St John Philby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
St John Philby
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St John Philby in Riyadh
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| Born |
Harry St John Bridger Philby
3 April 1885 Badulla, British Ceylon
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| Died | 30 September 1960 (aged 75) Beirut, Lebanon
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| Education | Westminster School |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Arabist, explorer, writer, intelligence officer |
| Spouse(s) |
Dora Johnston
(m. 1910)Rozy al-Abdul Aziz
(m. 1945) |
| Children |
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Harry St John Bridger Philby (born April 3, 1885 – died September 30, 1960) was a British explorer, writer, and adviser. He was also known as Jack Philby or Sheikh Abdullah. He worked as an adviser to King Abdulaziz ibn Saud, who founded Saudi Arabia.
Philby was very dedicated to his work. In 1908, he joined the Indian Civil Service. He studied languages at the University of Cambridge. Later, he was sent to Lahore in Punjab. There, he learned to speak many languages, including Urdu, Punjabi, Baluchi, Persian, and Arabic. In 1930, he converted to Islam. He then became a close adviser to King Ibn Saud. He encouraged the king to unite the Arabian Peninsula. He also helped him talk with the United Kingdom and the United States when oil was found in 1938. Philby's second wife was Rozy al-Abdul Aziz, a Saudi Arabian woman.
His son from his first marriage, Kim Philby, became famous as a double agent for the Soviet Union. Khaled Philby, one of his sons with his second wife, worked for the United Nations.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Harry St John Bridger Philby was born in Badulla in British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). His father was a tea planter. Philby went to Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he studied languages. He was friends with Jawaharlal Nehru, who later became the first prime minister of India.
In September 1910, Philby married Dora Johnston. They had a son, Kim, born in 1912. They also had three daughters: Diana, Helena, and Patricia.
Becoming an Arab Expert
In late 1915, Philby was asked to lead the finance part of the British government in Baghdad. His job included figuring out how much money to pay people for their property. The goal was to help the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks. This revolt aimed to create a united Arab state.
In 1917, Philby traveled into the Arabian Peninsula. He led a group to meet Ibn Saud, a powerful leader who followed Wahhabism. Philby secretly started to support Ibn Saud. He believed Saud was a better leader for the region. Philby even crossed from Riyadh to Jeddah to show that Saud controlled the Arabian highlands.
After a revolt in Iraq in 1920, Philby became the Minister of Internal Security in Mandatory Iraq. In 1921, he became the chief of the Secret Service in Mandatory Palestine. He worked with famous figures like T. E. Lawrence.
Advising King Ibn Saud
Philby believed that it would be best for both Britain and the Saud family if the Arabian Peninsula was united under one government. He thought the Saudis should become the protectors of the holy places in Islam.
In 1924, Philby had to leave his job because of disagreements. He had been talking with Ibn Saud without permission and sharing secret information. Soon after, Ibn Saud began to challenge the ruling family of Mecca. Philby advised him on how to expand his power without upsetting the British. In 1925, Philby said that Ibn Saud had brought great order to Arabia.
Philby moved to Jeddah and became a partner in a trading company. He became well-known as a writer and explorer. He even mapped the Saudi–Yemeni border on camel back. He became King Ibn Saud's main adviser when dealing with the British Empire and other Western countries. He converted to Islam in 1930.
In 1931, Philby helped arrange for Charles Richard Crane to visit Jeddah. Crane came to explore for oil in the kingdom. In 1932, Standard Oil of California (SoCal) asked Philby for help to get oil rights in Saudi Arabia. Philby became an adviser to SoCal. He also told the Anglo-Persian Oil Company about SoCal's interest. This helped Saudi Arabia get a better deal. In 1933, SoCal signed a 60-year contract to explore for oil in the al-Hasa region.
By 1934, Philby helped American businesses enter the region. This led to a political friendship between the US and the Saud family. In 1936, SoCal and Texaco joined together to form ARAMCO (Arabian–American Oil Company). Philby represented Saudi interests in this important deal.
Philby's Ideas for Peace
Philby was against the idea of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. However, he suggested a plan to find a compromise. This plan was reported in The New York Times in 1929. The "Philby Plan" suggested that Jewish people could continue to move to Palestine. In return, they would give up the idea of having political control.
