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File 57/1905 ‘Arabia: - Situation in Yemen (1905-11). Arab revolt against Turks. Imam of Sanaa’s letter to the King. Fighting in Yemen 1911. Agreement between the Turks & the Imam’ [‎58v] (121/692)

The record is made up of 1 volume (342 folios). It was created in 1905-1912. It was written in English and French. 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. .

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9
non-commissioned officers, old residents of Sanaa, and avIio had thcii families there,
remained loyal to the Government, and were alloved to he at large. ^
The vali, Mahomed Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , proclaimed a state of siege at Sana a on the 12th
January, ordered that the gates of the city he closed, and prohibited all exit fiom it.
At the same time he caused to he arrested and confined in a foitiess se\eial prominent^
Arahs, including some m the employ of the Government, on suspicion of having been
in correspondence with the Imam Seyyid Y ahya.
On the 13th January the vali, with a force of about 1,000 men and four guns,
made a sortie outside the Hodeidah gate, that is, to the west of the town, and engaged
the rebels in a severe fight, in which, it is said, that they (the rebels) lost over
500 men, including four important sheikhs. This estimate, however, needs confirma
tion, and is apparently the official one issued at the time. The Arabs, I infer, suffered
principally through the Turkish artillery fire, and attempted to rush the guns, but
failed badly. The losses on the Turkish side were trifling.
This, I believe, was the only occasion in which there was any serious fighting
between the besieged garrison and the insurgents throughout the siege.
The rebels concentrated in the direction of the town of Raudah and the village of
Shaoob, lying to the north of Sana’a, but confined their activity from the start to
sniping at the walls of the town, especially at night. The garrison used to reply by
rifle fire, but sometimes used to amuse themselves by keeping up a desultory bombard
ment of the villages round about and any portions of the enemy that came in sight.
Very little damage used to be done, although quite a quantity of ammunition was
expended.
On the 30th January, according to my informant, two small outposts at a place
called Assir, situated on the crest of the mountain ridge overlooking the town of Sana’a
from the west, were attacked and captured by the Arabs, the small garrisons occupying
these being forced to surrender after their stock of ammunition was exhausted. Two
guns and a Maxim, it is stated, fell into the hands of the rebels, who afterwards
removed these south to bombard the Turkish fortified post of Senam Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. .
Later, on the 12th February, a detachment of 250 Arab troops (?), probably
Syrian, evacuated a position in the neighbourhood of Metneh owing to lack of supplies,
and in endeavouring to reach Sana’a w T ere obliged to surrender to the Arabs near the
village of Mind, just outside Metneh, after their ammunition had run out.
On the 20th March the Turks occupied a ridge to the east of Sana’a, called the
“ Donkey’s Back,” and shelled the village of Shaoob to the north all day.
On the 20th March General Mahomed Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , with a force of about 1,000 men
and five guns, made a sortie to the south-west of the capital, destroyed the village of
Safiya, and bombarded another called El-Hadda that was affording hospitality to the
insurgents. About mid-day he was obliged to retire rather suddenly owing to the
advance of a strong body of the enemy on his right flank.
On the ^ffih March the lurks again occupied the ridge to the east called the
Donkey s Back, and kept up a fire with their artillery on the houses and tow T ers of the
village of Shaoob, that were apparently strongly held. The infantry advanced towards
the village at noon, but made very little progress. Later in the day another battalion
made a sortie from the northern gate of the town in the direction of Shaoob, and came
m close quarters with the rebels. The troops retired at sundown, bringing in the
heads of foui Arabs, which the authorities caused to be hung up at the four principal
gates of the city. ^ ^
In addition to the various sorties referred to above, on the 3rd April, being the day
previous to that of the entry of the relief force into Sana’a, Mahomed Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , with
two battalions and five guns, tried to occupy the villages of Safiya and Assir, but was
obliged to retire owing to the greater strength of the enemy.
Ibis may have only been intended as a reconnaissance by the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , and, if so,
certainly served its purpose, as on the following day, i.e., the 4th April, heavy firing
behind the Assir ridge on the Hodeidah road was audible in the forenoon, and later to
the north, m which direction the Arabs were hastily retreating.
About mid-day the rebels abandoned the Assir ridge, commanding Sana’a from the
south-west, and the relief force under Colonel Riza Bey entered the town a few hours
later without opposition.
gar s osses sustained by the garrison during the siege, I learn from a fair
reliable source that the total number of wounded admitted into hospital since the sie^
amoun ec o oi y- iree. the number of men killed during the various sorties ma(
did not exceed fifty or sixty, and the total casualties 200.
M y mformant critlci ses the arrangements made by the Turks for the defence

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Content

The volume contains letters and other papers, mainly by British Consular officials, reporting on the political situation in Yemen between 1905 and 1911. Their correspondence contains numerous military reports about Turkish troop and transport movements, the progress of the conflict between Turkish and Arab forces, and the state of the country and inhabitants of Yemen Vilayet, particularly the capital Sana’a, the Red Sea port town of Hodeida, and Asir in Saudi Arabia. Their diplomatic reports discuss the following topics: the response to be made to the appeal by the Imam of Yemen (also referred to as the Imam of Sana’a, Sanaa or Sana) to the King Emperor (Edward VIII), asking him to intercede with the Sultan of Turkey about the oppression of Turkish officials in Yemen; the letter from Mohammed Johia Hamid-ed-Din, father of the Imam of Yemen to Mohamed Effendi-el-Hariri, Mufti of Hamoh, describing the Arab revolt in Yemen against Turkish rule; the Commission sent by the Grand Shereef of Mecca to the Imam of Yemen with the object of ending the military conflict in Yemen between Turkish troops and the Arab forces of the Imam of Yemen; the letters of friendship from the Imam of Yemen to the Sultan of Lahej (also referred to as the Abdali Sultan) and the interview 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. for Aden with a representative of the Imam of Yemen sent to propose an alliance with the British Government; the special Turkish Commission sent to Yemen by the Sublime Porte, to negotiate a peace settlement with the Imam of Yemen and the Sheikhs of the Arab tribes; the ratification of the agreement between the Turkish Commander Izzet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and the Imam of Yemen.

Extent and format
1 volume (342 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 57 (Yemen situation 1905-11) consists of one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 344; 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. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore been crossed out.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 57/1905 ‘Arabia: - Situation in Yemen (1905-11). Arab revolt against Turks. Imam of Sanaa’s letter to the King. Fighting in Yemen 1911. Agreement between the Turks & the Imam’ [‎58v] (121/692), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/68, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026613141.0x00007a> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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