Vilayet period Hejaz Vilayet

the arabian peninsula in 1914

in late 1860s, commission sent hejaz reorganize province, , following decades saw introduction of administrative reforms. hejaz reorganized vilayet in 1872 according vilayet law of 1864. province divided sanjaks, kazas , nahiyes. mecca became center of vilayet, medina , jeddah sanjaks. administrative structure of hejaz reformed, changes enacted in rest of empire not implemented here.

othman pascha, governor of hejaz 1882 1886.

the towns of mecca , medina exempted paying taxes , in fact, given subsidies, called surre, ottoman treasury distributed poor in mecca , medina. hejaz region first received subvention in reign of abbasid caliph al-muqtadir in tenth century, afterwards became customary other caliphs , sultans send these subsidies. however, aside residents of mecca , medina, inhabitants of other towns , villages did not benefit much. subsidies paid notable nomadic shaikhs, had potential disrupt passage of pilgrims in region. entire province exempted military service; attempts overturn exemption blocked sharif of mecca.

the ottomans maintained garrison force of 7,000 soldiers under command of officers, in addition sharif s own personal guard of 500. proper garrisons stationed @ towns of mecca , medina whereas pocket garrisons kept in jeddah, yanbu , ta if- of alongside strategic hejaz railway. besides these settlements, roads , other infrastructure not under ottoman control - roads yanbu medina required strong escorts , mecca-medina railway route regularly closed tribesmen demanded payment passage - highway robbery , murder common on these roads.

the ottomans completed hejaz railway, linking damascus medina, in 1908, railway severely damaged during world war , later abandoned. in 1916, result of mcmahon–hussein correspondence, sharif hussein ibn ali declared himself king of hejaz.