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'File 45/23 I (D 140) Kuwait Reforms' [‎109r] (235/455)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (222 folios). It was created in 4 Apr 1938-19 Sep 1938. 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. .

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-2- "'1
broexioast arranged by the Shaikh which was the beginning,
though not the cause, of the present trouble (see para-
K 14 ^ * i£> I
graph 5 of my Express Letter Ho.G/ll7, dated 25th February
1938) t critised strongly the Shaikh's entourage, especially
Izzet Jaafar, an importation frcsn S^ria, and demanded
various reforms. (it was this same Izzet Jaafar who
had sent the broadcast to Bari)•
>
4» Shaikh Abdulla bin Balim, the Shaikh's cousin
who recently received the C#I.E,, then called on de Gaury
with a copy of the original agreement made between Shaikh
Ahmad and certain notables of Kuv/ait whereby he - She
Shaikh - had promised to form a Council as a condition of
his election as Ruler (see P.G.13 page 73 paragraph 3.
The Shaikh has never called this Gouncil). Shaikh
Abdulla himself, as one of the ruling family, felt that
the present agitation might turn not only against the
Shaikh but also against the family as a whole, and was
shrewd enough to trim his sails to the risiiig wind. He
is in any case, however, an individual possessing some learn
ing and modern ideas.
5 * Three of the leading merchants of Kuwait, who
had a large following behind them, then requested the
Shaikh to form a Council, the membership of which would be
elective. This the merchants insisted on, knowing that
nominations to the Council would be made by the Shaikh from
his immediate entourage, and not from his family and the
notables. The same night the heads of the 150 leading
families of Kuwait met and elected to the Council 14 persons.
The Shaikh through his palace clique conaisting of his
Secretaries/

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Content

The volume contains correspondence relating to the formation of a Legislative Council in Kuwait following unrest among its people and criticism of its government in the Iraqi press. Included are newspaper articles, a list of the names of those elected to the Legislative Council of Kuwait (folio 75) and a list of demands made by the Council (folio 76). The main correspondents include: Gerald De Gaury, 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. at Kuwait; Trenchard Fowle, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Bushire; Lawrence Dundas, Secretary of State for India; the Foreign Office in London; Maurice Peterson, British Ambassador in Iraq; Air Officer Commanding for British Forces in Iraq; Sheikh Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah [Āl Ṣabāḥ, Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir], ruler of Kuwait; and other Government of India officials.

The correspondence includes:

  • Abdication discussions about Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait;
  • Overview of the administration and control of justice, education, medical services, municipalities and desert land (folios 83-99);
  • Appointment of a British customs officer in Kuwait;
  • Opposition of the Persian population of Kuwait to the Legislative Council.

There are internal office notes at the back of the volume (folios 207-214), written by officials of the British 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. at Bushire.

Extent and format
1 volume (222 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged chronologically. At the beginning (folio 1C) is a subject index, arranged alphabetically. The numbers refer to folio numbers.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the first folio and terminates at the last folio. The folio numbers are written in pencil in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. Circled index numbers in red crayon can also be found throughout the volume. There are the following irregularities: 1, 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D; 30 and 30A. Folio 200 is omitted.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'File 45/23 I (D 140) Kuwait Reforms' [‎109r] (235/455), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/468, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023666189.0x000023> [accessed 25 April 2024]

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