Construction and Impact of the 1908 Hejaz Railway on Arab Nationalism - Research Paper Example

Name Instructor Course Date Construction and Impact of the 1908 Hejaz Railway on Arab Nationalism Arab Nationalism refers to an ideology shared by Arab states in the Middle East. Arab nationalists advocated for the convergence of all Arab states to form one block which would be economically, politically and spiritually integrated. However, this Arabic dream of sovereignty was never realized to various factors. One of these factors is the construction of the Hejaz railway which was completed in 1908. By the time this railway line was complemented by the Ottoman Empire, major Arab states were affected. Arguably, the Hejaz railway positively impacted on Arab states by enhancing the economic and spiritual state through trade and pilgrim transportation to Hajj in Mecca respectively (“The Hejaz Railway” 3). However, the railway also adversely affected Arab Nationalism such that it allowed for the transportation of Turkish Soldiers to deeper Arabic states which increased Ottoman influence and suppressed Arab independence. Additionally, funding the railway was a financial burden to the Arab states. Therefore, although the construction of the Hejaz railway was beneficial to the Arabs, it undermined Arab nationalism by increasing access to Arab states, thereby enhancing western influence. The Construction of the Hejaz Railway (1900-1908) The construction of the Hejaz Railway was commissioned by Sultan Abdul Hamid II on the 1st September 1900 (Ahmed and Morgan 23). This came at a time when the Ottoman Empire was crashing due to poor leadership. Resultantly, the Turks wanted to remove the current Sultan from power and appoint a better leader who would establish a more dominating regime in the Arab states. To salvage his leadership, the Sultan commissioned the building of the railway to restore Arab's trust in him. According to his contentions, the railway would enable pilgrims to travel comfortably within a short period to Mecca for the annual Hajj. Basing on the value of this ceremony among Arabs, the Sultan was hopeful that he would restore the trust and support of the Arabs which was vital in sustaining the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, the Hejaz Railway line was a contingency measure against the exiting of Sultan Abdul Hamid II from power. The construction of the Hejaz Railway was commissioned at a time when the Ottoman Empire was on the brinks of bankruptcy. Arguably, the cost of constructing the Hejaz Railway between the years 1900 to 1908 was approximately 15% of the empire’s total budget in 1909 (“The Hejaz Railway” 4). As such, the Ottoman Empire was not able to sustain the project. Instead, the project was funded through taxation from the Arab states and an open donation platform for the same. Despite the fact that the project was duly financed by the Ottoman Empire, the technical know-how was way beyond their knowledge. Resultantly, the contractor, Heinrich Meissner sought the help of specialists from France, Germany, and Belgium to oversee the completion of the eight-year-old project. According to the plan, the railway was intended to run from Damascus (Constantinople) to Mecca (Arabia) although it was halted at Medina (Arabia) by the end of the eight years. Arguably, the construction of the Hejaz Railway was a formidable task due to the dry desert where the tracks were placed. The chosen route would cover the path used by pilgrims who traveled to Mecca for the Hajj ceremony. Also, this route would not only allow the uncivilized Bedouin community to sell supplies to travelers, but would also minimize instances of theft by the same community. Due to the adverse climate in the desert, construction took a relatively long period. For instance, it took four hundred Turkish soldiers a minimum of five months to build trenches, create embankments, and lay tracks in Wadi Rutm (“The Hejaz Railway” 5). Additionally, the raw materials from the Ottoman Empire were not enough to sustain the construction as expected by the Sultan. As a result, most of the steel used to lay the track was outsourced from European countries, increasing the cost of construction. Apart from economic and climatic adversities, the construction of the railway faced significant impediments resulting from human activities. To begin with, the Bedouin community felt as if their lifestyle was threatened by the railway and resorted to attacking constructors and railway stations. Also, they resorted to shooting and killing Turkish soldiers and tax collectors who went about their duties in villages (“The Arab Revolt” 8). On the other hand, most workers were afflicted by the adverse weather conditions. Hot and cool temperatures during the day and night respectively