ABSTRACT
During 1923 Arab nationalists—members of the shadowy Istiqlal Party—reached a peak of influence in Transjordan, where they comprised a good proportion of Abdallah's advisers. Most of them were Syrians by birth, and all were refugees from Faysal's short-lived Arab Syrian kingdom which the French had toppled in 1920. Husayn's organization of the Maan region into a fully-fledged Hijazi vilayet at that time was an additional provocation, which gave rise to a British interdepartmental campaign to have that area, with the Red Sea outlet of Aqaba, wrested from Husayn's control and incorporated into Transjordan. On 26 June 1924, Cox was instructed to convey to Abdallah HMG's displeasure concerning the general state of affairs, and in particular to urge him to accept and apply the new financial regulations without delay. During the eight weeks of Abdallah's absence on pilgrimage, there was intense correspondence between Cox, Clayton, and the Colonial Office.
