At first glance this map of Arabia appears to be nothing more than a charming pictorial map of the pilgrimage routes to Mecca from India, Persia, Turkey, North Africa, etc. However, further inspection reveals this to be a much more important historical document.

On the 8th of June, 1916, Sharif Hussein bin Ali of Mecca had declared the independence of the Arab people from the Ottoman Turks. His stated goal was to unite Arabia, the Levant, and Mesopotamia into a single, independent Arab State. This map was published less than a month after Hussein’s declaration and is almost certainly one of the earliest depictions of the Arab Revolt.

The Arab Revolt was supported by the British who saw it as a way to weaken its enemies, Turkey and Germany, and to undermine the Ottoman Caliph’s calls for a holy war against the British. The text below the map contains a quote from the Aga Khan stating that Turkey “has not only ruined herself, but has lost her position of trustee to Islam”. This argument - that Turkey had lost all claim to be the defender of Islam and its holy cities - was the primary justification used by Sharif Hussein for the Arab Revolt, and the British were keen to spread this message at home and abroad.

The inclusion of important British possessions, such as Aden, Bahrein, and Basra, as well as the suggestion that the southern coast of Arabia was “under British protection” are all intended to show Britain’s role in the protection of the holy cities of Islam, in cooperation with its new Arab allies. Arab victories in Mecca, Jiddah, and Taif are trumpeted in the supporting text, while no mention is made of the early losses against the Turks. Curiously, neither Mecca nor Taif had been completely captured when this map was published, suggesting that the British were willing to stretch the truth in the name of useful propaganda.

This is an absolutely fascinating piece of propaganda and an extremely important document for the history of the Arab states.

Framed. [MEAST4904]