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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎294r] (592/898)

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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. .

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letters to King P uad and to Lord Lloyd, but before he had had time to deliver them
the fate of the Hejaz had already been decided.
*r' Iviil f tp 1 j s a 7 e . r y person and easily deceived I have no doubt
nat he actions of Fuad and Abdullah were those of cowards, and whilst they may
have been going to endeavour to enlist sympathy for Ali, they were primarily saving
^ieir hides. Fuad had been responsible for the whole of the scurrilous and lying
propaganda conducted m the last months of the war and also responsible for the
proclamations dropped on Mecca, m which the terms used against Ibn Saud
personally were of a nature to shock the least susceptible.
, Another thing which materially affected the decisions of Fuad and Abdullah
that they were safer away from the Hejaz was that they had been engineering a
revoh m Mecca,which, indeed, very nearly came to a head, but of its eventual
failure there could have been no doubt. Owing to the faithlessness of one of the
participants the whole of the details came to Ibn Saud's ears, and he had all the
ringleaders arrested. Ibn baud himself was to have been murdered as he went to
or was m the mosque and his body treated in a particularly atrocious manner.
Lhese facts no doubt contributed to hasten the departure of these two from the
Hejaz, and it was also the failure of this plot, which even more than the distress of
his soldiers and people, that hastened Ali to take a decision.
15. Even when he could no longer hide the news of the fall of Medina and
alter being deserted by his more responsible Ministers and the commander-in-chief
o the forces, one Fahsin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , and knowing that discipline no longer existed in
the army and intrigues were rampant in the town, he still could not make up his
mind to any definite line of action, and from the 10 th till the 13th instant was
shivering around his palace in a state of mental terror and indecision that was
pitiful to behold.
His main ideas were : Firstly, to proceed to the Yemen with the Hejaz steamers
ij S i^K posal and join the Imam Yahya, taking with him such war materials as
could be loaded conveniently and continue the war against Ibn Saud from the Asir
side.
There were several objections to this course, of which the main was perhaps the
objections of the townsfolk to the war materials being taken froip Jeddah, as this
action might incense Ibn Saud after his entry and lead to punishment of the towns
people themselves. Also, the soldiers refused to disarm until they were paid or
repatriated, amd consequently, as Ali had no money to pay them, the idea was owing
to his indecision dropped.
Secondly, he had a desire to request refuge on British territory, but again
refrained from asking for this, even though he had been advised to do so over and
over again, as he was afraid of a rebuff from His Majesty’s Government.
16. On the 12th instant 220 Palestinian and Syrian soldiers left for Akaba
on the steamship “ Rushdi.”
17. On the 13th instant Ali at last requested refuge on British territory, and
also that His Britannic Majesty’s representative in Jeddah should act as inter
mediary between him and his people and Ibn Saud for the surrender of the town.
Both these requests were granted, and on the morning of the 17th instant His
Britannic Majesty’s representative met Ibn Saud and arrangements were made for
the submission of the town, which was satisfactorily accomplished by the
21 st instant.
18. Owing to the difficulty of disarming the soldiers whilst Ali was still in
Jeddah, he was on the morning of the 20 th embarked on H.M.S. “ Clematis,” lying
in Jeddah harbour, and a provisional Government under the leadership of the local
Governor (Kaimakam) was appointed. This Provisional Government was formed
of the heads of the main administrations, but, properly speaking, never functioned.
All civil employees were retained and all the essential services maintained normally.
19. The head of the Provisional Government and the commander-in-chief of
the forces officially surrendered to Ibn Saud on the morning of the 21 st, and after
that date functioned in his name.
20. King Ali left Jeddah in H.M.S. “ Cornflower ” on the 22nd instant for
Aden, after which he will proceed to Bagdad.
21. Ibn Saud with a strong bodyguard entered Jeddah on the morning of the
23rd, and for the present none of the civil employees have been interfered with or
replaced.
He intends to remain in Jeddah for some weeks to thoroughly reorganise the
various administrations in view of the forthcoming pilgrimage, and expresses the

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
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File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎294r] (592/898), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/1115, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100084998361.0x0000c1> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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