The Demographic History of Palestine During the British Administration (1917-1948) based on the Official Records of Palestine Demography/Sejarah Demografi Palestin Era Pentadbiran British (1917-1948) berdasarkan Rekod-rekod Rasmi Demografi Palestin

Headnote

ABSTRACT

One of the physical transformations during the time of British Administration of Palestine occurred demographically, as a land that was once inhabited by a majority of Arabs was completely transferred into a Jewish dominated region in the space of only three decades and which had made possible the formation of the state of Israel. This paper will discuss different official records that provide information on the population of Palestine during the British Mandate and several matters pertaining to the sources of the selected data. This article will mostly be expository and focused on the historical records, while the related events warranted a more lengthy discussion and thus is beyond its scope. The method applied in this study is the historical method. The findings highlight some of the issues that exist within the scope of Palestine demographic study, particularly from the historical perspective.

Keywords: History of Palestine; British administration; Palestine demography

ABSTRAK

Satu daripada transformasi fizikal semasa tempoh pemerintahan British di Palestin berlaku secara demografi, bila mana satu kawasan yang didiami oleh majoriti Arab bertukar sepenuhnya kepada kawasan yang didominasi oleh Yahudi hanya dalam tempoh tiga dekad dan memungkinkan pembentukan negara Israel. Kajian ini membahaskan beberapa rekod rasmi yang menyediakan maklumat berkaitan populasi penduduk Palestin semasa Mandat British dan beberapa perkara berkaitan dengan sumber data-data tersebut. Artikel ini adalah berbentuk ekspositori dan berfokus kepada rekod sejarah, manakala peristiwa yang terlibat memerlukan perbincangan yang lebih panjang dan luar dari skop kajian. Metode yang diaplikasi dalam kajian ini adalah kajian sejarah. Penemuan kajian mendapati beberapa isu yang wujud dalam skop kajian demografi Palestin, terutama dari perspektif sejarah.

Kata kunci: Sejarah Palestin; pentadbiran British; demografi Palestin

INTRODUCTION

One of the most significant periods in the history of Palestine was when it was administered by Britain from 1917 until 1948. Britain took control of Palestine from the Ottomans in 1917 and proceeded to administer the land for the next three decades. Due to the historical background of Palestine itself and the vested interests that various parties had in the land, these years were particularly challenging for the rulers and its people. Many changes took place during this particular period, as British, Arab and Jews endeavoured with their respective ways and means to control the land of Palestine....