HEJAZ, he-jaz, or HEDJAZ, Arabia, since November 1916, a kingdom of which Mecca is the capital. It comprises the former vilayet of Hejaz, extending from Akaba in the north to Asia in the south; the area is about 96,500 square miles bordering the Red Sea littoral and is a region of desert and oases. There are, however, many populous coastal towns con nected by the Hejaz Railway with terminals at Mecca and Medina. The population numbers about 300,000.
History.— In June 1916 the Grand Sherif El Hussein ibn Ali of Mecca, with his three sons, revolted against the Turkish authorities and within two months was master of the prin cipal towns. On 27 June he proclaimed his independence of Turkey. The first result of the revolution was the opening of the ports on the eastern shore of the Red Sea, which had been closed by Turkey, for trade with the ports of the Entente Allies, particularly those of Egypt on the opposite shore. Early in September the French government, in full accord with the government of Great Britain, dispatched a dele gation of French Moslems to the Grand Sherif of Mecca with the mission of congratulating the new Arabian government on its deliverance from Turkey. It was also the bearer of a substantial
sum of money (about 3,000,000 francs) for the purpose of rendering financial aid to the new state. The French government also furnished a vessel for the British and French Moslems in which to resume their annual pilgrimages to Mecca by way of Jedda. Thousands of such pilgrims took advantage of this free service and it proved an important factor in the develop ment of Franco-Arabian relations. When the date of the pilgrimage drew near the Grand Sherif sent out circulars inviting all °true be to come to Mecca. Those pilgrims found'a new Mecca, a cleaner city and free of the assassins and robbers of former years. In November 1916 the Grand Sherif assumed the title and office of king at the request of the Ulema and notables of Mecca, approved by the unanimous vote of the people, and has been recognized as king of Hejas by the Allied governments. See ARABIA; MECCA; TURKEY; WAR, EUROPEAN. Consult (Current (New York October 1916); 'Statesman's Year Book) (1918).