A R A B I A under the term Nejd in their official documents, and they mainwhen the Wahabi stretched his rule across the peninsula from the tain their nominal rights as conquerors over the country. PracRed Sea to the Persian Gulf; when Hasa, Harik, the whole of Nejd, tically, they do not interfere with the local Arab governments, Kasim, Asir, and the provinces adjoining Yemen on the north which appear to be strong, progressive, and equitable. were united under the sceptre of Feysul, has been well described Turkish in Yemen has never been established on the by Palgrave. In .1870 Feysul, aged and blind, was assassinated, firm basis authority supports it in El Hasa and Hejaz. Turkish and dissensions arose which led immediately to the decline of misrule andwhich oppression have, no doubt, much to answer The Yemen Wahabi power, and gave opportunity to the Turk. A lurkish for in promoting the rebellions and disturbances which, rebeIljon force was despatched into the province of Hasa on the east, with but intermittent periods of rest from exhaustion, and occupied its capital, Hofhuf; and about the same time have harassed Yemen since 1891. But it must be remembered Turkish interference asserted itself on the west in Asir (between that the province of Asir, north Yemen, in which these rebellions Yemen and Hejaz), and in the inland provinces of Shammar. In commenced, is a Shiah district,ofallied by religious principles to 1871 a Turkish army from Syria tentatively established Ottoman Yemen rather than to the orthodox province of Hejaz, and that sovereignty in Yemen, at the invitation of the Yemenis themselves there are some 600,000 Wahabis, as well as upwards of 2,000,000 but Palgrave considered (with good reason at the time he wrote) Shiites in Yemen who do not recognize the Caliphate of the sultan that Yemen would not remain long under Turkish rule. The any way, and who will always dispute Ottoman sovereignty Turks have, however, not only retained their hold on Yemen, but in an opportunity may arise which promises success. The easy they have rather consolidated than weakened their authority in when the Shiah province of Asir, and extended it indefinitely into the and slack government of the Shiah Imam of Yemen had terminated hinterland which borders the central desert on the east of Yemen. in something approaching to general anarchy in the country in In Hejaz their authority has never been doubtful, so that all the 1871, when the Yemenites rashly invited Turkish intervention. fertile and populous districts of Western Arabia bordering the Red The Turks came from Hodeida, and, more suo, they came to stay. Sea are now under Ottoman rule ; and this rule is only limited on Although the Imam survived the Turkish occupation of Sanaa, the the south by the British occupation of Aden and the consequent capital of Yemen, he existed only as a Turkish pensioner, and the extension of British influence into the adjoining districts. No Arab tribespeople soon found themselves little better than Turkish definite boundaries exist; but the southern frontier of Turkish slaves. Acts of oppression and violence on the part of the Turkish Arabia is placed by the most authoritative maps in a position a authorities led to a revolt which commenced with resistance to taxlittle to the south of Kataba. Kataba is about eighty miles due collecting on the part of an Asir tribe, the Beni Meruan, in 1891. north of Aden, well within the limits of the mountain districts, Turkish rule had never been more than nominal in Asir, and so long which here attain to altitudes of 7400 and 7700 feet above sea, as as the Beduin rulers of Hejaz withheld their support it was of no determined by the latest Indian surveys. From a point south of great political significance. But the first reverse sustained by Kataba, which roughly forms the apex of the triangular division of the Turkish troops (who took the field unprepared, and were Southern Arabia included within Aden jurisdiction, the partition defeated with a loss of 400 men in the early stages of the rebellion) line between Turkish Arabia and the Aden districts runs irregularly set all Yemen aflame, and in a very short time the insurrection past Tez (a town south of Ibb on the main northern caravan route) included all tribes south of Asir, excepting the Beduin of the to a point on the coast line of the promontory of Sheikh Said, Tehama. A Turkish force which landed at Hodeida under Ahmad about seventy miles to the west of Aden. Here the Turks have Feizi Pasha—formerly governor of Mecca—checked its progress for a constructed a fort and established a permanent military post at time. Manakha was retaken, Sanaa relieved, and Ismail Pasha Turba. The guns of the fort do not command Perim, and the object was despatched to crush the rebellion in the south. Here a rapid of the occupation is doubtful. It is to this position that the French collapse of the insurrection ensued, and, with 40,000 Turkish have advanced a shadowy claim. On the east the division between troops in Yemen, it appeared in 1893 as if resistance was at an Aden and Yafi territory reaches from Kataba to the coast, near end. The northern mountain districts, however, were but half Shukra, about sixty miles east of Aden. From this point to the subdued, and with but small provocation the flame has burst out borderland of the fertile province of Oman, which occupies the again and again with intermittent persistency ever since. In May south-eastern corner of the peninsula, the cultivated and habitable 