Hijaz Railway and Sherifs of Holy Mecca (1900-1914)

Alwan Abdallah, Nazar

	Hijaz Railway and Sherifs of Holy Mecca (1900-1914)
Al-Mustansiriya Journal of Arts
Article 1, Volume 0, Issue 65, 2017, Pages 1-24
Author
Nazar alwan Abdallah
Abstract
Sultan Abdul Hameed II who reigned the Ottoman State between the years (1876-1909) was the one who adopted the idea of establishing Hijaz railway line and executed it, stemming from his endeavor to promote the Ottoman State and its political and strategic capability in Arab Peninsula on one hand. The project execution really began by the year 1900 and lasted about eight years, and not until the end of 1908 the official inauguration was made when the first train arrived at Medina on 22nd of august announcing the end of work primarily, until the railway would be extended later on to Mecca, but the local powers in Hijaz realized the dangers of the political goal lying behind the project, especially after the deposition of Sultan Abdul Hameed II and the access of Al-Ittihad wal Tarraqqi Group the opponents of Arab attitudes towards the rule; therefore, the situation of those powers was closer to reservation which was manifested in refusing the supervision on the many attempts and temptations started by the Ottoman State to convince them to agree on extending the railway line from Medina to Mecca, and this reservation could be the reason that made Sherif Hussein bin Ali and his ancestors contemporary to the project not to exert serious efforts in mediating among tribes and convince them not to oppose it due to the great influence known for the Sherifs in Mecca on those tribes.
Keywords
Hijaz Railway; Idea and Construction; Opposing Attitude

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