File 3666/1925 'ARABIA: PRINTED CORRESPONDENCE 1924-28' [‎355v] (721/792)

Bin Saud admitted frankly to Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. Ihsanullah, as he had previously ad
mitted to the Netherlands Vice-Consul, Shaikh Pravira, that he did not approve
of this interference in harmless religious practices : he himself for instance did not
believe that Khadijah’s remains really lay under the tomb which is called by her
name, nor did he believe in praying at tombs, but he did not wish to interfere with
pilgrims who differed from him on these points ; only, he must defer for the present
to his fighting tribes, who happen to be the most fanatical.
4. Public security is perfect not only in Mecca but everywhere else within
the territory held by Bin Saud. This has been established by punishing the least
disorder with the most ruthless severity.
5. Owing to the stoppage of the pilgrim traffic the Mecca people are in a
state of great poverty. They are living in the hope that at least the Indian pil
grims will come. Local produce, e.g., meat, vegetables and ghi, is very cheap.
Of imported foodstuffs the chief increases in price are in flour (50% to 100%),
rice (70% to 100%) and tea (100%). That prices are no higher is attributed to
the smallness of the demand, which is due to lack of money and to the absence
of pilgrims and of very many of the inhabitants of Mecca.
The distress was being relieved to some extent by the Egyptian Takyah,
where about 4,000 persons—most of them Javanese, Malays and Indians—were
receiving a daily ration of soup. The distribution of bread has been stopped owing
to the high price of flour. This Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. was able to send up, by Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. Ihsanullah,
£e. 1,600 out of the takyah funds deposited in Jeddah. Letters from the Manager
of the Takyah to the Ministry of Auqaf have been received and are being sent to
Cairo.
6. The Senoussi is living very quietly and taking no part in public affairs.
This is perhaps necessary as, in spite of his name and reputation, he was treated
very roughly for going to say a prayer at Khadijah’s tomb.
7. Bin Saud gives as the cause of his delay in taking Jeddah his desire to keep
on good terms with the European powers. He says he is afraid that Ali would have
some of the consuls killed and throw the blame on the Wahabis, but his leading men
confess that he is really afraid that his tribesmen would get out of hand and that
not even he could prevent their treating Jeddah as Taif was treated if they captured
it by force of arms. His plan now is to take Akaba so as to cut the communica
tions of Jeddah with Medina and Ma’an (see despatch* No. 42, dated May 18th),
and to secure Yambo.
8. The Governor of Eritrea has written to Bin Saud in very pressing terms
asking him to send representatives to Asmara to conclude a commercial treaty
(see my despatch* No. 43, dated May 18th).
Bin Saud also stated that the French had offered to help him, but produced
no evidence to this effect.
The advances made by the Soviet Agent have been reported elsewhere [my
despatch No. 45, dated May 18th (Serial No. 109)].
9. Bin Saud’s main difficulty seems to be shortage of money. His tribes
provide their own arms and ammunition and sometimes even bring their own food,
but there are certain inevitable expenses and he has difficulty in meeting them,
relatively small as they are. He admitted this lack of money to Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf.
Ihsanullah and asked whether Messrs. Gellatly, Hankey & Co., in Jeddah, or
some other firm, would not gamble on his winning and lend him £100,000 or
so at a high rate of interest on the security of the Jeddah customs revenues.
10. Bin Saud appeared disappointed at first that Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. Ihsanullah kept
firmly to his role of a clerk with no right to talk politics. Finally he accepted
the position, but this did not prevent his talking politics himself for many hours.
He went through the whole history of his relations with His Majesty’s Government,
complaining that unjustifiable reliance had been placed on Hussein when he.
Bin Saud, would have done far more for half the money, and that he had been
ringed round with enemies.
To all this Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. Ihsanullah listened without comment. He considers that
the essence of these long talks can be summed up in a few words : Bin Saud
* Not received.

File 3666/1925 'ARABIA: PRINTED CORRESPONDENCE 1924-28' [‎355v] (721/792)

Transcription

About this item

Copyright: How to use this content

File 3666/1925 'ARABIA: PRINTED CORRESPONDENCE 1924-28' [‎355v] (721/792)

Transcription

About this item

Use and share this item

Copyright: How to use this content