British imperialism and 'the Tribal Question' : desert administration and nomadic societies in the Middle East, 1919 - 1936

337 Pages·2015·3.599 MB·English

by  Robert S. G. Fletcher

BRITISH IMPERIALISM AND
‘THE TRIBAL QUESTION’
OXFORD HISTORICAL MONOGRAPHS
The Oxford Historical Monographs series publishes some of the best
Oxford University doctoral theses on historical topics, especially
those likely to engage the interest of a broad academic readership.
Editors
P. CLAVIN J. DARWIN L. GOLDMAN
J. INNES D. PARROTT S. SMITH
B. WARD-PERKINS J. L. WATTS
British Imperialism and
‘The Tribal Question’
Desert Administration and Nomadic
Societies in the Middle East, 1919–1936
ROBERT S. G. FLETCHER
1
1
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© Robert S. G. Fletcher 2015
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First Edition published in 2015
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014950694
ISBN 978–0–19–872931–0
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Jacket photograph: J. B. Glubb, ‘Mudawara Fort’, Trans-Jordan, 1933.
The National Archives (UK): CO 831/23/13.
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For Elsie Gray,
storyteller,
1921–2004

Acknowledgements
Writing this book about deserts has by no means been as lonely as the
subject matter might suggest. So many people have offered advice and
support that I fear I have not the space to thank them all in print. But
some friends and colleagues have been so encouraging that I would like to
take this opportunity to offer them my special thanks.
In the UK the Oxford Centre for Global History, Nuffield College,
Magdalen College, and the University of Exeter have all offered institu-
tional and financial support for the preparation and writing of this book.
I am particularly grateful to the Arts and Humanities Research Council
for funding my doctoral research. The William Alexander Fleet Fellowship
sent me to Princeton University for a year, transforming the scope of my
work. In Washington, DC, my fellow participants on National History
Center’s International Seminar on Decolonization opened my eyes to a
range of possibilities at just the right time: the Mellon Foundation sup-
ports this excellent programme.
The project would have made little headway without the patience and
advice of many librarians and archivists. Their institutions are listed in the
bibliography, but I am especially grateful to Debbie Usher of St Antony’s
College, Oxford, and John and Virginia Murray of 50 Albemarle Street,
for their particular kindness and expertise. Norman Cameron, Secretary
of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, afforded me invaluable access to the
Society’s uncatalogued records and proceedings. When the work began
I knew little about Claude Scudamore Jarvis, and certainly did not antici-
pate spending so much time in his company. That I ultimately did so owes
much to the forbearance of his grandson, Julian Eagle, who responded to
my cold call with the greatest openness imaginable.
Looking back, I realize now just how much of this project has been
worked out aloud, in conversations, seminar presentations and conference
papers. I am extremely grateful to the many conveners who gave me a
chance to speak, at Oxford, Birmingham, York, Princeton, Rutgers, Halle,
the American University in Cairo, the Institute of Historical Research, and
(in what must have been a real leap of faith, given the subject matter) the
National Maritime Museum. My ideas for a possible book on this topic
first began to crystallize while a student in Oxford with Andy Cohen,
Vincent Kuitenbrouwer, Dennis Montgomery, and Rob Upton. Their
companionship has left me with the fondest memories of that time. Rob
has remained a good friend and welcome critic throughout the writing of
viii Acknowledgements
this book. Together with Lawrence Bishop and Chris Bates, he also got me
to the church on time.
As the book took form, I gained much from the encouragement and
advice of colleagues who found time to talk through my ideas and com-
ment on early drafts. Martin Thomas, Roger Louis, Susan Pedersen,
Yoav Alon, James Onley, Benjamin Thomas White, Alexander Morrison,
Andrew Thompson, James Belich, Patricia Clavin, Johann Bussow, Astrid
Meier, Linda Colley, David Cannadine, Michael Collins, Robert Johnson,
Ben Mountford, and Tamson Pietsch have all helped to broaden this pro-
ject’s horizons. At Oxford University Press, John Watts and Stephanie
Ireland were ever the steady hands on the tiller. Above all, I am indebted
to John Darwin for his enthusiasm, insight, and wit. Any mistakes in what
follows are all my own.
My wife, Christine, put up with a great deal during the project’s ges-
tation, endlessly moving home to help me see it through. I owe her my
thanks and my apologies in equal measure. Ozaki Yoma has shown us
both great kindness that we hope, some day, to repay. My families on both
sides of the Atlantic have been much more supportive than I deserve; my
Mum and Dad gave selflessly, as ever. It is testament to the generosity and
understanding of all the people in my life that they won’t mind that—after
all the help they gave—I dedicated this book to someone else.
Exeter
December 2013
Contents
List of Maps, Figures, and Tables xi
List of Abbreviations xii
Introduction: The View from the Frontier 1
PART I
1. Asking ‘the Tribal Question’: The Royal Central Asian
Society in the World 19
2. Beating the Bounds: The Growth of British
Desert Administration 67
PART II
3. Running the Corridor 133
4. Making the Desert Bloom? Development, Ideology, and the
Future of the Steppe 183
PART III
5. ‘Somewhat Light Soil’: The Eclipse of British
Desert Administration 241
Conclusion: Deserts, Nomads, and Empire in
the Interwar World 273
Appendix: Dramatis Personae 285
Bibliography 289
Index 317