'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [117r] (246/554)
The record is made up of 1 volume (270 folios). It was created in 20 Jan 1942-26 Jun 1945. It was written in English. 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.
what time we drank tea in the usual little glasses followed
by cold sweet drinks. Reshdi who had been sitting quietly
in a corner suddenly announced that Ibn Saud was waiting so
His Royal Highness and I said farewell in very warm terms
and I followed Reshdi along the usual route to Ibn Saud's
reception room through the usual crowd of supplicants, ser
vants, soldiers, slaves, and officials and found him in the
usual corner looking as if he had not moved since last I
had seen him there forty eight hours before. My tQwy servants
and Shaikh Ahmad*s man, Adas, came in and kissed his hand
and a clerk appeared with a freshly written letter, Ibn Saud
sai? down and so did I and I waited for the clerical gentle
man to come forward and have his letter signed but he show
ed no inclination to do so and as Ibn Saud continued to
look at me I presumed he was waiting for me to say my say
and get me gone so I asked permission to leave which merely
brought a surprised look to his face so I tried again and
the look of surprise increased and for one dreadful moment
I felt I must have dropped some incredible brick and used
an ill chosen word but I had but used a formula that I had
used ten thousands of times during the last eleven years
and the third time was lucky for the great man's thoughts
came to earth and the usual reply was made and then we
chatted for a few minutes and I thanked him for his kind
gift to myself and my servants which Abdur Rahman Tobashi
had brought to the Biddiah house just before I left for
this interview and which included besides the usual "Bhists"
and shawls a gold watch and a gold dagger for myself and a
money gift for each of the servants. He replied by saying
that it was just something to remember him by and I made
what I trust was a suitable answer and we rose and he gave
me messages for Shaikh Ahmad and Dickson and with a mutual
farewell/for each other T s peace we parted and I withdrew
from/
About this item
- Content
The volume consists of telegrams, letters, and reports relating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of the correspondence is between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire, the Political Agencies in Bahrain and Kuwait, the 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. and the Foreign Office in London, and the Government of India.
Much of the volume covers Saudi-US relations, including:
- US financial assistance to Saudi Arabia;
- the report (ff 146-147) of a medical tour of the country made by the American Mission to Bahrain;
- a trip to Kuwait made by Colonel Hoskins, President Roosevelt's Personal Envoy to Ibn Sa'ud in August 1943;
- the opening of a US Consulate in Dhahran;
- a secret report (ff 223-224) on 'America and Arabia' from the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire.
Other subjects covered are:
- the report (ff 79-99) of a trip to Riyadh made by Tom Hickinbotham, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Kuwait;
- the wartime supply situation in the region;
- the financial situation in Saudi Arabia;
- Ibn Sa'ud's relationship with Sa'ud bin 'Abdullah bin Jiluwi, the Amir of Hasa;
- telegraphic communications in the country;
- meteorology, including a report (f 181) on the British Meterological Party's tour of Saudi Arabia;
- Ibn Sa'ud's request for British military and financial assistance.
Also notable within the volume are:
- Gerald De Gaury's interview with Ibn Sa'ud (ff 19-22);
- annual summary reports on Saudi Arabia produced by the British Legation in Jeddah for the years 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944;
- a letter (152-154C) from Bertram Thomas to the Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. in Bushire following his trip across Arabia, detailing anything he thought might be useful for the British Government to know;
- a report (f 175) on the Saudi Arabian royal family by the British Legation in Jeddah.
At the end of the volume (ff 249-264) are internal office notes.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (270 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged chronologically. There is an alphabetical subject index to the contents, at the front of the volume (folio 2).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the sequence starts on the first folio and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbering is written in pencil, circled and 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. There are the following irregularities: 1A, 1B, and 1C; 28A and 28B; 154A, 154B, and 154C; 216A and 216B.
Condition: the broken spine cover is detached from the volume and enclosed in a plastic sleeve numbered folio 265, at the back of the volume. The plastic sleeve may cause some loss of sharpness to the digital image of the spine cover.
There is a second sequence that is inconsistent. It is also written in pencil but is not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [117r] (246/554), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/573, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023505692.0x00002d> [accessed 15 May 2024]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023505692.0x00002d
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_100023505692.0x00002d">'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous' [‎117r] (246/554)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100023505692.0x00002d"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x000222/IOR_R_15_1_573_0244.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
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_100000000193.0x000222/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/573
- Title
- 'File 61/11 X (D 170) Nejd-Hejaz Miscellaneous'
- Pages
- front, back, spine-a:spine-c, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1ar:1cv, 2r:153v, 154ar:154cv, 155r:185r, 186r:215v, 216ar:216bv, 217r:229v, 231r:232v, 238r:267v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence