Lawrence's Rifle

The rifle in the picture has an interesting story. It bears the inscription ‘Captured during the Battle of Gallipoli’ in old letters. This means that it was taken as spoils of war during the Battle of Gallipoli.

The rifle, manufactured by the British company Lee-Enfield, was taken as spoils of war from a British officer captured during the 1915 Gallipoli battles.

The rifle is currently on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.

The letters T. E. L. on the rifle are the initials of the famous British spy Thomas Edward Lawrence. Next to these letters is the date 4.12.16.

How this rifle came into the hands of British spy Thomas Edward Lawrence is a mystery. The date 4 December 1916 engraved on the rifle by Lawrence gives us a clue.

After being taken as spoils of war from a British officer, the rifle was engraved with the words ‘Taken as spoils of war in the Battle of Gallipoli’ and presented as a gift by Enver Pasha, the Minister of War and son-in-law of the sultan, to Faysal, the son of Sherif Hussein.

The barrel of the rifle bears the inscription, ‘Presented to His Highness Sherif Faysal by Enver Pasha,’ on its left side.

Sherif Hussein's son, King Faisal of Iraq

Faisal was the third son of Sherif Hussein and ruled Iraq for 12 years, from 1921 to 1933. Faisal was brought to the throne of Iraq by the British.

I can hear you asking, ‘Since Sharif Hussein and his sons were traitors, why did Enver Pasha give this rifle as a gift to Sharif Hussein's son?’

Let me reiterate that the Battle of Gallipoli took place in 1915. Sharif Hussein was appointed by the Ottoman Empire as the Emir of Mecca. In a sense, Sharif Hussein was the Ottoman governor. His son Abdullah served as a member of parliament in Hijaz until 1914, when the parliament was in session. Therefore, it is quite normal that Enver Pasha gave the rifle, which was captured from the British as spoils of war, as a gift to Faysal, the son of Sharif Hussein, the Emir of Mecca, who was the governor at the time, after the enemy was forced to retreat at Gallipoli in 1915. In fact, this gift may have been intended as a warning: ‘We defeated the British, and this rifle, which was captured as spoils of war, is a reminder of that. Do not make any mistakes.’

The uprising led by Sharif Hussein of Mecca, who stormed the Ottoman garrison in Mecca and declared himself King of Hejaz, took place on 10 June 1916. Therefore, until 10 June 1916, Sharif Hussein was not a traitor collaborating with the British but a loyal governor of the Ottoman Empire. The gift of the rifle also took place before this date.

With the Ottoman Empire's signing of the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918, acknowledging its defeat in the war, the rebellion initiated by Sharif Hussein with British collaboration also ended successfully.

It is understood that Sharif Hussein gave this British rifle, which Enver Pasha had sent him as a gift, to Lawrence, who facilitated contact between the Arab rebels and the British, as a token of gratitude for his support in the rebellion, six months after the start of the rebellion, on 4 December 1916.

What happened next?

Sharif Hussein ruled the Kingdom of Hejaz from 1916 to 1924. In 1924, he rebelled against the British after they failed to fulfil their promise to make him the ruler of all Arabs. The British responded by deposing him and installing his son Ali as king of Hejaz.

Ali bin Hussein, King of Hejaz, was defeated by the Saudis in December 1925 and fled to Iraq to join his brother Faisal. Ali bin Hussein died in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, in 1935.

Sharif Hussein, Emir of Mecca and later King of Hejaz

Sherif Hussein's son, Ali, King of Hejaz

His father, Sherif Hussein, Emir of Mecca, was exiled to Cyprus by the British. When his health deteriorated, the British allowed him to go to Amman to live with Abdullah, the son of the King of Jordan. He died in Amman and was buried in the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.

Sharif Hussein's other son, Faisal, was the King of Iraq under the name Faisal I from 1921 until his death in 1933. Upon his death, his son, Faisal I, succeeded him.

Sharif Hussein's other son, Faisal, was King of Iraq under the name Faisal I from 1921 until his death in 1933. Upon his death, his son became king under the name Gazi I.

After Faisal I, his son became king under the name Faisal II. On 14 July 1958, a coup d'état deposed King Faisal II, who was subsequently killed. This marked the end of the Hashemite monarchy in Iraq.

Sherif Hussein's other son, Abdullah, ruled the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (formerly known as Transjordan) for 31 years, from 1921 until his death in 1951. Upon his death, his son Talal I succeeded him.

Of the kingdoms of Hejaz, Iraq, and Jordan established by the British and ruled by Sharif Hussein and his sons, only the Kingdom of Jordan remains today. The current King of Jordan, Abdullah bin Hussein, is the son of Hussein, the son of Talal, the son of the first King Abdullah bin Hussein.

Sharif Hussein's son, King Abdullah of Jordan

What happened to King Talal?

Due to his schizophrenia, which prevented him from fulfilling his duties, King Talal of Jordan was forced to abdicate in favour of his son by the Jordanian Parliament on 11 August 1952 and retired.

King Talal spent the next 19 years receiving treatment at the Şifa Yurdu in Ortaköy, Istanbul, and died of a heart attack in Istanbul on 7 July 1972.

Before the Great Revolt, Sharif Hussein exchanged numerous letters with the British High Commissioner in Egypt, McMahon, between July 1915 and March 1916.

The British promised Sharif Hussein that he would become the ruler of all Arabic-speaking territories to be seized from the Ottoman Empire. However, in 1916, the British secretly signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement with the French, ceding Syria, Lebanon, and other territories to the French. Additionally, British Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour promised to establish a Jewish state in Palestine in exchange for money received from Rothschild.

These events help us understand why Sharif Hussein's relationship with the British deteriorated after the end of the World War.

Sharif Hussein's son was King Abdullah of Jordan.

In fact, the Arabs were bargaining to choose the side that would benefit them the most.
This situation was beautifully depicted in a cartoon published on the cover of Der Wahre Jacob magazine in Stuttgart, Germany, on 5 February 1915, before Sharif Hussein had even started his rebellion.
The cover caricature depicts a desert landscape with camels and armed Arabs in traditional dress. One of the armed Arabs sitting in front of a tent asks, ‘If only we knew whether we should fight for the British or for the sultan.’ Another Arab replies, ‘I think we will fight for whoever pays us the most.’
This cartoon was published on 5 February 1915, one year and four months before Sharif Hussein launched his revolt. There is no surprise here.