Records Within Records: A survey of Middle Eastern newspaper extracts found in the India Office Records

The 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 (IOR) relating to the Gulf contain a rich corpus of press titles published across the Middle East region, dating from the 1830s to 1950s. These materials, mostly in the form of newspaper articles, clippings, or extracts, are located within administrative files and volumes. The majority appears in English translations, though some are preserved in their original languages, primarily Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, or Persian. Extracts from over 140 newspaper, journal, and periodical titles of this kind have been digitised for the QDL, including Zahrat al-Sharq, Al-Rabita al-Arabiyya, Al-Tariq, Al-Nahar, and Sawt al-Hijaz.

The Earliest Press Publications: Official gazettes

In the early nineteenth century, most of the region’s press outlets were established by, or largely operated under the influence of their respective governments, resulting in content that served the interests of those in power. One of the earliest press titles found in the records is the Ottoman Government’s official gazette Takvim-i Vekayi (established in Istanbul, 1831). Initiated by Sultan Mahmud II, the paper was inspired by the Egyptian official gazette al-Waqaʾiʿ al-Misriyya (established in Cairo in 1828 on the orders of Muhammad ‘Ali Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. ). Takvim-i Vekayi became the official outlet for publicising new laws and decrees issued by the Ottoman Government, playing a crucial role in promoting a series of reforms known as Tanzimat, which were implemented in various parts of the Ottoman Empire between 1839 and 1876. 

The Emergence of a Private and Independent Press

The second half of the nineteenth century saw the emergence of several private and independent newspapers, including the daily Ottoman Turkish-language gazette İkdam, founded by Ahmet Cevdet Oran in Istanbul, 1894, and the weekly newspaper Levant Herald, established in Istanbul by James Carlile McCoan in 1859. Published in both English and French, Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Herald was also circulated in Britain and Europe. Both publications were critical of the Ottoman Government, particularly of the policies of Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid II.

Other nineteenth-century publications found in the records come from Egypt, such as the Arabic language weekly (later daily) Al-Ahram, founded in Alexandria in 1875 by the Lebanese brothers Bisharah and Salim Taqla. Among its early writers were Muslim scholars like Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad ʿAbdu, who were advocates of Pan-Islamic unity against British rule. Today, Al-Ahram remains one of Egypt’s most prominent newspapers.

Among the Arabic-language Egyptian publications of the time were Al-Muqattam and Al-Muʾayyad. Established in Cairo in 1889 and co-edited by Yaʿqub Sarruf, Faris Nimr, and Shahin Makarius, Al-Muqattam was openly pro-British and advocated the British agenda in Egypt. In contrast, its rival, Al-Muʾayyad, established in Cairo in 1889 by Egyptian journalist and national activist Shaikh ‘Ali Yusuf, was a popular Pan-Islamic, anti-British newspaper. Its lead columnists included Egyptian scholar Qasim Amin and revolutionary statesman Saʿd Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Zaghloul.

A Surge in Publications

Publications in the early twentieth century focussed on the pressing issues of the time, including Palestine, the role of Islam in society after the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate, Arab nationalism, Gulf affairs, anti-British propaganda, colonialism, political independence, and women’s liberty. The majority of the material found in the records comes from Iraq, including but not limited to Al Waqaʾiʿ al-ʿIraqiyya, Al-Ahali, Al-Karkh, Al-Sijill, Al-Kifah, Al-Istiqlal, Sada al-Dustur, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nas, Al-ʿUqab, Al-Bilad, Al-Ikhaʾ al Watani, and Al-Zaman. Iraqi newspapers covered a wide range of topics, with some focusing on local affairs, national trends, and Iraqi-Kuwaiti relations.

Other press cuttings found in the records are from Palestine. One notable example is Falastin, a weekly (later daily) Arabic-language newspaper established in Yafa in 1911 by ʿIsa Dawud al-ʿIsa and his family. Falastin became one of the most prominent newspapers in Palestine and reached every part of the country. In addition to its focus on the emerging Palestinian struggle, Falastin featured cultural and literary columns. Another example is the daily political newspaper Al-Jamiʿa al-Arabiyya, founded in Jerusalem in 1927 by Munif al-Husayni, which similarly focused on the Palestinian cause.

Publications from Syria include both French-language titles such as La Chronique and Bureau National Arabe, as well as Arabic-language newspapers such as Al-Ayyam and Fata al-Arab. Like Palestinian and Iraqi newspapers, Syrian publications focussed on regional issues but also addressed national, political, and cultural affairs. Notable among these were Damascus-based daily, Fata al-Arab, founded by Maʿruf al-Arnaʾut in 1920, and the short-lived anti-French newspaper Al-ʿAmal al-Qawmi (1938-39), founded by ‘Abd al-Karim al-ʿAidi, a key member of the League of Nationalist Action. The latter was eventually forced to close under pressure from the French authorities.

The records also contain many articles and clippings from the Saudi newspaper Umm al-Qura (established in Mecca, 1924). It was the first official newspaper issued during the reign of King Abd al-‘Aziz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥman Al Sa‘ud, and it published official declarations, local and international news, as well as literary columns.

Conclusion

These wide-ranging newspaper extracts can be described as ‘records within records’, as their research value is equal to that of the files and volumes in which they are preserved. While confirming their status as significant historical sources, their unlikely presence in a colonial archive raises the question of how and why they were included. It seems that British colonial officials’ concerns about the role of the press in the Middle East largely explains why we encounter such a large volume of press clippings and quotations within these records. Their inclusion in 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. correspondence enables us to trace the history of these publications and their various contributors. Moreover, for many modern-day readers, especially those familiar with colonial narratives, certain publications found within these records offer fresh perspectives on important historical events, often contrasting to those views and perspectives held by British colonial officials.