A Comprehensive Analysis of the History of the Hejaz in Saudi Arabia

This report delves into the rich history of the Hejaz region in Saudi Arabia, exploring its origins from prehistoric tribes to the present day. It examines the social, cultural, and political structures that have shaped the region, including the impact of Islam on traditions, family structures, and trade. The report analyzes the influence of the Hejaz railway, the role of the Ulema, and the significance of pilgrimage revenues. It also discusses the evolution of culture, including hospitality, religious festivals, weddings, and music. The analysis highlights the amalgamation of cultures and the region's unique approach to preserving its traditions, providing a comprehensive overview of the Hejaz's historical development and cultural identity. The study also provides insights into the geography and demographics of the region.

Running Head: HISTORY OF THE HEJAZ IN SAUDI ARABIA
History of the Hejaz in Saudi Arabia
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1HISTORY OF THE HEJAZ IN SAUDI ARABIA
Introduction
The historical proof of the presence of the earlier population in the coast of the Red Sea
and the mountainous region of the Asir and Najd in the south and north respectively. The area
generally falls in the now Saudi Arabia with its most prominent city Jeddah in the center and
Makkah and Medina in the being the religious centers of the Muslims around the world. The
paper will analyze the origin and development of the social, cultural and political structures in
the region of Hejaz.
Discussion
The Arabian Peninsula has been speculated to be formed as a result of the milder weather
in comparison to the ice-covered western regions and it attracted a population of Homo sapiens
from central and eastern Africa who migrated and settled in the then flourishing area of Arabia.
Prehistoric Tribes
It was not until recent discoveries we knew much about the Pre-Islamic tribes. The Hejaz
region constituted of three major tribes namely- the Baeda, the Qahtani and the Ismaeli Arabs.
Out of which we know the most about the Ismaeli tribes from the story of Zamzam, the only
source of water in the city till date. Ismael migrated with his wife and son Ibrahim from
Mesopotamia in Egypt to save himself from execution by the pharaoh (Bagader, 2017). The most
prominent tribe till date is the Quraish which was formed from Ismael’s marriage to a woman of
the region. The tribe gained prominence under Kilab who was given the responsibility of the
guardian of the Kaaba and the origin of trade started under his sons as well. The most prominent
aspect of the region began with the construction of Hejaz railway which joined the city of
Madinah and Damascus in the year 1908.

2HISTORY OF THE HEJAZ IN SAUDI ARABIA
Tradition and Culture
The most important factor affecting the culture of the region was the inculcation of Islam
in the society which constituted of various moral and social values. The literature was replete
with hospitality values and it was considered to be the scale with which the character of a person
was determined. Their characteristic feature is serving coffee with dates. Their festivities were
also directly influenced by Islam, Ramadan is the most important and most celebrated. The
festivities of Ramadan is the celebration of the purification and control over one’s body.
Muslims fast for the entire month of Ramadan where they eat only after the sunset till dawn
(Conte, 2015). It is not limited to avoiding food but also demands the cleansing of the body by
controlling the five senses. Another significant activity of Ramadan is Tarawih, a special prayer
offered along with the last prayer of the day but is optional and is to be done by the healthy
individuals only.
Family structure
The social family structure is mostly and generally traditional extended family with
people living under one roof with the elders in the family having the final say in any matter. The
families are patriarchal and patrilineal often polygamous with men allowed to have four wives
under certain circumstances (Dahlan, 2018). Though the general role of women in the family was
that of a nurturer in the financially weaker section of the society women stepped out and worked
alongside men to give stability to their family.
The Ulemas
The term Ulema is referred to the head of the tribes and were advisories of the
functioning of the society but according to the Islamic code of conduct. They were consulted on
all kinds of topics ranging from family matter to medicine and health issues. The head of the

3HISTORY OF THE HEJAZ IN SAUDI ARABIA
tribes were all liable to listen to him including the dominant and ruling tribe which has now been
a long time the Quraish. The Ulema dressed in a very particular way which distinguished them
from the rest wearing a long dress like top which were flowy and made of pure white cotton
material (Loreto, 2016). They tied their head with green or white-coloured cloth in a particular
fashion which is called umama and a bottom called sirwal which were linked with a thin cloth
string.
Trade
When the region was not harsh and rivers and land flourished people depended on the sea
route for trade still all the sea route trade is done from the city of Jeddah. The internal markets
are called sougs where all resources from every corner of Hejaz used to be gathered and each
market has a particular specialty which was based on the unique object found in that area. The
region is famous for the trade of spices and fabrics and in recent years from the 1970s and
afterwards they started trading in oil. Yet their most crucial business since the coming of
Muhammad, the prophet who laid the foundation of Islam in Makkah, has been the pilgrimage
revenues which the region has been earning. The pilgrimage to Makkah or Hajj as it is better
known as among the Muslims around the world is one of the five pillars of Islam where every
individual had the prospect and wealth to be able to travel to Makkah and complete the set of
customs (Zeinali, Khaledi & Eshgi, 2017). This has been the customs from the time the Wahhabi
Muslims took control of Makkah and Madinah and this has been the primary source of immense
wealth in Saudi and Hejazdihs. Owing to which several mosques were built in the region
including the prophet’s mosque where he was buried.

4HISTORY OF THE HEJAZ IN SAUDI ARABIA
Weddings and Music
The marriages in the society depended on the discretion and permission of the elders of
the family. The bride and groom’s family is responsible for finding a suitable match and then
negotiating the dowry which the bride’s family pays during the time of Nikah (marriage) which
is again done separately for the bride and groom as they cannot meet before Nikah (Minawi,
2015). A marriage contract is drawn which is signed by both and only after the completion of the
entire process Melka is distributed which consisted of sweets and dry fruits. It is after this, the
groom and bride are brought in front of each other and there are celebrations with food and
music. The dance and music generally consist of the Bedouins along with the family members.
Conclusion
The region constitutes of rich culture which has been formed as an amalgamation of other
Middle Eastern countries like Persia and Egypt and has transformed their learning and given it a
new face. Yet, the rigorous approach to adhere to their own culture has been the reason for the
lack of modernization as they are least affected by western culture. This has been the major
reason for the culture still being very intact in the society of Saudi Arabia as it was placed by the
founders of the Hejaz region.

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References
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Conte, G. (2015). The Hejaz Railway and the Ottoman Empire. Modernity, Industrialization and
Ottoman Decline. The Journal of European Economic History, 44(3), 227.
Dahlan, M. (2018). The Hijaz: The First Islamic State. Oxford University Press.
Loreto, R. (2016). 9 The Role of Dūmat al-Jandal in Ancient North Arabian Routes from Pre-
History to Historical Periods.
Minawi, M. (2015). Beyond Rhetoric: Reassessing Bedouin-Ottoman relations along the route of
the Hijaz Telegraph Line at the end of the nineteenth century. Journal of the Economic
and Social History of the Orient, 58(1-2), 75-104.
Valeev, R. M., Abidulin, A. M., & Ayupova, N. I. (2017). The project of Hejaz railway
construction: a historical and historiographic review.
Zeinali, B., Khaledi, S., & Eshgi, M. (2017). Analysis of the Role of World Trade in the Cultural
Evolution of Mecca (Fifth to Sixth Century AD). Journal of History Culture and Art
Research, 6(4), 252-267.

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