Harry St. John Bridger Philby: His life and The Role in The Establishment of The Wahhabi State

Britain took advantage of the political and economic crisis in the Ottoman Empire before the First World War and sent specially trained statesmen to control the Eastern countries in many ways, including political and economic. In particular, regarding the minorities as political subjects, Britain increased its influence in the areas where they were living and encouraged and guided them to gain their independence. In this context, Harry St. John Bridger Philby was one of the multicultural and multi-lingual statesmen that the British sent to India and later to Arabia in the years of World War I. Philby had taken private lessons from Cambridge University and specialized in Eastern literatüre and local languages, especially in Persian, Arabic and Indian culture. In the same period, the centralization policy of the Ottoman Empire, which was already weakened in many ways, turned the Arabs in many regions against the Ottoman rule. Philby, who was a highly equipped and experienced agent, reported his detailed observations on the Arab world to the British Government ideally, made observations on the political and religious ideas, aims and interests of the Wahabis and played an important role in the Arab independence and in the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is the Wahabian State of today. Philby then resigned from his post criticizing Britain's policies in the region, and by developing close relationships with Abdulaziz b. Saud, the founder and leader of the Wahabi State, he became his supervisor. Philby's choice of Islam in these years further strengthened the friendship between them. Being very effective in the modernization of the Wahabi State, Philby also played an important role in the enrichment of the state, mediated the entry of foreign capital into the Arab lands, especially for the automobile and oil companies. Moreover, the archaeological remains and geological findings, flora and fauna samples found and collected in Arabia and its surroundings by Philby who has been also regarded as a good traveler and explorer, are preserved in various museums and in associations and foundations of history and geography communities. Dozens of books, articles and newspapers articles that he wrote about his life and Arabia, and his observations and evaluations are of great importance in terms of being the first-hand source of that period.