishes. About June, 1917, Mr. R. was about To htart from
Koweit on hi? way to the Hejaz and to report on the situation in Central Arabia. I'nforiuuatelv, Mr. Storm
got sunstroke ami could not continue his mission.
On the 14th June, lull, Sherif Abdulla reported that Ibn Saud had written him a friendly lett'fr statin^ he
w»sauti-lurk, pro-Arab and pro-iherif, at the same time sending him a valuable mare. On the 18th June it
was reliably reported that Fakhn Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , at Medina, was endeavouring to communicate with Ibn Saud without
result, and had stated that Saud had sometime previously commuuicaicd direct svitn ConatatiTinqple to request
money and arms. On the 12th June General Clayton forwarded a statement of the Sherif that he had received
information that Ibn Saud was preparing to take action against him, had been aiaking pro- l urk speeches,
and was distributing the arms received from His Majesty's Government among "the Wahabis whom iie was
stirring up against the Sherif. and also that Ibn Saud had connived at the pu&sa^e through his country of
£T40,000-50,ooO for the Turkish troops in Asir and Yemen.
On the 28th September Sir P. Cox reported at length on Ibn Saud. The main points were that, it
Turkish gold had passed through his territory to tho Yemen, it was owing, to the slackness iof Ibu Sa.id's
people, and not by connivance of the Emir himself; that Dr. Harrison, who ha^ just returned from .Riadh,
reported that the continued strain of the war on the people of >«ejd, and the severe redtrictiona placed upon
their trade, caused public opinion to be hostile to us, although, owing to the. loyal attit udc of the Emir
himself, there was no overt talk against us: that the money lavished on the Heja/. tribes had spoilt the
market for Ibn Saud, and that, finally, his military value had never been over-estimated, and although he had
been given two guns and three machine guns, their value was doubtful, owing to lack of trained pers nnel.
At the Haj of r.'17 Abd er .Rahman, Ibn Sand's father, attempted the journey across Arabia, but had to give
up owing to infirmity, leaving the Haj to be performed ou his behalf by bis son, the Emit Mohammed, v. ho
was entertained by the Sherif of Mecca.
On the oOth October, 1917, Sir P, Cox reported that he had detailed Mr. H. St. J. Fhilby, l.C.S., and
Lieut.-Colonel Cunliffe Owen as a special mission to Ibn Saud, accompanied by Colonel Hamilton to represent
the views and interests of the Sheikh of Koweit. This mission appears to have accepted an exaggerated
estimate of the Rashid power ani importance from Ibn Saud. It was hoped that a British oHicer and a n pt e-
sentative of the bherif would come to Boreidahand the whole question of the inter;.al politics of Arab a would
be discussed. Mr. Storrs was suggested to King Hussein as the oflicer who wo.uld represent his interests at
the proposed conference. After considerable dilliculty the consent of the Sher.f was obrtjained to Mr. Storrs
proposed jonrney, but the Slierif finally revoked his approval and nothing would make hi-p change his mind.
In the meanwhde the mission from Mesopotamia had reached Riadh and Philby reported on the 2nd D&cotober
that Ibn Saud displayed consuming jealousy of the Sherifs assumption of the title King of the Aval>( • UBtrie-?.
and suspected that the Sherif's attitude in this connection was based on some secret understanding with ns.
Owing to the Sherifs refusal to allow Mr. Storrs to make the journey, Mr. ffeilby crossed Arabia and to the
undisguised annoyance of Hussein arrived at Jeddah via Taif at the beginning ot January, r.'i.-.
Commander Hogarth was sent to Jeddah from Cairo, where several conferences with i'hilby and King"
Hussein took place.
M