Page 70 - A Hand book of Arabia Vol 1 (iii) Ch 1,2

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34 SOCIAL SURVEY
V*
by the Senussi, and had married two wives, determined to assett
complete independence of all Asir. If he was not at first as success­
ful as he promised to be, he effectually divided the links in rlejaz
from those in Yemen, and is sovereign in Abu Arlslt and a consider­
able district north and east of it.

(B.) Mediatized Princes.
a
These vary much in the degree of their mediatization. Those in
the Ottoman Sphere were less independent than those in thb British
Sphere, the territories of the former having been permanently
occupied bv Ottoman troops, and to a great extent administered
by Ottoman officials ; while the sovereignty of the latter is limited
only by the presence of an Agent or Resident, without permanent
: foreign guards, and by treaty restrictions on their foreign relations
;
and control of oversea trade. Some of the latter, however, like the
I former, are subsidized. We shall consider the Ottoman Sphere
first and the British Sphere second.
1. Grand Sherifate of Mecca.—This principality rests on a tribal
and religious basis, the reigning head of the dominant Sherifial family
being, ex ojjicio, Chief of the Prophet's tribe, the Qoreish (a very
small entity of not more than 300 fighting men), and hereditary
Keeper of the Holy Places. He is of great consideration throughout
the Moslem world ; but the Sherifs have never claimed or been
accorded personal-sanctity of the Shiite Imam type. So far as the
basis of’their power is religious, it rests on reverence for their
descent (not for innate divine qualities in their persons, or supposed
esoteric knowledge), and on respect for those who are entrusted
with such holy functions as are theirs b}' right.
The Sherif’s temporal authority has varied inversely with the
strength of the Ottoman power ‘ protecting ’ him. If this were
weak, his was the real power throughout North-Western Arabia.
On the one hand, receiving a large subsidy frbtn the Ottoman
:.v Government and the title of ‘ Highness ’, he had to admit Turkish

i garrisons In all Hejaz towns, a Turkish governor-general in Mecca
(winter) and Ta if (summer), and Turkish sub-governors and other
!
officials in the five other provincial centres. On the other hand
i
! he had his own paid guard of 500 Arab regulars, partly camelry’
and could, at need, collect a large force of Bedouin allies from tribes
both in Hejaz and Asir. He was the chief executive officer in
Mecca itself, and alone could call up any Hejazi for military service
Even before his declaration of independence the present Grand
Sherif refused to exert this authority on behalf of the Ottotna

’ :•