al-Rihla al-Tatwijiyya li-Asimat al-Bilad al-Injiliziyya
- Author died
- 1358 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al Suwaidi for Publishing and Distribution
al-Rihla al-Tatwijiyya li-Asimat al-Bilad al-Injiliziyya (The Coronation Journey to the Capital of the English Lands) is an early 20th-century Arabic diplomatic travelogue written by the Moroccan scribe and scholar al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Ghassal (d. 1358 AH / 1939 CE) . It records the official mission sent by the Alawi Sultan Mawlay Abd al-Aziz to Great Britain in 1902 to attend the coronation of King Edward VII, documenting the embassy's journey, diplomatic encounters, and detailed observations of London's urban and technological infrastructure .
Background and Purpose
The embassy was dispatched by Sultan Mawlay Abd al-Aziz to congratulate Edward VII on his accession to the British throne and his proclamation as Emperor of India . The delegation was led by the Moroccan ambassador, Pasha Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Sadiq, with al-Ghassal serving as the official scribe tasked with chronicling the journey and its official proceedings for future administrative and diplomatic reference .
Route and Itinerary
The Moroccan mission departed on the morning of Saturday, 17 Rabi' al-Awwal 1320 AH (June 1902) from Tangier aboard the British warship Royal Sovereign (رويان صفرن), arriving two and a half hours later in Gibraltar . After official receptions and exchanges of protocol visits with the British governor of Gibraltar, the delegation boarded the passenger steamer Persia (al-Basha) . Sailing past the coasts of Portugal and through the Bay of Biscay, the ship docked at the naval port of Plymouth alongside other foreign delegations, including Indian princes and an Afghan ambassador .
From Plymouth, the embassy traveled onward by train and carriage to London, arriving on a Friday afternoon, where they were accommodated at No. 74 St. James's Square, a designated residence in an elite quarter . Following the conclusion of their mission, the delegation departed from the port of Tilbury on the steamer Arabia (al-Rabiyya) to Gibraltar, where they rejoined the Royal Sovereign and returned to Tangier on Tuesday, 2 Rabi' al-Thani 1320 AH .
Descriptions of Modern London
Al-Ghassal devotes major portions of the work to descriptions of London's civic institutions, urban management, and technological advancements:
- Urban Infrastructure and Demographics: He estimates the population of London at approximately six million people and describes the extensive railway network, multi-tiered traffic systems crossing the River Thames (including underwater rail tunnels, river vessels, roadways, and overhead rail bridges), the New River water supply project, extensive gas and electric street lighting, and the Egyptian obelisk (Cleopatra's Needle) on the Thames embankment .
- Civic and Public Systems: He details the municipal fire brigade equipment, department stores outfitted with mechanical elevators (makina), home-delivery retail practices, and the policing system, noting both uniformed officers and plainclothes detectives, as well as the numbering and licensing of horse-drawn and electric carriages .
- Cultural and Public Sites: The author records visits to London Zoo—cataloging exotic animals such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and zebras—the Madame Tussauds wax museum, the Palace Theatre, and the Empire Theatre .
- Parliament and State Institutions: Al-Ghassal describes the British Parliament, its historical building, and parliamentary procedure, specifically highlighting the structured debate between government ministers and the opposition Liberal Party, the role of verbatim recording clerks, and the authority of the Speaker of the House .
- Military and Industrial Facilities: The account includes tours of the naval base and dockyards at Portsmouth, a major artillery and munitions factory employing around 25,000 workers where heavy guns, shells, and cartridges were manufactured, the Royal Stables, and military parades of colonial and Indian army troops where medals were presented to veterans of the Second Boer War .
Diplomatic Engagements and Composition
During the delegation's stay, King Edward VII fell ill, prompting the postponement of the scheduled coronation banquet and ceremonies; the embassy visited the royal palace to sign the inquiry registry and monitor the medical bulletins issued by the King's physicians . The delegation met with the Foreign Secretary, Lord Lansdowne, and attended an official banquet at his residence . They were also received in formal audience by the Prince of Wales (the future George V) and his consort, to whom Ambassador Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Sadiq delivered Sultan Abd al-Aziz's royal letter, encased in velvet and silk embroidered with gold thread .
Al-Ghassal completed the fair copy of the text on 1 Jumada al-Thani 1320 AH (September 1902) . A surviving manuscript was transcribed from the author's autograph in Tangier by Abd al-Salam ibn Muhammad al-Khulay' on 8 Muharram 1324 AH (March 1906) .
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