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'File 61/11 VII (D 122) Hejaz-Nejd Miscellaneous' [‎172r] (362/454)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (223 folios). It was created in 23 Jun 1934-30 Apr 1936. 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. .

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EASTERN (A rabia).
/3f
o^pj'hG
November 18, 1935.
CONFIDENTIAL.
S ection 4.
[E 6800/6800/25]
Mr. Calvert to Sir Samuel Hoare.—{Received November 18.)
(No. 318.)
Sir,
Jedda, November 6, 1935.
1 HAVE the honour to inform you that the Mecca newspaper Saut-al-Hejaz,
published on the 29th October a short notice that the leading merchants of Jedda
had petitioned the King to sanction a tax of a half piastre miri, about Id., on
every package imported from abroad into the Hejaz, the proceeds to be in aid of
the Falah schools of Jedda and Mecca, which include, besides a boys' school in
each town, the girls' school of Jedda. The notice announced that the King's
approval had been granted.
2. The Falah schools were founded in 1904 by Haji Muhammad Ali Zainal
Ali Ridha (Alireza), at his own expense, except for about 80.000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. subscribed
in India for the construction of the school building in Jedda. Until 1931
Hajji Muhammad Ali continued to defray all expenses. Both religious and
secular teaching is given in these schools, English being on the syllabus. In
Mecca, the teaching staff consists of thirty-four, and in Jedda, at the
boys' school, of twenty-four. Pupils in Mecca number some 800, and in Jedda,
boys only, about 700. Since 1931 the schools have been supported by subscriptions
from several local firms and by other charity. It will be remembered that an effort
was made during the visit of Talaat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Harb in 1934 to interest him in the
girls' school, but with little success. •
3. Owing to the lack of good management and control and also to insufficient
funds, the condition of the schools has become so bad. it is said, that the local
merchants made an effort to raise a special fund, which amounted to 4,000 rials
(about £400), a quarter of which was subscribed once more by the family oi
Ali Ridha. This sum being insufficient, the merchants petitioned the King as
mentioned above. . i i i i
4. The tax, which will be collected by the shipping agencies and handed over
to a special committee of merchants, has already been enforced for some week^ m
Jedda, and orders are expected to be sent soon to Yanbu and Kabegn. is
method of collection, independent of the Government, is so alien to this coun ry
that, in my opinion, it may soon undergo a change. * T ^
5. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Government of In la an ic
Department of Overseas Trade.
I have, &c.
A. S. CALVERT.
[556 s—4]

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Content

The volume contains letters, telegrams, and memoranda relating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of the correspondence is between the British Legation in Jeddah, the Foreign Office in London, the Political Residencies in Bushire and Aden, the Political Agencies in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Muscat, the High Commissioner in Trans-Jordan, the British Embassy in Baghdad, the Colonial Office in London, 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. in London, the Government of India, and Ibn Sa'ud.

The volume covers a wide range of subjects, including:

  • the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, including issues of the translation of the Treaty of Taif;
  • the planning, development, and financing of roads;
  • the differing characters of two of Ibn Sa'ud's sons, Amirs Sa'ud and Faisal;
  • the appointment of new ministers in the Saudi Arabian government;
  • the slave trade in the region;
  • an Egyptian commercial and financial mission to the country led by Talaat Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Harb;
  • a general amnesty for all 'political offenders' given by Ibn Sa'ud;
  • new regulations on foreign ownership of property;
  • Ibn Sa'ud's effort to improve the Saudi Arabian standing army;
  • the French upgrade of their Consulate in Jeddah to a Legation;
  • the general financial situation in Saudi Arabia;
  • the proposal to restore the Hejaz Railway, including the lead up to a conference on the matter in Haifa in October 1935;
  • an attempt on Ibn Sa'ud's life in Mecca;
  • Saudi-Soviet relations;
  • the activities of the Saudi Arabia Mining Syndicate;
  • Amir Sa'ud's visit to Europe;
  • the death of 'Abdullah ibn Jiluwi, Amir of Hasa;
  • the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the League of Nations;
  • new Saudi regulations on the importation, sale, and possession of firearms;
  • officer training for Saudis and Yemenis in Iraq;
  • the introduction of a special import tax at Jeddah to fund local schools;
  • Anglo-Italian relations;
  • the proposal to renew the Treaty of Jeddah of 1927;
  • unrest in Hasa due to the imposition of a 'jihad tax' on those who did not take part in recent fighting on behalf of the Kingdom.

Notable in the volume is an interview with Fuad Bey Hamza, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, extracted from the newspaper Ayyam (folio 34).

At the back of the volume (folios 207-213v) are internal office notes.

Extent and format
1 volume (223 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The sequence begins on the first folio and continues through to the inside back cover. The numbers are 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, 1C, and 1D; 88, and 88A; 165 and 165A. There is a second foliation system that is uncircled and inconsistent.

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English in Latin script
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'File 61/11 VII (D 122) Hejaz-Nejd Miscellaneous' [‎172r] (362/454), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/570, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023571188.0x0000a3> [accessed 20 April 2024]

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