The Hejaz Railway and the Ottoman Empire

Murat Ozyuksel is Professor of History and Political Science at Istanbul University, Turkey.

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I: The Historical Development of Railway Construction in the Ottoman Empire

Railway Construction in Rumelia and Anatolia
1) Internal and External Dynamics of Ottoman Railways and the British Lines
2) A Fruitless Effort: State Railways
3) The Anatolian and Baghdad Railways
B. Imperialist Dilemmas and Syrian Railways
1) Origins of the French Influence in Syria and the French Railways
2) The Haifa-Damascus Railway and Other British Projects

CHAPTER II: Decision to Construct the Hejaz Railway
Declaration of the Imperial Firman Concerning the Hejaz Railway and Initial Reactions
The Main Factors Behind the Decision to Construct the Hejaz Railway
1) Economic Factors
2) Abdülhamid's Islamist Policy
3) Religious/Political Factors
4) Military/Political Factors

C.The Evolution of the Hejaz Railway Project
CHAPTER III: Financing the Hejaz Railway
The Donation Campaign
1) External Donations
a) Donations Collected in India
b) Donations Raised in Egypt and Other Islamic Countries

2) Donations Collected in the Ottoman Empire
a) People and Institutions that Contributed to the Donation Campaign
b) The Organization of the Donation Campaign
c) The Role of the Media in the Donation Campaign
B.Other Revenues
C.Financial Sources Evaluated

CHAPTER IV: The Construction of the Hejaz Railway
The Hejaz Railway Administration
Negotiations with the DHP Company
The Launch of the Construction and Recruitment of the Technical Staff
Provision of Railway Materials
Haifa-Dera Branch Line
1) The Construction of the Line
2) The Economic Dimension of the Haifa Railway
3) Rivalry against DHP Company and the Pro-Hejaz Railway Attitude of Germans

F.Inauguration of New Lines (1904-1908)

G.Extraordinary Problems
1) Water
2) Fuel
3) Labor
a) The Organization of the Railway Battalions
b) Benefits Provided to the Workers

CHAPTER V: Forces Resisting the Hejaz Railway
British Obstruction of the Aqaba Line: The Tabah Crisis
1) Significance of the Aqaba Line
2) Tabah Crisis
B. Attempts to Sustain the Hejaz Railway Construction
1) Significance of the Medina-Mecca and Mecca-Jeddah Lines
2) Resistance of the Bedouin
3) Resistance of the Amirs of Mecca
C. French Obstruction of the Afula-Jerusalem Line
D. Other Unrealized Lines and Some Additions

CHAPTER VI :Were the Expectations Fulfilled?

MAPS AND DOCUMENTS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

Administrative Dimension
1) Hejaz Railway Staff
2) Analysis of the Operating Revenues
B.Religious/Political Dimension
C.Military/Political Dimension
1) Pre-war Period
2) War Period
3) Arab Rebellion and the Hejaz Railway
D.Economic Dimensions
The Main Factors Behind the Decision to Construct the Hejaz Railway
1) Economic Factors
2) Abdülhamid's Islamist Policy
3) Religious/Political Factors
4) Military/Political Factors
B.The Evolution of the Hejaz Railway Project

CHAPTER III: Financing the Hejaz Railway
The Donation Campaign
1) External Donations
a) Donations Collected in India
b) Donations Raised in Egypt and Other Islamic Countries
2) Donations Collected in the Ottoman Empire
a) People and Institutions that Contributed to the Donation Campaign
b) The Organization of the Donation Campaign
c) The Role of the Media in the Donation Campaign
B.Other Revenues
C.Financial Sources Evaluated

CHAPTER IV: The Construction of the Hejaz Railway
The Hejaz Railway Administration
Negotiations with the DHP Company
The Launch of the Construction and Recruitment of the Technical Staff
Provision of Railway Materials
Haifa-Dera Branch Line
1) The Construction of the Line
2) The Economic Dimension of the Haifa Railway
3) Rivalry against DHP Company and the Pro-Hejaz Railway Attitude of Germans

F.Inauguration of New Lines (1904-1908)

G.E