disengaged most workers physically. Similarly, diseases and lack of food nor water led to the death of many workers who were buried some distance beside the railway line. Due to the distance and the relative location of the construction route, communication became a formidable task that affected employees. Overall, the construction of the 1302 kilometer railway was undertaken by approximately 5,600 Turkish troops and 3000 infantry laborers (4). Despite this, however, the railway was completed by 1908, just in time for the anniversary celebrations of Sultan Hamid’s accession. Positive Implications of the Hejaz Railway on Arab Nationalism As aforementioned, the rationale behind Arab Nationalism was to create one joint block through the cohesion of all Arab states. Through this block, they would enhance their culture, economy, spirituality, and political leverage. Most importantly, the nationalist ideology would move them closer to being a sovereign state. Therefore, construction of the Hejaz Railway positively influenced their aims in various ways. To begin with, the Arab nations could not integrate effectively due to the transportation barriers they faced. For instance, traveling through the desert was dangerous because of adverse weather conditions and the hostility of the Bedouin community. In essence, this aspect of transport was most beneficial to pilgrims who traveled for approximately forty days and nights to arrive in Mecca for the annual Hajj religious ceremony. Compared to traveling by foot and animals, the railway line assured pilgrims of a maximum travel period of between three to four days by rail in addition to the comfort experienced in a train (Caldiran 28). Therefore, through transportation of pilgrims, the Hejaz railway enhanced Arab nationalism through religious cohesion. Additionally, the Hejaz railway made it economically possible for Arab traders to sell their goods in different Arab states. Before it was commissioned, trade was limited by the use of camel caravans. However, the advent of the Hejaz Railway was a new beginning for the Arabian economy. To start with, the internal market was extended. Moreover, the Arabs were able to sell their commodities to the Ottoman Empire in Tigris. Not only did the Hejaz Railway open up foreign markets in the Arab countries. Rather, it boosted the agricultural industry and reduced the cost of transportation as well. Also, the Hejaz railway enhanced intra-Arab tourism, which saw Arab countries benefit financially from each other. It is through this sort of market integration among countries that the Hejaz Railway served to better the economies of Arab nations. From an economic perspective, this amounted to Arab nationalism. Communication is an essential factor in creating cohesion within a region. Often, delayed or nonexistent communication is often detrimental in the making of key political, economic, and financial decisions among states. In contrast, the construction of the Hejaz railway was accompanied by the advent of a Telegraph line running from Damascus to Medina (Boinodiris 245). As such, this not only made communication cheaper, but quicker as well. In addition, the Hejaz Railway enhanced political integration among distant Arab provinces. For instance, the issue of taxation is one that required the converging of different state leaders to come up with a consensus regarding the appropriate amount of tax. Another instance where the Hejaz railway was used to form strong political foundations was when Sheik Hussein bin Ali was requested to restore peace in the Arab Peninsula in exchange for authority over the management of the railway line on behalf of Arab tribes. Furthermore, the Hejaz Railway opened up the interior Arab Peninsula to the Ottoman Empire, thereby enabling the deployment of Turkish soldiers to troubled states for the restoration of political stability. Therefore, by enhancing communication and political integration, the Hejaz Railway was an important tool in upholding Arab Nationalism. Negative Implications of the Hejaz Railway on Arab Nationalism Although the Hejaz was constructed to primarily impress Arabs and increase their support for the Ottoman Empire, it also significantly eroded Arab nationalism. To start with, the Hejaz Railway opened up the interior borders of Arab states, leaving them more vulnerable to dominance by the Ottoman Empire. As such, the railway line facilitated the transportation of Turkish soldiers from Ottoman to as far as Medina within a relatively short period. Additionally, it is worthwhile noting that Turkish soldiers were well-trained and endowed with sophisticated weapons which made it difficult for the Arab warriors to defect their tributary role. Contrary to this, the Arabs believed that expelling Turkish influence was a sure way to