Skip to item: of 12
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'Koweit' [‎3v] (6/12)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 6 folios. It was created in 31 Dec 1900. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the 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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

G
Political,
1660/1900.
*No. 2, dated
7tli .lau.
1900.
(Political,
1666/1900.)
158 1900.
Captain
Denison to
Lieut.-Col.
Meade, dated
15th Jan.
1900.
(Political,
288/1900.)
t Captain
Denison to
Admiral
Douglas,
dated 14tli
Jan. 1900.
(Political,
1942/1900.)
Enclosure in
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.
to Foreign
Office, dated
27th March
1900.
(Political
369/1900.)
Consul
Wratislaw to
Government
of India,
dated 25th
Jan. 1900.
(Political,
288/1900.)
Telegram
No. 1.
(Political,
1698/1900.)
J Telegram
No. 24, dated
22nd Jan.
1900.
(Political,
1720/1900.)
1856/1900.
2048/1900.
1900.
This result appears, from Consul Wratislaw's Despatch above referred to
(No. 46). to have been connected with a new development in the Koweit
situation which was ftrst reported by Sir N. O'Conor in his telegram of the
5th January 1900, viz., that; a Commission (including the German Consul-
General at Constantinople and the Chief Engineer of the Anatolian Railway)
in connection with the German scheme for a railway to Bagdad, which had
just arrived at Busrah, intended to try for a concession of a port at Koweit,
and that it would start for Koweit in a few days with this view. In a
subsequent telegram* from Sir N. O'Conor it was reported that the German
promoters appeared to intend to negotiate direct with the Porte, ignoring
the Sheikh. A further report, however, was received through the Viceroy
from the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , who visited Koweit on the
13th January, to the effect that the Germans proposed to acquire three
or four miles of land at Kathama Bay; that the Sheikh had been
asked by Mohsin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. to befriend the German mission; and that
Captain Denison had delivered to Sheikh Mubarak a message from the
Resident, Persian Gnlf (sent with the Viceroy's permission!) to the effect
that the Sheikh must inform him (the Resident) of any proposals made to
him by the Germans and abide by the decision of the Government of India
in the matter. To this message Mubarak had replied on tiie 2]st January
stating that he was under our protection and would do all that wo desired.
The Sheikh's account of his interview with the Commission, which took
place on the 20th January, is given in Mr. Gaskin's report of the 5th February.
The Commission had stated that they held a concession from the Sultan,
who was largely interested in the undertaking, to make a railway in Turkish
territory, and that they desired to extend it to Kathama Bay, which they
wished to buy, obtaining certain other lands on lease ; that their present visit
was only preliminary in order to secure Mubarak's co-operation and support
with the Arab Sheikhs through whose territory the line would pass; that he
would be handsomely paid for any land purchased or leased from him; that the
trade and importance of Koweit would be greatly enhanced and that he would
enjoy the protection of the German Government. Mubarak represented
himself as having declared that he was territorially independent of the
Sultan ; that the Arabs would not consent to alienate their land, and that he
could not help the Germans with the Arab Chiefs. He said that the Com
mission finally offered him presents, which he refused, and went away the
same day promising further communications from the German Ambassador
at Constantinople. The Germans, on the other hand, wrote to their friends
at Busrah stating that they were well received by the Sheikh and would
certainly take their line to Koweit.
Meanwhile, on the 19th January, the Foreign Office had asked for Sir N.
O'Conor's opinion as to whether it would be preferable to warn the Porte
against taking any decision in this matter without consulting Her Majesty's
Government, or to speak to his German colleague confidentially of our
relations with Koweit.
Sir N. 0'Conor+ was of opinion that the moment was not opportune for
taking either of these courses. He suggested as a third course that a hint
should be conveyed privately by Sir E. Law to the concessionaires, that any
arrangement which would ignore British relations with Koweit would
result in delaying the enterprise. This course was sanctioned by the Foreign
Office in their telegram No. 27 of the 26th January. Nothing, however,
came of it.
On the 2nd March the Admiralty communicated to the Foreign Office
an extract from a letter (dated 27th January) from the Senior Naval Officer
in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , reporting the proceedings of the German Commission,
and representing that it Avould be a great blow to our prestige in the
Gulf were any other Power allowed to acquire the port of Koweit.
On the 12th March, in view of the visit of the Russian gunboat " Gilyak,"
with the Russian Consul at Bagdad on board, to Koweit, H.M.S. " Sphinx"
was ordered to proceed to Koweit and remain there for a few days. The
" Gilyak " brought a present from the Russian Consul to the Sheikh.
«

About this item

Content

Memorandum, written by Colin George Campbell, 31 December 1900, about Koweit [Kuwait], including a brief historical introduction and detailed information for the years 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, and 1900. Topics discussed include Mubarak al-Sabah [Mubārak bin Ṣabāḥ Āl Ṣabāḥ] having murdered his father (Muḥammad I Al Ṣabāḥ) and claimed his position as Shaikh of Kuwait; the involvement of Kuwaiti subjects in piratical acts; a request by the Shaikh in 1897 for Koweit to be placed under British protection in a similar manner to Bahrein [Bahrain]; Turkish claims to Koweit; the decision in 1899 to obtain an agreement with the Shaikh of Kuwait not to 'cede, lease, mortgage or otherwise alienate or give for occupation any portion of his territories to the Government or subjects of any other Power without previously obtaining the consent of Her Majesty's Government'; Russian interest in Koweit and Turkish movements in relation to it in1899, including attempts to appoint Turkish citizens to posts there; German interest in establishing a railway link to Bagdad [Baghdad] which would include Busrah [Basra] and Koweit; Shaikh Mubarak's relations with Sheikh Abdur Rahman bin Faisal [ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Fayṣal Āl Saʻūd] and Koweiti involvement in the affairs of Nejd [Najd]; and the strengthening of Shaikh Mubarak's position with Turkey and the Porte since the appointment of Mohsin Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. as Vali at Busreh.

The margins of the memorandum contain cross-references to official correspondence with the Government of India and Foreign Office.

An appendix to the memorandum, on folio 6, contains:

Extent and format
6 folios
Arrangement

There are four copies of the memorandum.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation sequence consists of pencil numbers, enclosed in a circle, located in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. The sequence begins on the first folio, with number 1, and ends on the last folio, with number 6.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'Koweit' [‎3v] (6/12), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B127, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023488788.0x000007> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023488788.0x000007">'Koweit' [&lrm;3v] (6/12)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023488788.0x000007">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000833.0x00015e/IOR_L_PS_18_B127_0006.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
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_100000000833.0x00015e/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image