Skip to item: of 898
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎96r] (196/898)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 volume (445 folios). It was created in 13 Mar 1924-18 Mar 1931. 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.

Apply page layout

' L ™! Dncnment is the Property of His Britan me Watty’s r.n„.,n m .n, ,
; ' Jr"*^ j- „ .-*•
EASTERN (Arabia).
CONFIDENTIAL.
[E 4713/94/91]
September 17, 1929.
Section 1.
No. 1
M r ) . Bond to Mv. A. Hondovsow, — (Tip.n priori Qonn+nvYi'Un™ i>7 \
I have, &c.
W. L. BOND.
Enclosure in No. 1 .
Jeddah Report for period July 1 to 31, 1929.
CONI IRMATION was received from the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs
at the beginning of the month of the defeat of the Ajman tribe at A1 Rida towards
the end of June. Since then no change has taken place in the situation in Northern
Hasa. Feisal-ed-Doweish is believed still to be in that neighbourhood, and may
give trouble.
2 . One result of the unsettled situation is the deflection of the transit trade
for Nejd from Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports to Jeddah. This is shown in the increased
commercial activity between Jeddah and Nejd.
3. The King’s journey to Riyadh resembled in many respects an advance into
unpacified country. Reconnaissances in force were carried out at every stage of
the journey for fear of attack from the Ataibah tribes, and progress was consequently
slow. Thanks.to the elaborate precautions taken, and no doubt, also, to the arrival
of news of the defeat of the Ajman, his journey through the doubtful area appears
to have been accomplished without untoward incident. After considerable delay
he reached Dawadami, near Sha’ara, a place about 150 miles from Riyadh and some
distance away from the main road, to which he had summoned the Ataibah chiefs.
4. He appears at this meeting to have upbraided them for disloyalty and to
have passed certain judgments upon them of a nature not recorded, but apparently
connected with dismissals and appointments. To judge by the account of his speech
to the assembled chiefs published in the local newspaper, Ibn Saud did not mince
matters. He reminded his audience of the day when with a band of forty men
he attacked and defeated them, and he told them that his people were' their masters
and the descendants of their masters by right of the sword. “ Are there not a
number of you,” he said, “upon whose fathers’ and grandfathers’ necks my sword
and my father’s sword and my grandfather’s sword made play?” He finally
informed them that he intended to annihilate the Ajman tribe, and he called upon
all backsliders to take part in an attack which he proposed shortly to launch against
them. Absence of any of the leaders without proper excuse was to be punishable
by death or by the arrest of his forces and the confiscation of his arms and horses.
5. On the night of the 17th July the Akhwan leaders Hazam-bin-Hithlain and
A1 Foqum arrived in Koweit and asked for an interview. The Sheikh of Koweit
refused to allow them to enter the city, but, with his concurrence, His Majesty’s
representative met them at 5-30 a.m. on the 18th instant at a place 1^ miles outside
the walls. At the interview the rebels expressed the desire to conclude a treaty of
friendship with Great Britain. They stated that they would undertake not to
attack Iraq or Koweit, and asked in return for free access to Koweit in order
to purchase supplies. His Majesty’s representative, in reply, gave them clearly to
understand that His Majesty’s Government could not treat with men in rebellion

About this item

Content

The volume mostly contains printed copies of despatches from HM Agent and Consul, Jeddah, to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, enclosing reports on the situation in the Hejaz (also spelled Hedjaz in the file) [now a region of Saudi Arabia], from January 1924 to December 1930, and related enclosures to the reports. These despatches were sent to the Under-Secretary of State for India by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The volume also includes 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. Political and Secret Department minute papers, which include comments on the reports, and indicate that the reports had been seen by the Under-Secretary of State for India and the Political Committee of the Council of India.

The reports are monthly for January to August 1924, May 1925, September 1925 to March 1927, June 1927 to June 1930, and December 1930. Reports between these dates cover shorter periods, except July and August 1930, which are both covered by one report, and September, October and November 1930, which are also covered by one report.

The reports discuss matters including the actions of King Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi of the Hejaz, including his attempts to gain recognition as Caliph, and the military and financial situation in the Hejaz during the war between the Hejaz and the Saudi Sultanate of Nejd [Najd]. They report on events of the Hedjaz-Nejd war including: the capture of Taif (September 1924) and Mecca (October 1924) by Nejd; the departure of the ex-King Hussein from Jeddah; the fall of Medina and Jeddah and the surrender of the Hejaz to Sultan Abdul Aziz of Nejd [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd, also known as Ibn Saud] (December 1925); and the formal assumption of the title of King of the Hejaz and Sultan of Nejd and its Dependencies by Ibn Saud (8 January 1925).

The reports following the annexation of the Hejaz by Nejd cover internal affairs, including prohibitions introduced for religious reasons, the Hejaz Railway, the financial situation of the Hejaz-Nejd Government, and the Hejaz Air Force. They also report on foreign relations, including: the publication of an agreement, dated 21 October 1926, between Ibn Saud and Sayyid Hassan-el-Idrisi, establishing the suzerainty of Ibn Saud over Asir; relations between Ibn Saud and Imam Yahya of the Yemen; the situation on the frontiers between Nejd and Iraq, and Nejd 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 the Treaty of Jeddah between Hejaz-Nejd and Great Britain (20 May 1927). They also report Ibn Saud being proclaimed King of the Hejaz, Nejd and its Dependencies (4 April 1927).

In addition, other frequently occurring topics in the reports are: the Pilgrimage [Hajj], including the arrival of pilgrims in the Hejaz, from India, Java and elsewhere, arrangements for the pilgrimage, the welfare of pilgrims, and the repatriation of pilgrims; and the slave trade and slavery in the Hejaz, including the manumission and repatriation of slaves.

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 (445 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 1707 (Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)) consists of one volume only.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 447; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-444; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎96r] (196/898), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1115, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100084998359.0x0000c5> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100084998359.0x0000c5">File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [&lrm;96r] (196/898)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100084998359.0x0000c5">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000466.0x000084/IOR_L_PS_10_1115_0196.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000466.0x000084/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image