Battle of Jarrab

The Battle of Jarrab is among the events of the confrontation between Najd and Hail at the outset of World War I, and it was connected with developments in the region, including the military plan of the Ottoman authorities in 1914 and Britain's efforts to make contact with King Abdulaziz. [2][4]

The events of the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia then continued after it until the proclamation of the Kingdom in 1351 AH / 1932. [3]

At the outset of World War I, the position of the ruler of Najd, Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud, was closer to neutrality, while the ruler of Hail, Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Rashid, held to his allegiance to the Ottoman State. [1]

The Emirate of Hail was loyal to the Ottomans before the outbreak of the war: Ibn Rashid stood with them and set out at the head of a force to the Iraqi frontier in Rabi' al-Thani 1334 AH, and his forces reached Az-Zubair and Al-Khamisiyah in Iraq as part of the Ottoman war effort. [2]

The plan of the Ottoman authorities in October 1914 provided that Prince Saud Al Rashid, in cooperation with the Ruwallah, the Howeitat, Bani Sakhr, the Shararat and the tribes adjoining the Hejaz Railway, would advance on Sinai and Egypt; that plan was not put into effect. [2]

The British documents showed Ibn Rashid's steadfast loyalty to the Ottoman State, together with hesitation about fighting alongside it before forces and materiel arrived from it, after which he adopted a course closer to conciliating the British. [2]

The idea of British support for King Abdulaziz was discussed with the British Captain Shakespeare in 1911, who visited him to learn the facts and conditions in the Najd region and gave no undertaking. [4]

At the beginning of World War I, Britain sought to win King Abdulaziz's support against the Ottomans, and then concluded the Treaty of Al-Uqair, also known as the Treaty of Darin or the Treaty of Qatif, in 1334 AH / 1915, in which Britain recognised Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa; it included recognition of the sovereignty of the Saudi State and a guarantee of British assistance in any confrontation with Ottoman forces. [3][4]

The annexation of Al-Ahsa to the Saudi State in 1913, the decline of Ottoman influence and the adjacency of the frontiers of the Saudi State to the scope of British influence in the Gulf region paved the way for British contact with the Saudis, and the negotiations between the two sides led to the conclusion of the Treaty of Qatif in 1915. [5]

In 1927, King Abdulaziz moved promptly to remove the restrictions of the Treaty of Darin through the Treaty of Jeddah, in which Britain recognised him as King of the Hejaz and Najd, with the right to conclude treaties with other states. [4]

Some members of the Shammar tribe loyal to Ibn Rashid raided into Kuwaiti territory, taking four hundred camels and other property belonging to the people of the town of Shaqra in Najd in 1915, and that was among the manifestations of tension between Hail and Kuwait. [1]

The death of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah in late 1915 did not lead to an immediate change in the nature of relations between Kuwait and Hail. [1]

On the other hand, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber, the ruler of Kuwait, signed an agreement of reconciliation and the establishment of the Neutral Zone, which constituted a securing of the eastern borders of the Saudi State. [3]

The journey of the Danish botanist Barclay Raunkiaer in 1330 AH / 1912 documented a detailed description of his route from Kuwait to Buraydah, Az-Zulfi, Al-Ghat, Jabal Tuwaiq and Ar-Rawdah as far as Diriyah and Riyadh, and it is a testimony to the conditions of the Qassim region in a period close to the time of the Battle of Jarrab. [6]

King Abdulaziz took Hail in 1340 AH, and then the Hejaz, Asir and Najd were unified in 1351 AH / 1932 to become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [3]

Q: How did Najd and Hail stand towards World War I? A: The position of the ruler of Najd, Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud, was closer to neutrality, while the ruler of Hail, Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Rashid, held to his allegiance to the Ottoman State. [1]

Q: What was the treaty that Britain concluded with King Abdulaziz in 1334 AH / 1915? A: The Treaty of Al-Uqair, also known as the Treaty of Darin or the Treaty of Qatif, in which Britain recognised Abdulaziz as Emir of Najd and Al-Ahsa. [3][4]

Q: When did King Abdulaziz take Hail? A: In 1340 AH. [3]

Q: When were the Hejaz, Asir and Najd unified into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? A: In 1351 AH / 1932. [3]

This course was completed by the taking of Hail in 1340 AH, and then the proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1351 AH / 1932. [3] Related topics on the platform include King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hail region, the Qassim region and the Treaty of Al-Uqair.