In 1937, David Ben Gurion, who would become Israel's first prime minister, met Philby. Ben Gurion hoped Philby could help him reach an agreement with King Ibn Saud. Philby sent Ben Gurion a draft agreement. It suggested that Jewish people would be welcomed to the Middle East if they gave up the Balfour Declaration. However, Ben Gurion found parts of the plan unacceptable, especially about Jewish immigration.
In 1939, Philby ran for a seat in the British Parliament. He lost the election. Soon after, World War II began.
When Philby traveled to Bombay in 1940, he was arrested and sent back to England. He was held for a short time. After his release, Philby suggested his son, Kim, to the British secret service, MI6.
Later Life and Legacy
After King Ibn Saud died in 1953, Philby openly criticized the new king, King Saud. Because of this, he was sent away to Lebanon in 1955.
In Beirut, he reconnected with his son, Kim. They lived together for a while. Philby helped Kim by introducing him to his many contacts in the Middle East. Both Philby and his son were supportive of Gamal Abdel Nasser during the Suez Crisis in 1956. They had access to information about the British and French plan to take the Suez Canal.
In 1955, Philby returned to live in Riyadh. In 1960, he visited Kim in Beirut and became very ill. He died shortly after. He is buried in a Muslim cemetery in Beirut. His tombstone says, "Greatest of Arabian Explorers."
Academic Interests and Discoveries
Philby was very interested in wildlife during his travels. He gave scientific names to birds like the Arabian woodpecker. He also named a type of scops owl. Many of his birds were named after women he admired. He sent many animal specimens to the British Museum. Sometimes, he even hid maps inside his specimen packages.
A type of Middle Eastern bird, Philby's partridge (Alectoris philbyi), is named after him.
In 1932, Philby was searching for the lost city of Ubar. During this search, he was the first Westerner to visit and describe the Wabar craters.
Awards and Recognition
In August 1917, he received the Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire award. In 1920, he was given the Royal Geographical Society Founder's Medal. This was for his two journeys in South Central Arabia.
A type of Middle Eastern lizard, Uromastyx ornata philbyi, and a partridge, Alectoris philbyi, are named in his honor.
Works
Philby wrote many books about his travels and discoveries:
- The Heart of Arabia: A Record of Travel & Exploration. (1922)
- Arabia of the Wahhabis. (1928)
- Arabia. (1930)
- The Empty Quarter: being a description of the great south desert of Arabia known as Rub 'al Khali (1933)
- Harun al Rashid (1933). About Harun al-Rashid.
- Routes in south-west Arabia [map]: From surveys made in 1936 (1936)
- Sheba's daughters; being a record of travel in Southern Arabia (1939)
- A Pilgrim in Arabia (1943)
- The Background of Islam: being a sketch of Arabian history in pre-Islamic times (1947)
- Arabian Days, an autobiography (1948)
- Arabian Highlands (1952)
- Arabian Jubilee (1952)
- Sa′udi Arabia (1955)
- The Land of Midian. (1957)
- Forty Years in the Wilderness (1957)
- Arabian Oil Ventures (1964)
Images for kids
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His son Kim Philby
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A Wabar meteorite etched section
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See also
In Spanish: St John Philby para niños
- The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power
- Muhammad Asad
- King of the Sands
Sources
- Kingmakers: the Invention of the Modern Middle East, Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac, W.W. Norton (2008)
- Princes of Darkness, Laurent Murawiec, Rowman and Littlefield (2005)
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press (2004)
- Arabian Jubilee, H. StJ. B. Philby, Robert Hale, (1952)
- Philby of Arabia, Elizabeth Monroe, Pitman Publishing (1973)
- The Secret War Against the Jews, John Loftus and Mark Aarons, St Martin's Press (1994)
- Arabia, the Gulf and the West Basic Books (1980)
- The House of Saud, David Holden and Richard Johns, Holt Rinehart and Winston (1981)
- The Philby Conspiracy, Bruce Page, David Leitch and Phillip Knightley, Doubleday (1968)
- Saudi Arabia and the United States, 1931–2002 by Josh Pollack (2002)
- Mirage: Power, Politics, And the Hidden History of Arabian Oil, by Aileen Keating, Prometheus Books (2005)
