‘Koweit [Kuwait]. A report compiled in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department’

Content

Intelligence report on Kuwait, compiled for the Intelligence Branch of the Quarter Master General’s Department by Captain Henry Harris Hewitt Dowding of the Essex Regiment, and printed at the Government Central Printing Office in Simla, 1903.

The contents of the volume are as follows:

• Introductory remarks;
• Harbour, anchorages;
• History of Kuwait (of the Wahabis, the Ibn Rashid family, the war between Nejd and Kuwait);
• Political (relations between Kuwait and Great Britain, the situation in 1901-02, foreign relations with Russia, Germany, Turkey, events during 1902);
• Military forces, including their strength, arms and equipment, organisation, standard of efficiency and tactics;
• Towns: Kuwait, its population and defences; Jehara [Al-Jahrah], its importance, population and defences;
• Administration, government, free trade, currency;
• Resources, commercial, not agricultural;
• Climate;
• Communications

Four appendices follow the main text: A. routes; B. the Wahabi family; C. the Ibn Rashid family; D. the Shaikhs of Kuwait. The volume also contains three illustrations: the foreshore at Kuwait (folio 3); Mobarek-bin-Subah [Mubarak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ] and his youngest son Naser (folio 9); the Shaikh’s residence in Kuwait (folio 17). The volume also contains three maps: a map of Kuwait and the surrounding country (folio 30); a map of Kuwait harbour (folio 31); and a rough diagram of Jehara (folio 32).

Extent and format

1 volume (33 folios), with 3 maps

Arrangement

The volume is arranged into a number of sections, with major headings in the text and subheadings indicated alongside the text in the outer margins. A contents page (folio 6) lists these major headings and subheadings, along with the volume’s illustrations and maps, and refers to the volume’s original pagination system. Four appendices follow the main text. An alphabetical index (folios 26-28) also refers to the volume’s original pagination system.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Pagination: The booklet contains an original typed pagination sequence.

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Volume

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

IOR/L/PS/20/153

Former external reference(s)

5 AI 6

History of this record

Date(s)

1903 (CE, Gregorian)

Provenance

Folio 2 bears a red stamp that reads ‘Bombay Company? Office, Poona, 18 Jan 1904’. A second stamp on the volume’s frontispiece (f 4) and front cover reads ‘General Staff Library, War Office, 19 Feb 1913’.

Subjects

Military intelligence

Places

KuwaitJehara

People & organisations

Henry Harris Hewitt Dowding

Share this record

• Share on twitter
• Share on facebook

Cite this record in your research

‘Koweit [Kuwait]. A report compiled in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department’, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/153, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100000000912.0x000055> [accessed 19 April 2024]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100000000912.0x000055

IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000912.0x000055/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Copyright: How to use this content