enhance Arab nationalism (Boinodiris 45). Therefore, proclaiming further authority over them through the Hejaz railway was a recipe for chaos. As such, this is evident from the Arab Revolt against the Turkish which occurred later leading to the collapsing of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, by opening Arabian borders and leaving them susceptible to foreign influence, the Hejaz Railway hampered Arab Nationalism. In addition to that, the construction of the Hejaz Railway led to economic instability in the Arabian Peninsula. As already mentioned, the construction of the railway line cost the Ottoman Empire approximately 15% of its 1909 fiscal budget. Arguably, this came at a time when the empire was facing a looming bankruptcy crisis, which prompted it to distribute the construction cost among Arabs. This imposition of high taxes hurt the financial conditions of Arabs as ascertained by their retaliatory acts which included killing Turkish taxmen and soldiers. Notably, the Hejaz Railway primarily benefitted the Ottoman Empire regarding trade and growth. As a matter of fact, the only town that developed as a result of the construction of the railway line was the City of Medina. For others, they incurred great losses. For instance, the train which carried pilgrims from Damascus not only deprived the Bedouins their practical lifestyles, but also reduced customers for camel caravans and marine carriers between Jeddah and Yambo (Calderan 21). In essence, financial freedom and economic independence are prerequisites of sovereignty. Therefore, by undermining the factors mentioned above, the Hejaz Railway was a detriment to Arab Nationalism. In addition to financial crises, the Hejaz railway led to political unrest. Evidence of this arises from the political interest that arose from European countries such as Germany, Britain, Belgium, and France. In essence, these political interests in Arabic states led to the success of the Arab Revolt against Turkey through the help of the British. Also, intra-political conflicts among the Arabs arose as with regard as to who was to manage which share of the railway. Arguably, this led to the proposal advanced to Sheik Hussein requesting him to unite the Arab tribes and be granted a fair portion of the Hejaz Railway to manage in addition to 250,000 Turkish Liras for the tribes (Ahmed and Morgan 36). However, this was not to be. What ensued was a radical war instigated by the Bedouin community against the railway. Taking a closer look, it can be highlighted that Sheik Hussein bin Ali shielded his selfish leadership ambitions behind the revolt started by the Bedouin communities. In essence, this can be described as the advent of pre-colonial terrorism; lust for power gained through extortion. Therefore, the construction of the Hejaz Railway by 1908 led to political instability which moved the Arabian Peninsula further from their nationalist ideology. Conclusion In summary, the construction of the Hejaz Railway in 1908 was beneficial to Arab states economically, politically, and spiritually. In correspondence to Arab nationalism, however, the railway construction sowed discord among Arabian states thus preventing unity. Through its construction, the Ottoman Empire opened up Arab states, making them susceptible to foreign influence. Moreover, they adversely affected the economic integration of Arab states by depriving the Bedouin communities their trade privileges. Finally, the Hejaz railway inhibited Arab nationalism by enhancing political discourse and terrorism amongst Arab states. Although the construction of the Hejaz railway hampered the unity of Arab nations, there exists a consensus that the Arab nationalist ideology still exists through their current integration of markets and political fields. Therefore, understanding the notion of Arab nationalism requires one to analyze the economic, political, and religious integration among Arab states. References Ahmed, A. & Morgan, H. Hejaz railway project. Archivesma, 20 may. 2017, http://archivesma.epfl.ch/2015/003/al-atwi_hempler_enonce/PDM_AlAtwi_Hempler.pdf/. Accessed 9 August 2017. Boinodiris, Stavros. ANDROS ODYSSEY: LIBERATION: (1900-1940). iUniverse, 2010. Calderan, A. The Revolt of the Arabs, Lawrence of Arabia and his Legacy. Leomajor, 2012, http://www.leomajor.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/HistoryReview-20-5-2017.pdf. Accessed 9 August 2017. Dearbag, Neil. The Arab Revolt: The Political Dimension. Jordan Archeology, 2010, http://www.jordan1914-18archaeology.org/NDpages/Arab%20revolt/THE%20ARAB%20REVOLT%20alt%20GARP.pdf. Accessed 9 August 2017. Dearbag, Neil. The Jehaz Railway. Jordan Archeology, 2010, http://www.jordan1914-18archaeology.org/NDpages/Hejaz/GARP%20HEJAZ%20RAILWAY.pdf. Accessed 9 August 2017. Read More