1895 the British vice-consul was murdered. Early in 1896 fightdistricts of the southern coast are under the independent rule of ing between the Ateyba and Harb tribes was reported; and the local chiefs who boast (according to Palgrave) an independence of disturbances culminated with a partially successful assault upon barbarism and poverty which is in great contrast to the organized Yambo (where the governor was wounded in the conflict) and in a and progressive governments of the Arab sheikhs of Central Arabia. mutiny at Jidda. It was decided to build forts at Jidda, and This hardly agrees with the latest illustration of the conditions of to despatch further reinforcements ; but the record of the next Arab existence in Hadramut afforded by the explorations of Bent. two years still continued to be one of local disturbance throughHadramut is in direct touch with civilizing influences at Haidara* out the country, and of more or less organized rebellion in bad in the Deccan of India ; and in that city many of its chiefs are certain parts of it. The plundering propensities of the Wali, and to be found serving the Nizam. Indigenous Arab government, the unrest which is the invariable sequel of famine, led to another undisturbed by Ottoman rapacity or by internal dissensions, in- serious rising in 1899, and to the despatch of 22,000 troops and variably demands respect. In Southern Arabia, at the present 7 batteries of artillery from Mecca. In May 1899 the Turks time, it is probably to be found at its best. The province of Oman suffered a severe reverse at the hands of the Beduin, led by the has always succeeded in maintaining its independence of Turkey, and Imam ; but another hard-fought battle took place in June, in is now under the rule of a member of the same Yemenite dynasty which the Turks were successful. In October of the same year 35 of Imams that has existed since the province was first de- regiments, each 400 strong, left Constantinople for Upper Yemen ; livered from the yoke of Persia, about the middle of the 18 th and since then, although, according to report, there have been intercentury. The Turks are as firmly established in El Hasa, to mittent fighting and active rebellion from time to time, it is clear the north of Oman, as they are in Hejaz, in Western Arabia. that on the whole the Turks have not only maintained their Hofhuf, the capital of El Hasa, is about 40 miles from Ajer, on position but have annexed new country and extended their occuthe coast, and from 90 to 100 from Katif. Here, and at El Bidia, pation to the eastern hinterland of Yemen. Turkish occupation is a small garrison of regular Turkish troops. At Katif, where has doubtless favoured the interests of Great Britain in Yemen by there is nothing but an old fort facing the sea, a force of zaptieh affording some sort of guarantee for the safety of trade routes. (Turkish gendarmerie) represents Ottoman authority. El Hasa is The greater part of the Yemen trade now flows to Aden. The governed by a Turkish lieutenant-governor under the Wali of anarchy which preceded Turkish rule affected not only local trade Basra. In 1886 the Turks commenced the construction of a fort but the importation of European goods from the Persian Gulf. at Fao, nearly opposite Mohamrah, on the lower Euphrates, which As might be expected from the close connexion which exists effectually dominated the channel of that river. This was in direct between commercial Arabia and India, trade prospects have suffered contravention of their treaty engagements with Persia. In con- considerably from the influences of famine and plague of Trade. sequence of representations made to the Porte by the British late years. The Jidda trade in 1897 showed a falling off Government, the work was suspended some years ago, and guns of nearly £51,780 (or 8 per cent.), reducing the total import value to were never placed in position ; but the enceinte of the fort remains about £645,000. On the other hand, trade with Egypt (which, curiexactly as first constructed. In the Nejd or highlands of Central ously enough, includes the importation of a considerable amount of Arabia the political divisions of the country are represented by two Brazilian coffee) is increasing rapidly. The chief imports are rice, independent Arab states, governed by the emirs of Jebel Shammar wheat, and manufactured goods. The decrease in the value of the and Riad respectively. Ibn Rashid of Jebel Shammar, lately latter alone amounted to £35,740. Exports (chiefly hides, gum, and deceased, was reckoned to be the most important political person- mother-of-pearl) also show a decrease, the total value only amountage amongst Arab chiefs of the present day. He was said to ing to £19,250. Hodeida has suffered equally from the general possess a bodyguard of 1000 mounted negroes, whose steeds were depression of trade, although the want of a harbour must be arrayed in silver harness. He was undoubtedly a strong and reckoned as a permanent drawback to trade with this port. capable ruler. The two emirs or sheiks are independent of each The total imports (piece goods, food stuffs, spices, and dates, other ; but both admit Turkish influence, whilst they repudiate chiefly) were valued in 1897 at £705,200, and the exports at Turkish sovereignty. The Turks themselves, for political reasons, £712,660. The latter are mostly coffee and hides, the value of still include all the Wahabi territory which they once dominated the coffee export alone being over half a million. The products 518
