OSMANLI-İNGİLİZ EKSENİNDE HİCAZ’DA HİNTLİ MÜSLÜMANLAR
INDIAN MUSLIMS IN HEJAZ WITHIN THE OTTOMAN-BRITISH AXIS

Summary/Abstract: Ottoman State after establishing its authority in the Hejaz, attached great importance to the protection of the holy lands and the organization of pilgrimage services; this approach continued during the reign of Abdulhamid II. The Hejaz was regarded not only as a religious center but also as an important element of the policies of the caliphate and Pan-Islamism. Within this framework, projects implemented to facilitate the pilgrimage journey especially initiatives such as the “Hejaz Railway” were considered visible reflections of the Pan-Islamist ideology. Indeed, the main reason for the tension that emerged between the Ottoman State and Britain over the Hejaz was this situation, while Indian pilgrims were used as a means within this context. In particular, the poverty, health problems, and cholera outbreaks experienced by Indian pilgrims during their journeys led to diplomatic disputes between the two states. While the British administration criticized the administrative inadequacies in the Hejaz, the Ottoman side blamed the British rule for the unplanned nature of pilgrimage journeys and the economic conditions of Muslims in India. Consequently, Indian pilgrims became an important element of the political rivalry between the two states. The aim of this study is not only to examine the difficulties experienced by Indian pilgrims in the Hejaz but also to shed light on the political and diplomatic relations between the Ottoman Empire and Britain through this region.

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